De Negoce: A test drive.
I met Cameron Hughes more than a decade ago, while I was writing for Snooth and he had just released his first wines under the Cameron Hughes Lot designate labels. He was a nice guy, pleasant though selling all the time, which is his game. I thought fairly highly of both him and his wines back then, and while the line was a success, it wasn’t quite a success for Cameron.
Fast forward to last year. Cameron Hughes pops back up on the scene with a new line of wines, and a new sales model. In light of an abundance of wine he was able to sign contracts for wines from the great 2018 vintage, coming from what we have been told are wineries selling these wines, or similar, for multiples of what is being asked for them. Lots of hints dropped, endless hours of internet sleuthing, and we have bulletin boards with the purported sources of these wines. What’s not to like.
For starters, the current wine scene in California, which has been guilty of a more is more homogenization of wine, particularly Cabernet Sauvignon. A second issue is the ridiculous pricing that seems to dominate the California wine scene, where there can be a huge disconnect between what a winery charges, and what a wine may actually be worth. Have you seen how many bottles of Napa cabernet routine beak the $100 mark? There is no guarantee of quality, regardless of price.
But still, Cameron has a good reputation. 2018 has a good reputation. California can make delicious Cabernets; and the prices asked for these wines were cheap, even more so in light of the fires that have greatly reduced the potential of the 2019 vintage.
I bought 10 cases in total, full cases being the only way to buy de Negoce wines, blind of course as no one had been able to taste these wines prior to purchase, and even when they were shipped consumers were cautioned that the were still in bottle shock and to expect the worst. Red flags if you ask me. So I slowed my buying, though truth be known there has been little that has been compelling to me since the great flurry of the first 3 months.
I made it a point to try what I had before committing to any additional purchases, and truthfully at the rate I consume Cabernet 10 cases will last a long time, so I should be set for the foreseeable future. But I still need to know what I’ve bought and how they stack up.
So I bought 4 wines off the shelf to add to the 8 de Negoce wines I had in my possession, to create a blind tasting that could not only offer some relative impressions of the de Negoce wines, but hopefully put them in context of the broader market of California Cabernets. The four wines I bought were roughly at the $20, $40, and $50 price points.
I tasted the wines blind, four times over the course of 2 days, and each time in a different order to prevent one wine from consistently impacting another. I had guests join me on the first day for dinner, so in order to give them an idea of what was in each bottle I identified each wine with a single, hopefully helpful word that encapsulated my initial impressions.
Fast forward to last year. Cameron Hughes pops back up on the scene with a new line of wines, and a new sales model. In light of an abundance of wine he was able to sign contracts for wines from the great 2018 vintage, coming from what we have been told are wineries selling these wines, or similar, for multiples of what is being asked for them. Lots of hints dropped, endless hours of internet sleuthing, and we have bulletin boards with the purported sources of these wines. What’s not to like.
For starters, the current wine scene in California, which has been guilty of a more is more homogenization of wine, particularly Cabernet Sauvignon. A second issue is the ridiculous pricing that seems to dominate the California wine scene, where there can be a huge disconnect between what a winery charges, and what a wine may actually be worth. Have you seen how many bottles of Napa cabernet routine beak the $100 mark? There is no guarantee of quality, regardless of price.
But still, Cameron has a good reputation. 2018 has a good reputation. California can make delicious Cabernets; and the prices asked for these wines were cheap, even more so in light of the fires that have greatly reduced the potential of the 2019 vintage.
I bought 10 cases in total, full cases being the only way to buy de Negoce wines, blind of course as no one had been able to taste these wines prior to purchase, and even when they were shipped consumers were cautioned that the were still in bottle shock and to expect the worst. Red flags if you ask me. So I slowed my buying, though truth be known there has been little that has been compelling to me since the great flurry of the first 3 months.
I made it a point to try what I had before committing to any additional purchases, and truthfully at the rate I consume Cabernet 10 cases will last a long time, so I should be set for the foreseeable future. But I still need to know what I’ve bought and how they stack up.
So I bought 4 wines off the shelf to add to the 8 de Negoce wines I had in my possession, to create a blind tasting that could not only offer some relative impressions of the de Negoce wines, but hopefully put them in context of the broader market of California Cabernets. The four wines I bought were roughly at the $20, $40, and $50 price points.
I tasted the wines blind, four times over the course of 2 days, and each time in a different order to prevent one wine from consistently impacting another. I had guests join me on the first day for dinner, so in order to give them an idea of what was in each bottle I identified each wine with a single, hopefully helpful word that encapsulated my initial impressions.
As you will see if you follow the tasting notes, some of the wines remained fairly consistent through the tasting period while others varied, sometimes significantly. It has been my experience that this variation is worth noting. Wines that improve over the course of a tasting like this generally improve over the course of years in the cellar, and conversely wines that degrade, generally do not age well. My final point score for each wine reflects both the cumulative tasting experience with each wine, as well as the general impression of ageability, though ageability has a minor role to play here.
So what happened? One of my favorite wines turned out to be the cheapest wine I bought for the tasting. The worst wine was the most expensive wine I bought for the tasting, so that didn’t help establish the parameters I was hoping for, but it did serve to reinforce the disconnect between pricing and quality when it comes to these wines. The de Negoce wines performed fairly well, certainly offering good or great value in most cases. However, as is the case with wine, price and consensus quality perceptions will not always match up with one’s personal preferences. My results with the de Negoce wines are a 75% success rate. To help illustrate the situation lets take a look at the wines and how I thought they stacked up.
First off, kudos to Daou. Their Paso Robles bottling of Cabernet was as good as almost any other wine in the line-up, readily available at or near the $20 price point it certainly established a high bar, even if it was priced at the very top of the de Negoce scale.
My top wine was the de Negoce Rutherford Cabernet #44, powerful, complex, with the fruit hiding but seemingly wonderfully ripe. Grouped with the Daou were the equally impressive if twice as expensive Turnbull Napa Cabernet and de Negoce’s Sonoma county Cabernet which was a touch rustic, belying its purported mountain roots, but full and complex and intense.
2018 de Negoce OG 44 Cabernet Sauvignon Rutherford, Napa Valley 14.3% $18 93pts
2018 Daou Cabernet Sauvignon Paso Robles 14.5% s $20 92pt
2018 de Negoce OG 68 Cabernet Sauvignon Sonoma County 14.5% $18 92pts
2018 Turnbull Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley 14.3% $50 92pts
On the next level I found the de Negoce 66 Napa Valley Cabernet to be very well balanced, complete and very fine, though for current consumption both the 67 Santa Cruz bottling, with it’s attractive hint of pyrazine, and the 33 Alexander Valley bottling, which was so bright, juicy, red cherry fruited and delicious, to be the best wines for current consumption. I think many people might prefer the more powerful and rich de Negoce 64, or the structured Mount Veeder Cabernet, which has performed with admirable consistency over the years.
