Pop and pour, needed a few minutes to open. At age 11 this is still a firehose of dense fruit and punchy alcohol. A true cult Cab priced well below most, drink it if you can find it.
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Extended decant, Deep, dark color, nose of dark fruit with some floral notes and secondary notes. Pure, linear, smooth mouthfeel, tannins smooth but present. Long finish. Very pleasing.
Full bodied, rich, ripe sweet blackberries, cassis spice, cocoa and earth. The fruit is so incredibly lush, round and open. I had this 5-6n years back and liked it just as much. Great value for a Napa Cabernet.
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Pnp and consumed over a couple of hours at a gathering of friends. Delicious out of the gate and improved over the course of drinking. Good balance of fruit and tannins.
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Impromptu dinner at the Canal's OC place. Last bottle of the 2012 in my cellar. Slow oxed about 30 minutes, drank over an hour with the main course - grilled pork chops and veggies.
Notes from 2017: "Medium purple color with "blue tinge"...Nose was showing dark fruit, smoke, perfume, licorice. Palate showing blue/dark fruits, graphite, plums. A nice sweetness w floral notes through the mid palate...lots going on here. Tannins are starting to soften, giving this a very nice texture..."
This tasting the nose showing the dark fruit/licorice profile. Palate of dark and blue fruits with bitter chocolate, mineral and savory notes. A big wine, great persistence through the mid palate and finish. Full body and long finish.
This wine killed on this evening. The 2012s from Napa in my cellar while good, have thinned out a bit and are not showing this kind of structure. Really exceptional (as expected from Pott), may be in its prime over the next 3-5 years but should continue to age if wanting to cellar.
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Pretty tannic still after 8 years, some sediment. Dark with clearing at the edge. Certain Pott wines at certain points in their evolution show more herbal than fruited, and this was one of those time. There was definitely dark fruit, it's just that it seems to be battling it out with tannin and herbal notes rather than being harmonious. Being pretty picky, still very good, but hoping for something more profound and balanced with more aging.
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This took a good 1 1/2-2 hrs to come around. I think it will be at its best in 2-3 years. Bell pepper, lead pencil and leather. Long finish. 92+ I feel it will merit a better score in a couple of years.
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Decanted a couple hours prior to drinking, it improved a bit towards the end of the bottle at hour 4.
Primarily black fruits, cassis, cocoa powder, herbs, earth. Wine was pretty dense in color, with deeper purple hue, but in drinking it was not overripe or heavy on the palate. Medium long finish. I have always enjoyed Aaron's wines and this is no exception.
Would have been more enthusiastic about this one, but the 2009 BV Latour that followed it was all around a better wine at a better place in its drinking window.
93 pts. Drink this now with a decant or cellar for a couple more years. Should easily drink well for another 3-5 years without any problems.
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Blackberries, dried herbs, violets and some tobacco on the nose. Relatively high levels of acidity, red fruit, medium bodied and old world-ish. Relatively long finish that is a bit clipped by the acid bite. Definitely showing secondary and tertiary notes at this point. I didn't love it, but it's a nice wine, especially with food.
Cassis, mocha, sage and flowers constitute the aromatics. Medium-bodied in the mouth, with dark fruits, earth, minerals and chocolate. Most importantly, there is absolutely no sense of heaviness or overripeness that is common in Cabs and Cab blends from the region. Long on the finish, with excellent cut and persistence. Quite enjoyable already with some air, this will undoubtedly improve with some additional cellar time. 94.
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In OCNJ w Frank and Kelly W, thought I would check in on this one. Big fan of Aaron Pott's wines, knowing this was young but my 2012s have been more ready than I had guessed. After leaving a 2000 Quilceda to open up, we PnP'd this bottle to fill the time...
Medium purple color with "blue tinge"...Nose was showing dark fruit, smoke, perfume, licorice. Palate showing blue/dark fruits, graphite, plums. A nice sweetness w floral notes through the mid palate...lots going on here. Tannins are starting to soften, giving this a very nice texture.
Open and ready but just at the beginning of its drinking window. This should continue to evolve nicely in the bottle for a few more years. This is a gorgeous wine that should get even better in time...Our group loved it. 93++
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WineLA event: Cabernet College (Downtown Los Angeles): Tasted blind. This was bigger than the 2013 Hundred Acre Kayli Morgran tasted just before. Very strong, tannic, and dangerous. Dangerous as in, this might get much better with time.
