OG N.68 2018 Sonoma County “Mountain” Cabernet Sauvignon
24th of 30, PnP. Nearing 6 years bottled.
It’s VERY ready to enjoy now. 
Nicely balanced and well flavored, it did need the added aging. Now, I believe it has fully arrived! Enjoy sooner than later.
with NY steak
I think Sylvester prefers the old label design.
So do I
That makes all 3 of us!
Luckily the wine is better than that cheap a$$ two color label….
OG N.151 2018 Napa Valley “Reserve” Meritage
Dug deep into the “Library” and found the final Last bottle, PnP, over 5.5 years bottled.
This has continued to mature well. As mature as I want it, very nice right now. Very Pleasant wine . It’s ready. A blend of 47% Cabernet, 39% Merlot, and 14% Malbec
with Portobello Mushroom burgers
Front label Meritage, back label Red Blend. Take your pick…
Thursday evening, had this wonderful Cabernet with dinner and Niners preseason game.
Note: Some taster said this wine exhibited VA, i’m overtly sensitive to any VA, there was not any present for me. My storage is 60F year round.
Posted from CellarTracker
Popped open this AV Pinot after the N.138 Cab, wanted a little night cap with some bite. This did the trick.
Posted from CellarTracker
Friday evening dinner wine. Still one of the best de Negoce Cabernets I’ve tried. Nothing rolling off either in flavor department.
Posted from CellarTracker
Lot 400 | 2020 Oakville Cabernet Sauvignon
3+ years bottled, ~6/12, PnP.
Wow, this bottle is BIG, alcohol is over evident 15.5%, very ripe, almost Port like. I enjoyed previous bottles more.
Day 2 was significantly improved and mellowed. I’m going to have to wait longer on this one.
with Baby back ribs
Lot 250 2019 Rutherford Hillside Cabernet Sauvignon
5+ years bottled, #7/7, PnP.
Wow, this is absolutely fantastic! Definitely a favorite. Very Deeply structured and balanced between all the elements, tannins, fruit, wood and extreme triple yumminess. Deeply complex with great leather, dark fruits & oak. Full of BDX curly ques.
As good as it gets around here. Wish I had more. Seems fully developed, so enjoy now, PnP.
with beef kabobs
I pulled out a lot 401 to try soon. I tried to put my hands on a lot 400, but couldn’t. Must be off in my storage. At 15.5%. Sounds like it would need more time.
That’s gotta be one of the best subtle flexes I’ve heard in a while. I live in a pretty nice place but I could never start a review with “this smells like my neighborhood” and end with 94 points. Bravo!
Jonah,
Acacia trees bloom here mid May to mid June, the neighbors west and southwest of me have trees that light up pink then. Dogs start scratching, sinus solutions for humans etc. But these trees put out a distinct smell that many top end Cabernet wines have.
Thank you for the follow up and the great review. My tasting notes are pathetic. Various versions of "just what I want in (fill in varietal). I had major septum surgery Tuesday so maybe I’ll finally be able to properly enjoy all this wine I’ve amassed. Or maybe I’ll never regain my full sense of smell. Either way pleas keep up the evocative prose. .
Served at a friend’s home was our first tasting of Lot 501 | 2023 Russian River Valley Pinot Noir last night. Maybe with more time, this selection could round out a bit, but currently a light ruby, ‘thin’ Pinot Noir for our taste(s). 88 pt / B . . . At this stage, not deserving of a Scott_B ‘yum’.
This has been my “white wine” for seafood, etc.. dN 501.
From that perspective, it’s ok, not great.
Lot 401 | 2021 Napa Valley Proprietary Red Wine
3+ years bottled, 3/12. One hour in the afternoon decanter, then back into the bottle.
Different, yes. Controversial, probably. Well, I do like this unique wine. The nose reminds me of the blueberry pancake syrup, more muted than before. Lots of fruit, plenty of oak and interesting flavors that I’m not able to describe well. Either you’re gonna like this wine or you’re not. I like this wine, I enjoyed the whole bottle. Another one in 6 months? Should age and improve.
with Wagyu Flatiron steak
I too decided to open a lot 401 tonight. It’s been over a year since my last one and wow, the extraction. This is better than the last time that I had it, but not as beautiful as the Christmas after it was bottled (talk about wow).
The nose on this currently is boisterous, loads of blueberry syrup and bay leaf. It’s almost cloyingly sweet, but in your nose! The palate is more subdued than the nose, but not subdued at all! More blueberry, cherry and chocolate. This wine really needs another 1-3 years to calm down and turn all that extraction into something beautiful.
Lot 217, my gateway dN!!! 
HA! dN 17, was my gateway.
What a great ride!