2018 de Negoce OG 66 Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley 14.6% $15 91pts
2018 Mount Veeder Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley 14.5% 90pts
2018 de Negoce OG 67 Cabernet Sauvignon Santa Cruz Mountains 13.8% $12 90pts
2018 de Negoce OG 33 Cabernet Sauvignon Alexander Valley Sonoma County 14% $10 90pts
2018 de Negoce OG 64 Cabernet Sauvignon Calistoga, Napa Valley 15.6% $20 90pts
The final three wines from the tasting are wines that i would prefer to avoid. The most expensive, Darioush’s Caravan was basically an undrinkable mess. I see that it is well liked on cellartracker so perhaps this is a bad bottle, but I doubt it. I think there is a large market out there for wines I can’t drink, both on the modern, manufactured side as well as the naturalist side. The de Negoce 17 Napa Valley Cabernet came off as cheap and unattractive with sweet, syrupy fruit flavors and an unappealing raw woodiness. De Negoce 41 from St. Helena was a wine I had doubts about from the point of purchase due to its high alcohol, which admittedly was not intrusive in the wine; in the end though it was the wood treatment, 100% new oak, 100% barrel fermented that should be the wine’s downfall. Oaky and full of wood tannin, I have serious doubts about its ability to ever come into balance.
2018 de Negoce OG 41 Cabernet Sauvignon St. Helena Napa Valley 16.1% $19 87pts
2018 de Negoce OG 17 Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley 14.5% $12 80pts
2018 Darioush Caravan Napa Valley 15.5% $50 72pts
So that’s the deal. 6 out 8 wines were winners, and the average price, including delivery for these wines is well under $20 a bottle. Two of the best wines, insofar as they are already drinking well and have what I would say is a well defined path to maturity are the $10 and $12 Alexander Valley and Santa Cruz Mountain bottlings, which admittedly won’t please those looking for a full throttle Napa Valley experience but sure do taste good to me!
Will I buy more de Negoce wines? Probably not, but that’s not due to the results of this tasting. Having ten cases of 2018 Cabernet, about 7 of which are to my liking, sets me up nicely for the foreseeable future. I do like the variety that I bought as well, with a nice range of wines from light to powerful, and early drinking to cellar keepers. Cameron Hughes is good at what he does, but he’s no magician. He can’t create a line of wines which will appeal equally to every palate, and that is the trap some folks will fall into while buying excessively and blindly.
I am happy with what I have but the truth is I don’t need any more wines, and while that won’t prevent me from buying more wine, I think the only wines I really “need” to add to my cellar are wines from Oregon, Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. Come to think of it, I think I did notice a few of those on de Negoce recently. I also heard that Cameron will be opening more of a retail model allowing for less than by the case purchases, which would go some ways into further testing my buying moratorium resolve.
Uh oh.
Full tasting notes:
2018 de Negoce OG 44 Cabernet Sauvignon Rutherford, Napa Valley 14.3% $18 93pts
100% Cabernet
approx 60% new French oak
Rumored to be: Luna retail price $105
Initial impressions
Dark but not opaque ruby, purple. Fairly fruity if primary with lots of blackberry, earth, and plenty of wood spice and vanilla. Smooth, polished, finely textured with very attractive balance. Medium plus bodied, finely rendered fruit, plum, bay leaf, blackberry all come together on the palate, joined by well judged wood spice through the long, fairly juicy and fine finish. Strong opening. 90-93
4 hours in:
Complex and balanced on the nose, young so the oak is prominent but it’s well balanced by floral, dark berry, and soil driven aromas. Feels just a touch sweet right on entry, then this gains focus, firming up in the mouth, retaining a decent edge of transparency while revealing fine depth and power. Nothing excessive nor vulgar here though it is a big, intense and deep wine. It lacks a bit of length but there's some lovely fruit struggling to reveal itself late on the palate. Lovely balance, with a feel that shows a certain elegance. 91-93
6 hours in:
Mineral, oak, black currant bay leaf, a hint of blood, quite nice and nuanced. Smooth, very well integrated, lively earthy, rich with black fruit, stoney basenotes, and a bit too much but resolvable wood tannin, coffee motes on the finish. Packed. 91-93
I had titled this Packed after day 1.
Day 2:
This does smell attractive, it’s not bowl you overly intense, but what is here is seductively perfumed with notes of cherry, plum, bitter chocolate, white floral notes, talcy minerality and very complex and well integrated wood spice. Rich, soft, broad and tannic. I would like some more acidity here as this does weigh on the palate, but at the same time it’s full of well defined earth, bramble, baked black cherry and mocha flavors that are driven through the finish by a slight excess of wood tannin. This sacrifices some detail and elegance for power but finishes with such lovely curranty and plummy fruit that I can’t help that to think that this could be quite good with another 3-4 years in the cellar. 91-93
2018 Daou Cabernet Sauvignon Paso Robles 14.5% 92pts $20
Initial impressions
Dark, slightly earthy purple. Both Cabernet and oak immediately apparent, Black currant and cigar box, balanced, very crude but pleasant. A little dusty and cinnamony with air. Medium build, lovely transparency, detailed fruit profile, rugged but well ripened tannins, plenty of oak influence but it’s not heavy handed. Decent length, solid acidity, Really quite racy. 88-92
4 hours in:
Oaky spice, potting soil, slight vegetal notes. Smooth, a touch of roundness up front is followed by a slightly angular and aggressive midpalate. There’s lovely ripe, red fruited Cabernet fruit here, laid over a darkly earthy mineral base. And decent length on the finish which reveals a touch of sweetness to the fruit. Very young but this has solid potential. Powerful and slightly rugged. 91-92
6 hours in:
Meaty, deep, violets and stone. Black fruit and cedar shingles. Dense but lively, very well balanced, lovely purity to the fruit, Polished tannins, A complete wine, a bit embryonic but this has solid potential. 91-93
This was noted as Potential at the end of day 1.
Day 2.