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Pott Pickup Party (Pott Residence): A decent example of a 2012 Cabernet, but fell a little behind when served next to the otherwise phenomenal 2012 Arsenal and Actaeon. Red and black currant, purple plum, raspberry liqueur, and some chalky limestone. Could use another year or so in the bottle to see if it broadens the flavor spectrum a bit more. Lacking a bit of depth mid-palate; a decent finish, but again, not one that could stand up to the other 2012s served alongside it.
93 points with a possible point of upside in a year or so.
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Decanted 3.5 hrs. Dark and extracted, but not overripe. Complex aromas of flowers and perfume, hints of chocolate. Palate was a menagerie of stuff- darker fruits were subtle with balsamic notes. Tannins were grippy at the end. All in all this was good but still needs time to completely integrate. Let bottles rest until 2020. Still has upside toward 95-96 with cellar time.
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Smoke, tobacco, charcoal, tar, balsamic and dark fruits are out in front. Lush, tannic and long, but lacking the concentration found in my favorite wines from Aaron Pott in 2012, give this a little time to come around and allow the tannins fade.
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Randy and Steve visit Cleveland (Napa vs. Bordeaux) (Colonial): It wa funny, Charlie brought this and lots of comments wondering if Charlie and Randy brought the same wine (on purpose?). Turns out they both brought 2012 Pott's. I guess that makes sense. They were different tasted side by side but a lot more similar than different. Inky purple in color. The nose has black raspberries, coffee, slight chocolate and spice. On the palate, there is a lot of sweet ripe cassis and black raspberries. Lovely texture. Lou described it as "rich and decadent" which works well. Nice finish. Drinking very well today, the future is even brighter I think. A real crowd pleaser that should work well with food too.
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2 hours of slow ox, then another 4 hours in the decanter. Had side by side with a 2013 Realm Farella.
Two very different wines, and ultimately scored them both the same. This was lighter in color - a lovely dark purple. Nose was plush and inviting, with layered purple and black fruit and a touch of menthol. Some slate. Medium + on the palate, but still lighter than the Realm. Incredible lingering finish.
I keep saying that I need to use patience with these, and here I am drinking another bottle. But I'm not ashamed - this was worth it. In a great spot.
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WOTN pretty easily. Pencil lead. Purple fruit. Crushed gravel. This was decanted for about 4 hours, and it needed it. Great balance and an energetic finish.
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9/24/2023 - ogres3 Likes this wine: 94 Points
Excellent wine, in a great window, ranks up there with the best Napa cabs.
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8/24/2023 - Quiet Lion Likes this wine: 95 Points
Pop and pour, needed a few minutes to open. At age 11 this is still a firehose of dense fruit and punchy alcohol. A true cult Cab priced well below most, drink it if you can find it.
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6/13/2023 - Elkcims Likes this wine: 95 Points
1 hour slow ox, enjoyed over 2 nights. Lush & smooth sweet blackberry with dark chocolate at the end. Just exquisite.
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3/18/2023 - Mr T wrote:
Drunk over 2 nights but never decanted
Lovely nose, Smooth and rich but never really came together for me.
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2/20/2023 - Geoff Likes this wine: 95 Points
Extended decant, Deep, dark color, nose of dark fruit with some floral notes and secondary notes. Pure, linear, smooth mouthfeel, tannins smooth but present. Long finish. Very pleasing.
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9/29/2022 - Elkcims Likes this wine: 95 Points
Full bodied, rich, ripe sweet blackberries, cassis spice, cocoa and earth. The fruit is so incredibly lush, round and open. I had this 5-6n years back and liked it just as much. Great value for a Napa Cabernet.
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6/28/2022 - fisk15 wrote: 92 Points
Drank in Asheville, NC. Drinking very well, elegant
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5/28/2022 - Phil M1 Likes this wine:
Pnp and consumed over a couple of hours at a gathering of friends. Delicious out of the gate and improved over the course of drinking. Good balance of fruit and tannins.
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9/5/2021 - walkerjfw wrote: 95 Points
Impromptu dinner at the Canal's OC place. Last bottle of the 2012 in my cellar. Slow oxed about 30 minutes, drank over an hour with the main course - grilled pork chops and veggies.
Notes from 2017: "Medium purple color with "blue tinge"...Nose was showing dark fruit, smoke, perfume, licorice. Palate showing blue/dark fruits, graphite, plums. A nice sweetness w floral notes through the mid palate...lots going on here. Tannins are starting to soften, giving this a very nice texture..."
