Aaron Pott has been making great wine in the Napa Valley for a while now. Understandably, as the high critics scores have rolled in, the prices have crept up. While this bottle is not cheap (around $75), it is a lot less than the Pott single vineyard wines. Since I had never had one, my wife and I decided to open one young and drink it over a couple of days. The result is this is an outstanding wine and should age nicely for a more than a decade. Bright purple in color with some ruby swirls. The nose has nice cassis with a fair amount of char and spice. On day 2, the oak blended more and the cassis was intertwined with a slight vanilla note. On the palate, this was very tight at first. Firm tannins. Cassis fruit but a bit out of balance. On day 2, however, everything seemed to organize and the wine was harmonious and balanced. Good finish. In short, this wine needs a few years (at least in a cellar) to come together. If drinking now, a six hour decant would be appropriate. It is a classic modern style of a Napa Cab. Not overblown but not shy either. Delicious, deep and drinking well alone or with a nice steak or roasted vegetables. Is it as good as the Pott single vineyard wines? No. But its also about half the price or so.