Oaky and meaty on the nose, with some mineral notes and a slow to reveal hint of dried chilies. Dense, chewy, very solid, all about potential right now with formidable depth and huge dry extract feel. This is really tactile, very broad shouldered yet well balanced with a long focused finish. Delivers no pleasure today but has terrific potential. 92-93 Give it 4-5 years
2018 de Negoce OG 68 Cabernet Sauvignon Sonoma County 14.5% $18 92pts
77% Sonoma County, 23% Napa County
79% Cabernet Sauvignon, 15% Merlot, 7% Petit Verdot
45% new French oak
Rumored to be: Pride $85
Initial impressions
Dark but not opaque ruby, purple. Mostly oak showing and fairly sweetly at that with lots of vanilla, some American oak, Smooth, reticent, red berry fruit early on the palate followed by chunky wood tannins, Pleasant, a bit of an extracted feel to it though it's still medium - medium full bodied. Sneaky, but less intense than prior wines. 88-90
4 hours in:
Dark, jammy fruit on the nose along with a lot of black notes, deep and intense if without nuance. A bit loose up front, pleasant in the mouth, easy going at times then extracted and tannic on the backend. Chewy, perhaps too extracted for its own good, perhaps this improves but it seems to lack the balance to do so. 86-87
6 hours in:
Spicy, earthy oak. Smooth, decent polish quite friendly now, if young and tannic. Perhaps a bit simple and rustic, but not unpleasant. 86-88
This was noted as Rustic at the end of day 1
Day 2
Sweet and fruity on the nose, fairly complex today with meaty base notes, jammy black currant, black cherry, and dried fig aromas. Smooth, juicy, super fine grained tannins, lovely old school rendition of Cabernet. This is lovely, it’s retained a slight edge of rusticity, which adds to the whole and offers up fruit that is much brighter on the palate than the nose, followed by terrific, deep, stone and gravel notes on the long finish. Really in my wheelhouse today, certainly not the most popular of the bunch but the most California Cabernet for my palate. 90-92
2018 Turnbull Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley 14.3% $50 92pts
92% Cabernet Sauvignon
4% Cabernet Franc
2% Petit Verdot
1% Merlot
1% Malbec
Initial impressions
Very bright yet transparent purple. Earthy, oay, nutty and leaf at first on the nose. Gains some candied blackberry fruit and shows decent complexity. Good energy in the mouth, fairly lively while rich and deep on the palate with red and black fruit, herbal edges, and a core of woodspice. Lovely finish, fairly long and well balanced and focused. 91-93
4 hours in:
Reticent, slightly sweet on the nose, berries and oak, simple and low intensity. Tight on the palate but very well balanced with a core of deep, dark berry fruit well framed with oak. Remains lively with length and intensity on the finish. Young but quite fine. 91-93
6 hours in:
Deep, mineral, oak, very finely rendered Cabernet fruit. Youthful but complex. Smooth, large scaled, deep berry fruit, rich, powerful, but well balanced, a bit on the fruity side for me but with plenty of spice and earthy notes offering some base. Give this time, should be a winner. 91-93
This was noted as Winner at the end of day 1.
Day 2:
Complex nuanced nose throws off flashes of tobacco, cigar box, black currant jam, flint, grafite, freshly turned earth. Big, polished, lush, relatively seamless. This is really very well integrated with fruit that shows attractive depth, freshness, and precision. The oak is well judged, grabbing the fruit on the midpalate and releasing it at the finale. Lovely freshness and ripeness to the fruit. This may not prove to be the best wine in this line-up, but is showing the best at this point. For my palate it's a bit too fat and dense. It needs another 2 years to enter the zone. 91-92
2018 de Negoce OG 66 Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley 14.6% $15 91pts
65+% new French and Hungarian oak
78% Cabernet, 13% Merlot, 6% Petite Verdot, 2% Malbec, 1% Cabernet Franc
Rumored to be: Clos du Val $70
Initial impressions
Opaque, glass staining purple black.
Not very intense, though showing more oak than fruit at this point. Caramel, molasses, prune. Smooth, fairly rich, shows well balanced oak and fruit in a moderately rich style, tight grained wood tannin, a bit minty, good length and persistence, rather well done showing some elegance but also power, though lacks a little detail nice stony quality to the finish. 88-91
4 hours in:
Sweet, oaky, with a pool of dark fruit on the nose. Dense, a bit matte in the mouth, rich, slightly chewy, could use a bit more brightness, pretty fruit driven and now short with powdery tannins dominating the finish. Ordinary. 86-88
6 hours in:
Sweet, vanilla, quite fruity, well absorbed oak, Smooth, bright enough, a bit coarse though with wood coming to the fore on the midpalte, Dense and a bit chewy, this could develop nicely, and could be quite pleasant but I doubt this will be better than very good, but there is an outside chance this could surprise on the upside. 89-91
Noted as Interesting on day 1.
Day 2:
Very nice, quite classic in its expression of sweet, spicy oak and sweet, dark berry fruits with some violet and jasmine accents. Really well balanced in the mouth, rich, powerful and juicy, no excessiveness. A bit tannic, but lovely balance. A bit tough today but this will be quite good. I'd give this another 2-3 years until it enters its drinking window. 91-92 pts
2018 Mount Veeder Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley 14.5% $40 90pts
Initial impressions
Thick, black purple and opaque. Smells quite fruity, lots of raspberry and blackberry coulis layered over aggressive though complex wood spice. The most intense nose. After the nose the palate is a bit of a let down at first, it’s a bit flat, but there is lovely black currant fruit here, with a leafy cast that is almost Bordelaise, also some gravelly notes that drive through the finish. Another strong opening here. This is probably my favorite so far with plenty of chewy fruit tannins, A bit muscular. 91-93
4 hours in:
Smoky, plum tart, a hint of orange, cedar and dried floral base notes. Round, hints of sweetness, plenty of intense cabernet fruit here, a touch matte, powerful, dense, opaque in the mouth with decent length. Definitely the fruitiest style here today, it’s pleasant with good potential but just a bit too fruity for me with wood tannins that grow on the finish. 89-91
6 hours in:
Sawdust, oranges, floral, Smooth, broad shouldered, deep fruit, a touch anonymous but solid. 90-92
This was noted as Solid after day 1.
Day 2:
Dark fruited and candied on the nose, oak is prominent more towards the vanilla end of the spectrum as opposed to cedar and spice, Sweet and one dimensional. A bit matte in the mouth, a bit too tannic, not tough but solid is appropriate. Chewy, slightly rustic, earthy and cedary in the mouth. Dry, tannic finish, Rugged and slightly old School. 88-90
2018 de Negoce OG 67 Cabernet Sauvignon Santa Cruz Mountains 13.8% $12 90pts
Aged 22 months in a mix of French and Hungarian oak, 20% new, low- to medium- toast to elevate the fruit.
100% Cabernet Sauvignon
Rumored to be La Honda $40
Initial impressions
Cabernet Franc? Carmenere? This is attractive, there's a fine thread of vegetalness that makes this bright and interesting on the nose as its paired with a gentle suggestion of oak and lovely blackberry and black currant fruit. Easy drinking, candied red fruit on entry followed by a gentle and transparent mid palate that lacks some concentration in this line-up but is easy going and well balanced. The finish is light but long, and relatively juicy. Easy going and delicious, and already ready with a good 5-7 years of maturity ahead. Not a knock-out but a terrific cellar defender. 90-91
4 hours in:
Carmenere, just a bit. Pencil shavings, more subtle but quite lovely and attractive. Smooth, medium weight, bright, juicy, this is just terrific right now. It’s atypical for Napa, but is so elegant and refined that I love drinking it. Long, lithe finish with tight little tannins and plenty of refreshing acidity. Delicious red fruit, just delightful. 91-92
6 hours in:
Tomato leaf, classic Cabernet character, gorgeous old worldish nose. Light and lively on the palate, juicy, shows excellent definition, Decent depth, Firming up, very nicely done. 90-91
This was noted as Classic at the end of day 1.