This tasting the nose showing the dark fruit/licorice profile. Palate of dark and blue fruits with bitter chocolate, mineral and savory notes. A big wine, great persistence through the mid palate and finish. Full body and long finish.
This wine killed on this evening. The 2012s from Napa in my cellar while good, have thinned out a bit and are not showing this kind of structure. Really exceptional (as expected from Pott), may be in its prime over the next 3-5 years but should continue to age if wanting to cellar.
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1/5/2021 - fisk15 wrote: 92 Points
Pretty tannic still after 8 years, some sediment. Dark with clearing at the edge. Certain Pott wines at certain points in their evolution show more herbal than fruited, and this was one of those time. There was definitely dark fruit, it's just that it seems to be battling it out with tannin and herbal notes rather than being harmonious. Being pretty picky, still very good, but hoping for something more profound and balanced with more aging.
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7/31/2020 - Geoff Likes this wine: 92 Points
Powerful dark fruit, Moderately tannic. Could use several hour decant. Still young.
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3/20/2020 - Quiet Lion Likes this wine: 95 Points
Pop and pour. Still very youthful but bursting with flavor. Intense black cherry, wet earth, chewy tannins. So enjoyable.
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9/21/2019 - Beezc Likes this wine: 93 Points
This took a good 1 1/2-2 hrs to come around. I think it will be at its best in 2-3 years. Bell pepper, lead pencil and leather. Long finish. 92+ I feel it will merit a better score in a couple of years.
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9/17/2019 - fisk15 wrote: 95 Points
Drinking really well with 2 hours decanted back into the bottle. Lots of flavor complexity, balance and interest.
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5/3/2019 - danielbleier Likes this wine: 93 Points
Smooth and creamy, with chocolate and blackberry flavors. No rough edges with a long finish
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10/23/2018 - JLuch1 Likes this wine: 93 Points
Consistent with prior notes, delicious
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9/17/2018 - JLuch1 Likes this wine: 93 Points
Decanted a couple hours prior to drinking, it improved a bit towards the end of the bottle at hour 4.
Primarily black fruits, cassis, cocoa powder, herbs, earth. Wine was pretty dense in color, with deeper purple hue, but in drinking it was not overripe or heavy on the palate. Medium long finish. I have always enjoyed Aaron's wines and this is no exception.
Would have been more enthusiastic about this one, but the 2009 BV Latour that followed it was all around a better wine at a better place in its drinking window.
93 pts. Drink this now with a decant or cellar for a couple more years. Should easily drink well for another 3-5 years without any problems.
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5/15/2018 - jhieb Likes this wine: 96 Points
Full, rich, and multilayered. This is one of the best Pott wines I've had in a while, and it still has a ton of maturing left to do. Excellent!
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5/5/2018 - Jbird73 wrote: 92 Points
Dominates by purple fruit and took about 2 HRs to open up. Really good but dominated by fruit and was expecting some other notes to hit.
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4/2/2018 - Cristal2000 wrote: 93 Points
Blackberries, dried herbs, violets and some tobacco on the nose. Relatively high levels of acidity, red fruit, medium bodied and old world-ish. Relatively long finish that is a bit clipped by the acid bite. Definitely showing secondary and tertiary notes at this point. I didn't love it, but it's a nice wine, especially with food.
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3/15/2018 - J o e wrote: 94 Points
Cassis, mocha, sage and flowers constitute the aromatics. Medium-bodied in the mouth, with dark fruits, earth, minerals and chocolate. Most importantly, there is absolutely no sense of heaviness or overripeness that is common in Cabs and Cab blends from the region. Long on the finish, with excellent cut and persistence. Quite enjoyable already with some air, this will undoubtedly improve with some additional cellar time. 94.
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1/19/2018 - Quiet Lion Likes this wine: 93 Points
Decanted and served. Another Napa 2012 that's up and ready to go. Lush, velvety blue and black fruit that tastes like a smile. Crowd pleaser.
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11/11/2017 - Whinojb wrote: 94 Points
always so well made - you can taste the effort and expertise of this wine maker. It's like he extracted every aspect of the fruit to work its wonders.
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10/15/2017 - Siebs Cellar Likes this wine: 93 Points
Nice, bright flavor and good body.
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9/9/2017 - walkerjfw wrote: 93 Points
In OCNJ w Frank and Kelly W, thought I would check in on this one. Big fan of Aaron Pott's wines, knowing this was young but my 2012s have been more ready than I had guessed. After leaving a 2000 Quilceda to open up, we PnP'd this bottle to fill the time...
