Tasting Notes:
93 points — Decanter, December 2024
Winemaker Aaron Pott crafts this Cabernet with an eye toward wines that are fruit-forward with gentler tannins, designed for upfront drinking while others slumber for years. Aged 21 months in 20 percent new French oak and sourced from a mix of AVAs including Mount Veeder, Howell Mountain and Atlas Peak. A classically fashioned Cabernet with the approachable appeal Pott seeks, loaded with black cherry, plum, graphite and pressed wildflowers atop a bed of velvety tannins. Crisp acidity balances the wine beautifully, leading to a spicy, well-rounded finish. “No frills but well-built and thoughtfully designed,” offering pure drinking pleasure and ideally suited for mealtime enjoyment.
93 points — James Suckling, January 2025
A well-balanced, bright and fresh-tasting red that’s approachable for current drinking. Lots of dark cherry, blackberry, black olive and raspberry. Medium- to full-bodied, moderate in tannins, harmonious and satisfying to sip. Drink now or hold.
91 points — Jeb Dunnuck, March 2025
Darker red and black fruits intermixed with smoked herbs, chocolate and savoury nuances define the 2022. Medium- to full-bodied on the palate, offering a broad, layered mouthfeel and representing “a great value.” Drink over the coming decade.
Cult Wines International Notes:
Aaron Pott came to winemaking by way of Bordeaux. After UC Davis and an internship with Robert Mondavi, he moved to Newton before crossing to the Right Bank and Château Troplong Mondot, working alongside Michel Rolland, a relationship he maintains to this day. He returned to Napa and founded his own label in 2007, working chiefly from ridge-top mountain sites whose ancient soils give wines of purity and structure.
This is Pott’s second wine, and the story behind it is unusually candid. Aaron makes small-lot, single-vineyard wines and is exacting about what goes into them; each year a few barrels are equally classy but not quite classical enough for those bottlings. Rather than compromise, he declassifies them into this Napa Valley Cabernet, drawn from a mix of appellations including Mount Veeder, Howell Mountain and Atlas Peak. The aim is a wine that is fruit-forward with gentler tannins, made for drinking now while the single-vineyard bottlings slumber for years.
2022 will be remembered for the Labor Day heat spike, when much of Napa passed 115 degrees; Pott’s Mount Veeder site peaked at 105, and elevation showed its worth. The blend is 78 percent Cabernet Sauvignon, 18 percent Cabernet Franc and 4 percent Merlot at 14.4 percent alcohol, aged 21 months in 20 percent new French oak. Expect black cherry, plum, blackberry and raspberry with graphite, pressed wildflowers, smoked herbs and chocolate over velvety tannins, closing spicy and well-rounded. Serve around 60°F.
Bottle Size:
750mL
Storage History:
Always stored on its side in a climate-controlled cellar.
Condition:
Perfect condition.