Day 2
Tomato leaf, intense and complex on the nose today, Oak is well integrated, A touch sweet but with herbal nuances lending freshness. This is fun, probably unusual for 2018 California Cabernet at a certain price point. It’s got plenty of red fruit, almost lush, well defined flavors that are a touch simple but very pleasant, decent length, well judged flavors,. Pretty much ready to drink. Lovey 88-90
2018 de Negoce OG 33 Cabernet Sauvignon Alexander Valley Sonoma County 14% $10 90pts
35% new French oak, low toast
Rumored to be: Jordan $50, but I think it’s Stuhlmuller
Initial impressions
Transparent and bright. Balanced on the nose with alternating whafts of vanilla, red currant, earth, and balsam leading to a slightly diffuse, but bright palate of red cherry fruit. Simple, fun to drink, very well balanced, very cool and juicy but also quite short. Easy going Cabernet. Love the transparency here. And the fruit tannins. Along with the purity to the fruit. 87-88
4 hours in:
Red cherry, mint, a bit of raw wood that lends some complexity, a hint of chalkiness. Smooth, rather open knit, all red cherry fruit, gentle, easy going, transparent with some gentle nuance and succulence. It remains gently tannic, but so easy to like with some late arriving medicinal tones that really lend this length along with the persistent and sweet red cherry fruit. A bit of an outlier but decidedly attractive. 89-91
6 hours in:
Red cherry, a touch of saw dust, noticeably but not unpleasantly vegetal, Smooth, polished, fresh juicy, not super complex but delicious. So pretty and well balanced, and drinkable. 90-91
This was noted as Pretty at the end of day 1.
Day 2
Toasted nuts and hints of raw wood frame a core of red cherry fruit. The oak is a bit more aggressive today, rather raw but simple. Almost supple, juicy lacy, just a terrific light weight cabernet that reminds me of old Simi wines in a way. This has lost a touch of brightness today with the tannins coming to the fore a bit but it just needs another year or two in the cellar to resolve that issue. A bit minty on the finish, god length, refreshing and palate cleansing. One of the standouts of this line-up in that it really is not a cookie cutter. Elegant. 90-91
2018 de Negoce OG 64 Cabernet Sauvignon Calistoga, Napa Valley 15.6% $20 90pts
96% Cabernet, 4% Petit Verdot
60% new French oak
Rumored to be Jericho Canyon $135
Initial impressions
Sightly dull and earthy opaque purple. Sweet and sour on the nose, a bit waxy, with smoky, black currant, blueberry, plum, bay leaf, orange pekoe, and vanilla aromas. Smooth, polished, fairly rich but not overdone. Layered on the palate with a very fine feel delivering power and incipient transparency, it does turn a touch bitter front he tannins on the finish but it should lose that note with some more celar time. Not too powerful, very nice Cabernet, sort of middle of road with a bit more complexity and depth than most and a certain freshness and complexity to the fruit. 91-93
4 hours in:
Candied fruit a hint of melon, violet, pencil lead. Cigar box and grafite on the nose. Smooth, bright, high toned in the mouth with energy and transparency. This is vivid with red currant, red cherry and plum fruit laced with spice. Long and focused on the finish with wonderfully refined tannins. Nice and fairly refined. 91-93
6 hours in:
Sweet, vanilla, latex, earth, dull and smelling of old, damp barrel. Chewy, a bit bitter, powerful but with too much wood tannin. A burly wine, all power and no grace now. Tough going. 85-87
This was noted as Tough at the end of day 1.
Day 2:
Very interesting on the nose with a very modest oak impression replaced by meaty, slightly licorice toned dark plummy fruit. Still shows some vanilla but that is integrating well. Smooth at first, then turning quite tannic, but the tannins are fairly fine grained and this has some lovely earthy, dark, spicy fruit at its core. Bright angular, fairly energetic wine that finishes a bit short but Shows good potential. Might never be a knockout but this should develop into a fine midweek Cabernet. 88-90 Give it 3-4 years
2018 de Negoce OG 41 Cabernet Sauvignon St. Helena Napa Valley 16.1% $19 87pts
100% barrel-fermented in 100% new French Oak
97% Cabernet, 2% Petite Verdot, 1% Merlot
Rumored to be Louer Family
Initial impressions
Sightly dull and earthy opaque purple. Quite dominated by its oak. Vanilla, nutmeg, black tea, moss, and burnt sugar aromas. Matte, rich, and chewy in the mouth with boysenberry and wild berry flavors emerging from the bed of wood spice. The load of tannin is formidable. Chewy, short, and a bit tough. Feels like ambition. Better on the palate than the nose. 88-91
4 hours in:
Very oaky on the nose with just a shading of black currant fruit. Lage scaled, fairly bright in the mouth then turning very chewy. This is big, intense and extracted Napa cabernet. I get the feeling that under all this oak is some nice fruit, but at this point you just get flashes of blueberry in the mouth between the punishing tannins and intense oak. Could this turn out to be great? One imagines so, but at this point it is painful to drink. 82-84
6 hours in:
Moderately oaky but also very citrus oil scented, huge orange notes, very pretty and high-toned, Dense, broad on the palate but with some brightness helping this out. It’s very tannic, deep on the palate earthy, fairly long, interesting but not friendly at this point. Definitely shows improving balance. 85-87
This was noted as Earthy at the end of day 1.
Day 2
Oaky, earthy, somewhat odd on the nose with notes of orange marmalade, sandalwood, green anise seed, raw and with a shrill oakiness. Very fine grained tannins show on entry, this is rather four square, a bit chunky with pleasant fruit trapped in the structure. Earthy on the backend and dusty through the finish which shows some bright blackberry, pomegranate and sour cherry fruit. This should improve significantly if the tannins integrate. It’s got great fruit but a heavy tannic load. I’m 50/50 on which one wins out here. It’s very tannic. 87-88
2018 de Negoce OG 17 Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley 14.5% $12 80pts
90% Cabernet, 5% Merlot, 5% Petit Verdot
25% New French and American oak, tight grain, low-to-medium toast
Rumored to be Beaucanon
Initial impressions
Dark but not opaque ruby, purple. Very fragrant, full of toasted almond, floral aromas, cocoa, green herbal notes and candied plum and black berry fruit. Racy, incipient complexity though this has some angular wood expressing itself which detracts front he whole. A little syrup tasting, then the wood tannins dominate the finish. Tastes relatively cheap. Harsh. 84-86
4 hours in:
Sweet and fruity with notes of pomegranate, sweet cherries and red currant laid over a bed of well judged oak spice. Fruity, round, a bit sweet, rather lush, decent up front with attractive brightness but the finish is dry and tannic, and this comes off as a bit constructed and cheap feeling. 83-84
6 hours in:
Sweet, fruity and syrupy in the nose. Rich up front, weird acids, dark on the midpalate, full of fruit and flavor but disjointed. Shows flashes of improvement on the backend then clamps down on the finish. 83-85
This was noted as Cheap at the end of day 1.