Medium purple color with "blue tinge"...Nose was showing dark fruit, smoke, perfume, licorice. Palate showing blue/dark fruits, graphite, plums. A nice sweetness w floral notes through the mid palate...lots going on here. Tannins are starting to soften, giving this a very nice texture.
Open and ready but just at the beginning of its drinking window. This should continue to evolve nicely in the bottle for a few more years.
This is a gorgeous wine that should get even better in time...Our group loved it. 93++
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6/12/2017 - Keeping It Real wrote: 94 Points
WineLA event: Cabernet College (Downtown Los Angeles): Tasted blind. This was bigger than the 2013 Hundred Acre Kayli Morgran tasted just before. Very strong, tannic, and dangerous. Dangerous as in, this might get much better with time.
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1/22/2017 - csimm wrote: 93 Points
Pott Pickup Party (Pott Residence): A decent example of a 2012 Cabernet, but fell a little behind when served next to the otherwise phenomenal 2012 Arsenal and Actaeon. Red and black currant, purple plum, raspberry liqueur, and some chalky limestone. Could use another year or so in the bottle to see if it broadens the flavor spectrum a bit more. Lacking a bit of depth mid-palate; a decent finish, but again, not one that could stand up to the other 2012s served alongside it.
93 points with a possible point of upside in a year or so.
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1/12/2017 - mikemboutiquewines wrote: 91 Points
Was expecting more from a great wine maker and vintage. Lost some of its power after a few hours. Would probably not buy it again.
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10/29/2016 - Geaux Tigers Likes this wine: 92 Points
Decanted 3.5 hrs. Dark and extracted, but not overripe. Complex aromas of flowers and perfume, hints of chocolate. Palate was a menagerie of stuff- darker fruits were subtle with balsamic notes. Tannins were grippy at the end. All in all this was good but still needs time to completely integrate. Let bottles rest until 2020. Still has upside toward 95-96 with cellar time.
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9/19/2016 - Jeff Leve wrote: 92 Points
Smoke, tobacco, charcoal, tar, balsamic and dark fruits are out in front. Lush, tannic and long, but lacking the concentration found in my favorite wines from Aaron Pott in 2012, give this a little time to come around and allow the tannins fade.
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8/6/2016 - TastesGoodToMe Likes this wine: 95 Points
Paired very well with beef wellington. WOTN. Dark berries, chocolate, full throttled yet balanced with long finish. Right in my wheel house.
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5/26/2016 - Loren Sonkin wrote: 94 Points
Randy and Steve visit Cleveland (Napa vs. Bordeaux) (Colonial): It wa funny, Charlie brought this and lots of comments wondering if Charlie and Randy brought the same wine (on purpose?). Turns out they both brought 2012 Pott's. I guess that makes sense. They were different tasted side by side but a lot more similar than different. Inky purple in color. The nose has black raspberries, coffee, slight chocolate and spice. On the palate, there is a lot of sweet ripe cassis and black raspberries. Lovely texture. Lou described it as "rich and decadent" which works well. Nice finish. Drinking very well today, the future is even brighter I think. A real crowd pleaser that should work well with food too.
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4/24/2016 - ageverett Likes this wine: 95 Points
2 hours of slow ox, then another 4 hours in the decanter. Had side by side with a 2013 Realm Farella.
Two very different wines, and ultimately scored them both the same. This was lighter in color - a lovely dark purple. Nose was plush and inviting, with layered purple and black fruit and a touch of menthol. Some slate. Medium + on the palate, but still lighter than the Realm. Incredible lingering finish.
I keep saying that I need to use patience with these, and here I am drinking another bottle. But I'm not ashamed - this was worth it. In a great spot.
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10/3/2015 - cubswinws Likes this wine: 95 Points
Just a wonderful wine. Very soft luscious mouthfeel and long finish. Mocha and blackberry with a soft touch of oak. Just Lovely.
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6/14/2015 - ageverett Likes this wine: 95 Points
WOTN pretty easily. Pencil lead. Purple fruit. Crushed gravel. This was decanted for about 4 hours, and it needed it. Great balance and an energetic finish.
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4/9/2015 - ageverett Likes this wine: 94 Points
2015 Napa Trip - Day 1 (Napa, CA): Such a tease, because it is lovely right now, but you also know that it is going to be so good in the future.
Granite. Dark purple fruit. Menthol (slightly). Allspice.
I have a hard time handicapping drinking window. Lovely now, but could be a real devastator in a few years.
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