Day 2
Smells of sawdust and sour berry fruit, still not attractive though there are complicating notes of wood spice, flowers, and dried herbs that offer some redemption. Smooth, flat, this has depth but no height in the mouth. There are some attractive elements in the mouth but it comes off as over-extracted, clumsy and dull. Finishes with too much dusty, woody tannin. Brutal. 74-76
2018 Darioush Caravan Napa Valley 15.5% $50 72pts
58% Cabernet Sauvignon, 20% Merlot, 14% Cabernet Franc, 8% Malbec
Initial impressions
Sightly dull and earthy opaque purple. Tarry, very ripe, very dark fruit embedded in oaky spice with some cedar and smokiness lending detail. Smooth, fairly rich, a bit flat in the mouth with good depth of flavors. Rich, opulent style, wood tannins are intrusive, Very modern Napa with an extracted, woody finish. Powerful but uninteresting. 87-89
4 hours in:
Sweet, chocolaty with some notes of sawdust and smoke. Some slightly vegetal aromas but little fruit. Light, tannic, coarse at this point. Very raw feeling with an acrid finish. It’s medium bodied, which is pleasant at first but then this is so disjointed it feels heavily manufactured. 70-72
6 hours in:
Very crude and oaky. A bit meaty Crude on the palate as well, interesting up front but then turns disjointed and awkward with an exceptionally dry, extracted and oaky finish. 70-72
This was noted as Crude at the end of day 1
Day 2:
Smoky, peat mossy, old, damp wood pile, peppery, bothers my nose, a bit acrid. Flat and a bit fat in the mouth, decent cabernet character is joined by so raw oak, big feel, lacks some intensity and depth of flavor. Pleasant on the finish then just too tannic, raw wood tannins. Unpleasant. 72-74
So what happened? One of my favorite wines turned out to be the cheapest wine I bought for the tasting. The worst wine was the most expensive wine I bought for the tasting, so that didn’t help establish the parameters I was hoping for, but it did serve to reinforce the disconnect between pricing and quality when it comes to these wines. The de Negoce wines performed fairly well, certainly offering good or great value in most cases. However, as is the case with wine, price and consensus quality perceptions will not always match up with one’s personal preferences. My results with the de Negoce wines are a 75% success rate. To help illustrate the situation lets take a look at the wines and how I thought they stacked up.
First off, kudos to Daou. Their Paso Robles bottling of Cabernet was as good as almost any other wine in the line-up, readily available at or near the $20 price point it certainly established a high bar, even if it was priced at the very top of the de Negoce scale.
My top wine was the de Negoce Rutherford Cabernet #44, powerful, complex, with the fruit hiding but seemingly wonderfully ripe. Grouped with the Daou were the equally impressive if twice as expensive Turnbull Napa Cabernet and de Negoce’s Sonoma county Cabernet which was a touch rustic, belying its purported mountain roots, but full and complex and intense.
2018 de Negoce OG 44 Cabernet Sauvignon Rutherford, Napa Valley 14.3% $18 93pts
2018 Daou Cabernet Sauvignon Paso Robles 14.5% s $20 92pt
2018 de Negoce OG 68 Cabernet Sauvignon Sonoma County 14.5% $18 92pts
2018 Turnbull Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley 14.3% $50 92pts
On the next level I found the de Negoce 66 Napa Valley Cabernet to be very well balanced, complete and very fine, though for current consumption both the 67 Santa Cruz bottling, with it’s attractive hint of pyrazine, and the 33 Alexander Valley bottling, which was so bright, juicy, red cherry fruited and delicious, to be the best wines for current consumption. I think many people might prefer the more powerful and rich de Negoce 64, or the structured Mount Veeder Cabernet, which has performed with admirable consistency over the years.
2018 de Negoce OG 66 Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley 14.6% $15 91pts
2018 Mount Veeder Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley 14.5% 90pts
2018 de Negoce OG 67 Cabernet Sauvignon Santa Cruz Mountains 13.8% $12 90pts
2018 de Negoce OG 33 Cabernet Sauvignon Alexander Valley Sonoma County 14% $10 90pts
2018 de Negoce OG 64 Cabernet Sauvignon Calistoga, Napa Valley 15.6% $20 90pts
The final three wines from the tasting are wines that i would prefer to avoid. The most expensive, Darioush’s Caravan was basically an undrinkable mess. I see that it is well liked on cellartracker so perhaps this is a bad bottle, but I doubt it. I think there is a large market out there for wines I can’t drink, both on the modern, manufactured side as well as the naturalist side. The de Negoce 17 Napa Valley Cabernet came off as cheap and unattractive with sweet, syrupy fruit flavors and an unappealing raw woodiness. De Negoce 41 from St. Helena was a wine I had doubts about from the point of purchase due to its high alcohol, which admittedly was not intrusive in the wine; in the end though it was the wood treatment, 100% new oak, 100% barrel fermented that should be the wine’s downfall. Oaky and full of wood tannin, I have serious doubts about its ability to ever come into balance.
2018 de Negoce OG 41 Cabernet Sauvignon St. Helena Napa Valley 16.1% $19 87pts
2018 de Negoce OG 17 Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley 14.5% $12 80pts
2018 Darioush Caravan Napa Valley 15.5% $50 72pts
So that’s the deal. 6 out 8 wines were winners, and the average price, including delivery for these wines is well under $20 a bottle. Two of the best wines, insofar as they are already drinking well and have what I would say is a well defined path to maturity are the $10 and $12 Alexander Valley and Santa Cruz Mountain bottlings, which admittedly won’t please those looking for a full throttle Napa Valley experience but sure do taste good to me!
Will I buy more de Negoce wines? Probably not, but that’s not due to the results of this tasting. Having ten cases of 2018 Cabernet, about 7 of which are to my liking, sets me up nicely for the foreseeable future. I do like the variety that I bought as well, with a nice range of wines from light to powerful, and early drinking to cellar keepers. Cameron Hughes is good at what he does, but he’s no magician. He can’t create a line of wines which will appeal equally to every palate, and that is the trap some folks will fall into while buying excessively and blindly.
I am happy with what I have but the truth is I don’t need any more wines, and while that won’t prevent me from buying more wine, I think the only wines I really “need” to add to my cellar are wines from Oregon, Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. Come to think of it, I think I did notice a few of those on de Negoce recently. I also heard that Cameron will be opening more of a retail model allowing for less than by the case purchases, which would go some ways into further testing my buying moratorium resolve.
Uh oh.
Full tasting notes:
2018 de Negoce OG 44 Cabernet Sauvignon Rutherford, Napa Valley 14.3% $18 93pts
100% Cabernet
approx 60% new French oak
Rumored to be: Luna retail price $105
Initial impressions
Dark but not opaque ruby, purple. Fairly fruity if primary with lots of blackberry, earth, and plenty of wood spice and vanilla. Smooth, polished, finely textured with very attractive balance. Medium plus bodied, finely rendered fruit, plum, bay leaf, blackberry all come together on the palate, joined by well judged wood spice through the long, fairly juicy and fine finish. Strong opening. 90-93
4 hours in:
Complex and balanced on the nose, young so the oak is prominent but it’s well balanced by floral, dark berry, and soil driven aromas. Feels just a touch sweet right on entry, then this gains focus, firming up in the mouth, retaining a decent edge of transparency while revealing fine depth and power. Nothing excessive nor vulgar here though it is a big, intense and deep wine. It lacks a bit of length but there's some lovely fruit struggling to reveal itself late on the palate. Lovely balance, with a feel that shows a certain elegance. 91-93
6 hours in:
Mineral, oak, black currant bay leaf, a hint of blood, quite nice and nuanced. Smooth, very well integrated, lively earthy, rich with black fruit, stoney basenotes, and a bit too much but resolvable wood tannin, coffee motes on the finish. Packed. 91-93
I had titled this Packed after day 1.
Day 2:
This does smell attractive, it’s not bowl you overly intense, but what is here is seductively perfumed with notes of cherry, plum, bitter chocolate, white floral notes, talcy minerality and very complex and well integrated wood spice. Rich, soft, broad and tannic. I would like some more acidity here as this does weigh on the palate, but at the same time it’s full of well defined earth, bramble, baked black cherry and mocha flavors that are driven through the finish by a slight excess of wood tannin. This sacrifices some detail and elegance for power but finishes with such lovely curranty and plummy fruit that I can’t help that to think that this could be quite good with another 3-4 years in the cellar. 91-93
2018 Daou Cabernet Sauvignon Paso Robles 14.5% 92pts $20
Initial impressions
Dark, slightly earthy purple. Both Cabernet and oak immediately apparent, Black currant and cigar box, balanced, very crude but pleasant. A little dusty and cinnamony with air. Medium build, lovely transparency, detailed fruit profile, rugged but well ripened tannins, plenty of oak influence but it’s not heavy handed. Decent length, solid acidity, Really quite racy. 88-92
4 hours in:
Oaky spice, potting soil, slight vegetal notes. Smooth, a touch of roundness up front is followed by a slightly angular and aggressive midpalate. There’s lovely ripe, red fruited Cabernet fruit here, laid over a darkly earthy mineral base. And decent length on the finish which reveals a touch of sweetness to the fruit. Very young but this has solid potential. Powerful and slightly rugged. 91-92
6 hours in:
Meaty, deep, violets and stone. Black fruit and cedar shingles. Dense but lively, very well balanced, lovely purity to the fruit, Polished tannins, A complete wine, a bit embryonic but this has solid potential. 91-93
This was noted as Potential at the end of day 1.
Day 2.
Oaky and meaty on the nose, with some mineral notes and a slow to reveal hint of dried chilies. Dense, chewy, very solid, all about potential right now with formidable depth and huge dry extract feel. This is really tactile, very broad shouldered yet well balanced with a long focused finish. Delivers no pleasure today but has terrific potential. 92-93 Give it 4-5 years
2018 de Negoce OG 68 Cabernet Sauvignon Sonoma County 14.5% $18 92pts
77% Sonoma County, 23% Napa County
79% Cabernet Sauvignon, 15% Merlot, 7% Petit Verdot
45% new French oak
Rumored to be: Pride $85
Initial impressions
Dark but not opaque ruby, purple. Mostly oak showing and fairly sweetly at that with lots of vanilla, some American oak, Smooth, reticent, red berry fruit early on the palate followed by chunky wood tannins, Pleasant, a bit of an extracted feel to it though it's still medium - medium full bodied. Sneaky, but less intense than prior wines. 88-90
4 hours in:
Dark, jammy fruit on the nose along with a lot of black notes, deep and intense if without nuance. A bit loose up front, pleasant in the mouth, easy going at times then extracted and tannic on the backend. Chewy, perhaps too extracted for its own good, perhaps this improves but it seems to lack the balance to do so. 86-87
6 hours in:
Spicy, earthy oak. Smooth, decent polish quite friendly now, if young and tannic. Perhaps a bit simple and rustic, but not unpleasant. 86-88
This was noted as Rustic at the end of day 1
Day 2
Sweet and fruity on the nose, fairly complex today with meaty base notes, jammy black currant, black cherry, and dried fig aromas. Smooth, juicy, super fine grained tannins, lovely old school rendition of Cabernet. This is lovely, it’s retained a slight edge of rusticity, which adds to the whole and offers up fruit that is much brighter on the palate than the nose, followed by terrific, deep, stone and gravel notes on the long finish. Really in my wheelhouse today, certainly not the most popular of the bunch but the most California Cabernet for my palate. 90-92
2018 Turnbull Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley 14.3% $50 92pts
92% Cabernet Sauvignon
4% Cabernet Franc
2% Petit Verdot
1% Merlot
1% Malbec
Initial impressions
Very bright yet transparent purple. Earthy, oay, nutty and leaf at first on the nose. Gains some candied blackberry fruit and shows decent complexity. Good energy in the mouth, fairly lively while rich and deep on the palate with red and black fruit, herbal edges, and a core of woodspice. Lovely finish, fairly long and well balanced and focused. 91-93
4 hours in:
Reticent, slightly sweet on the nose, berries and oak, simple and low intensity. Tight on the palate but very well balanced with a core of deep, dark berry fruit well framed with oak. Remains lively with length and intensity on the finish. Young but quite fine. 91-93
6 hours in:
Deep, mineral, oak, very finely rendered Cabernet fruit. Youthful but complex. Smooth, large scaled, deep berry fruit, rich, powerful, but well balanced, a bit on the fruity side for me but with plenty of spice and earthy notes offering some base. Give this time, should be a winner. 91-93
This was noted as Winner at the end of day 1.
Day 2:
Complex nuanced nose throws off flashes of tobacco, cigar box, black currant jam, flint, grafite, freshly turned earth. Big, polished, lush, relatively seamless. This is really very well integrated with fruit that shows attractive depth, freshness, and precision. The oak is well judged, grabbing the fruit on the midpalate and releasing it at the finale. Lovely freshness and ripeness to the fruit. This may not prove to be the best wine in this line-up, but is showing the best at this point. For my palate it's a bit too fat and dense. It needs another 2 years to enter the zone. 91-92
2018 de Negoce OG 66 Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley 14.6% $15 91pts
65+% new French and Hungarian oak
78% Cabernet, 13% Merlot, 6% Petite Verdot, 2% Malbec, 1% Cabernet Franc
Rumored to be: Clos du Val $70
Initial impressions
Opaque, glass staining purple black.
Not very intense, though showing more oak than fruit at this point. Caramel, molasses, prune. Smooth, fairly rich, shows well balanced oak and fruit in a moderately rich style, tight grained wood tannin, a bit minty, good length and persistence, rather well done showing some elegance but also power, though lacks a little detail nice stony quality to the finish. 88-91
4 hours in:
Sweet, oaky, with a pool of dark fruit on the nose. Dense, a bit matte in the mouth, rich, slightly chewy, could use a bit more brightness, pretty fruit driven and now short with powdery tannins dominating the finish. Ordinary. 86-88
6 hours in:
Sweet, vanilla, quite fruity, well absorbed oak, Smooth, bright enough, a bit coarse though with wood coming to the fore on the midpalte, Dense and a bit chewy, this could develop nicely, and could be quite pleasant but I doubt this will be better than very good, but there is an outside chance this could surprise on the upside. 89-91
Noted as Interesting on day 1.
Day 2:
Very nice, quite classic in its expression of sweet, spicy oak and sweet, dark berry fruits with some violet and jasmine accents. Really well balanced in the mouth, rich, powerful and juicy, no excessiveness. A bit tannic, but lovely balance. A bit tough today but this will be quite good. I'd give this another 2-3 years until it enters its drinking window. 91-92 pts
2018 Mount Veeder Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley 14.5% $40 90pts
Initial impressions
Thick, black purple and opaque. Smells quite fruity, lots of raspberry and blackberry coulis layered over aggressive though complex wood spice. The most intense nose. After the nose the palate is a bit of a let down at first, it’s a bit flat, but there is lovely black currant fruit here, with a leafy cast that is almost Bordelaise, also some gravelly notes that drive through the finish. Another strong opening here. This is probably my favorite so far with plenty of chewy fruit tannins, A bit muscular. 91-93
4 hours in:
Smoky, plum tart, a hint of orange, cedar and dried floral base notes. Round, hints of sweetness, plenty of intense cabernet fruit here, a touch matte, powerful, dense, opaque in the mouth with decent length. Definitely the fruitiest style here today, it’s pleasant with good potential but just a bit too fruity for me with wood tannins that grow on the finish. 89-91
6 hours in:
Sawdust, oranges, floral, Smooth, broad shouldered, deep fruit, a touch anonymous but solid. 90-92
This was noted as Solid after day 1.
Day 2:
Dark fruited and candied on the nose, oak is prominent more towards the vanilla end of the spectrum as opposed to cedar and spice, Sweet and one dimensional. A bit matte in the mouth, a bit too tannic, not tough but solid is appropriate. Chewy, slightly rustic, earthy and cedary in the mouth. Dry, tannic finish, Rugged and slightly old School. 88-90
2018 de Negoce OG 67 Cabernet Sauvignon Santa Cruz Mountains 13.8% $12 90pts
Aged 22 months in a mix of French and Hungarian oak, 20% new, low- to medium- toast to elevate the fruit.
100% Cabernet Sauvignon
Rumored to be La Honda $40
Initial impressions
Cabernet Franc? Carmenere? This is attractive, there's a fine thread of vegetalness that makes this bright and interesting on the nose as its paired with a gentle suggestion of oak and lovely blackberry and black currant fruit. Easy drinking, candied red fruit on entry followed by a gentle and transparent mid palate that lacks some concentration in this line-up but is easy going and well balanced. The finish is light but long, and relatively juicy. Easy going and delicious, and already ready with a good 5-7 years of maturity ahead. Not a knock-out but a terrific cellar defender. 90-91
4 hours in:
Carmenere, just a bit. Pencil shavings, more subtle but quite lovely and attractive. Smooth, medium weight, bright, juicy, this is just terrific right now. It’s atypical for Napa, but is so elegant and refined that I love drinking it. Long, lithe finish with tight little tannins and plenty of refreshing acidity. Delicious red fruit, just delightful. 91-92
6 hours in:
Tomato leaf, classic Cabernet character, gorgeous old worldish nose. Light and lively on the palate, juicy, shows excellent definition, Decent depth, Firming up, very nicely done. 90-91
This was noted as Classic at the end of day 1.
Day 2
Tomato leaf, intense and complex on the nose today, Oak is well integrated, A touch sweet but with herbal nuances lending freshness. This is fun, probably unusual for 2018 California Cabernet at a certain price point. It’s got plenty of red fruit, almost lush, well defined flavors that are a touch simple but very pleasant, decent length, well judged flavors,. Pretty much ready to drink. Lovey 88-90
2018 de Negoce OG 33 Cabernet Sauvignon Alexander Valley Sonoma County 14% $10 90pts
35% new French oak, low toast
Rumored to be: Jordan $50, but I think it’s Stuhlmuller
Initial impressions
Transparent and bright. Balanced on the nose with alternating whafts of vanilla, red currant, earth, and balsam leading to a slightly diffuse, but bright palate of red cherry fruit. Simple, fun to drink, very well balanced, very cool and juicy but also quite short. Easy going Cabernet. Love the transparency here. And the fruit tannins. Along with the purity to the fruit. 87-88
4 hours in:
Red cherry, mint, a bit of raw wood that lends some complexity, a hint of chalkiness. Smooth, rather open knit, all red cherry fruit, gentle, easy going, transparent with some gentle nuance and succulence. It remains gently tannic, but so easy to like with some late arriving medicinal tones that really lend this length along with the persistent and sweet red cherry fruit. A bit of an outlier but decidedly attractive. 89-91
6 hours in:
Red cherry, a touch of saw dust, noticeably but not unpleasantly vegetal, Smooth, polished, fresh juicy, not super complex but delicious. So pretty and well balanced, and drinkable. 90-91
This was noted as Pretty at the end of day 1.
Day 2
Toasted nuts and hints of raw wood frame a core of red cherry fruit. The oak is a bit more aggressive today, rather raw but simple. Almost supple, juicy lacy, just a terrific light weight cabernet that reminds me of old Simi wines in a way. This has lost a touch of brightness today with the tannins coming to the fore a bit but it just needs another year or two in the cellar to resolve that issue. A bit minty on the finish, god length, refreshing and palate cleansing. One of the standouts of this line-up in that it really is not a cookie cutter. Elegant. 90-91
2018 de Negoce OG 64 Cabernet Sauvignon Calistoga, Napa Valley 15.6% $20 90pts
96% Cabernet, 4% Petit Verdot
60% new French oak
Rumored to be Jericho Canyon $135
Initial impressions
Sightly dull and earthy opaque purple. Sweet and sour on the nose, a bit waxy, with smoky, black currant, blueberry, plum, bay leaf, orange pekoe, and vanilla aromas. Smooth, polished, fairly rich but not overdone. Layered on the palate with a very fine feel delivering power and incipient transparency, it does turn a touch bitter front he tannins on the finish but it should lose that note with some more celar time. Not too powerful, very nice Cabernet, sort of middle of road with a bit more complexity and depth than most and a certain freshness and complexity to the fruit. 91-93
4 hours in:
Candied fruit a hint of melon, violet, pencil lead. Cigar box and grafite on the nose. Smooth, bright, high toned in the mouth with energy and transparency. This is vivid with red currant, red cherry and plum fruit laced with spice. Long and focused on the finish with wonderfully refined tannins. Nice and fairly refined. 91-93
6 hours in:
Sweet, vanilla, latex, earth, dull and smelling of old, damp barrel. Chewy, a bit bitter, powerful but with too much wood tannin. A burly wine, all power and no grace now. Tough going. 85-87
This was noted as Tough at the end of day 1.
Day 2:
Very interesting on the nose with a very modest oak impression replaced by meaty, slightly licorice toned dark plummy fruit. Still shows some vanilla but that is integrating well. Smooth at first, then turning quite tannic, but the tannins are fairly fine grained and this has some lovely earthy, dark, spicy fruit at its core. Bright angular, fairly energetic wine that finishes a bit short but Shows good potential. Might never be a knockout but this should develop into a fine midweek Cabernet. 88-90 Give it 3-4 years
2018 de Negoce OG 41 Cabernet Sauvignon St. Helena Napa Valley 16.1% $19 87pts
100% barrel-fermented in 100% new French Oak
97% Cabernet, 2% Petite Verdot, 1% Merlot
Rumored to be Louer Family
Initial impressions
Sightly dull and earthy opaque purple. Quite dominated by its oak. Vanilla, nutmeg, black tea, moss, and burnt sugar aromas. Matte, rich, and chewy in the mouth with boysenberry and wild berry flavors emerging from the bed of wood spice. The load of tannin is formidable. Chewy, short, and a bit tough. Feels like ambition. Better on the palate than the nose. 88-91
4 hours in:
Very oaky on the nose with just a shading of black currant fruit. Lage scaled, fairly bright in the mouth then turning very chewy. This is big, intense and extracted Napa cabernet. I get the feeling that under all this oak is some nice fruit, but at this point you just get flashes of blueberry in the mouth between the punishing tannins and intense oak. Could this turn out to be great? One imagines so, but at this point it is painful to drink. 82-84
6 hours in:
Moderately oaky but also very citrus oil scented, huge orange notes, very pretty and high-toned, Dense, broad on the palate but with some brightness helping this out. It’s very tannic, deep on the palate earthy, fairly long, interesting but not friendly at this point. Definitely shows improving balance. 85-87
This was noted as Earthy at the end of day 1.
Day 2
Oaky, earthy, somewhat odd on the nose with notes of orange marmalade, sandalwood, green anise seed, raw and with a shrill oakiness. Very fine grained tannins show on entry, this is rather four square, a bit chunky with pleasant fruit trapped in the structure. Earthy on the backend and dusty through the finish which shows some bright blackberry, pomegranate and sour cherry fruit. This should improve significantly if the tannins integrate. It’s got great fruit but a heavy tannic load. I’m 50/50 on which one wins out here. It’s very tannic. 87-88
2018 de Negoce OG 17 Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley 14.5% $12 80pts
90% Cabernet, 5% Merlot, 5% Petit Verdot
25% New French and American oak, tight grain, low-to-medium toast
Rumored to be Beaucanon
Initial impressions
Dark but not opaque ruby, purple. Very fragrant, full of toasted almond, floral aromas, cocoa, green herbal notes and candied plum and black berry fruit. Racy, incipient complexity though this has some angular wood expressing itself which detracts front he whole. A little syrup tasting, then the wood tannins dominate the finish. Tastes relatively cheap. Harsh. 84-86
4 hours in:
Sweet and fruity with notes of pomegranate, sweet cherries and red currant laid over a bed of well judged oak spice. Fruity, round, a bit sweet, rather lush, decent up front with attractive brightness but the finish is dry and tannic, and this comes off as a bit constructed and cheap feeling. 83-84
6 hours in:
Sweet, fruity and syrupy in the nose. Rich up front, weird acids, dark on the midpalate, full of fruit and flavor but disjointed. Shows flashes of improvement on the backend then clamps down on the finish. 83-85
This was noted as Cheap at the end of day 1.
Day 2
Smells of sawdust and sour berry fruit, still not attractive though there are complicating notes of wood spice, flowers, and dried herbs that offer some redemption. Smooth, flat, this has depth but no height in the mouth. There are some attractive elements in the mouth but it comes off as over-extracted, clumsy and dull. Finishes with too much dusty, woody tannin. Brutal. 74-76
2018 Darioush Caravan Napa Valley 15.5% $50 72pts
58% Cabernet Sauvignon, 20% Merlot, 14% Cabernet Franc, 8% Malbec
Initial impressions
Sightly dull and earthy opaque purple. Tarry, very ripe, very dark fruit embedded in oaky spice with some cedar and smokiness lending detail. Smooth, fairly rich, a bit flat in the mouth with good depth of flavors. Rich, opulent style, wood tannins are intrusive, Very modern Napa with an extracted, woody finish. Powerful but uninteresting. 87-89
4 hours in:
Sweet, chocolaty with some notes of sawdust and smoke. Some slightly vegetal aromas but little fruit. Light, tannic, coarse at this point. Very raw feeling with an acrid finish. It’s medium bodied, which is pleasant at first but then this is so disjointed it feels heavily manufactured. 70-72
6 hours in:
Very crude and oaky. A bit meaty Crude on the palate as well, interesting up front but then turns disjointed and awkward with an exceptionally dry, extracted and oaky finish. 70-72
This was noted as Crude at the end of day 1
Day 2:
Smoky, peat mossy, old, damp wood pile, peppery, bothers my nose, a bit acrid. Flat and a bit fat in the mouth, decent cabernet character is joined by so raw oak, big feel, lacks some intensity and depth of flavor. Pleasant on the finish then just too tannic, raw wood tannins. Unpleasant. 72-74