Pott, Cabernet Sauvignon

I first met Aaron Pott in 2007 at Quintessa, back when he was the new wunderkind winemaker with the kind of charm that could talk a roomful of seasoned vintners into ordering one more bottle. He had just come back from Bordeaux—Troplong-Mondot, La Tour Figeac, the whole cathedral-of-stone, Right-Bank apprenticeship—and he carried that old-world gravity like a leather-bound novel tucked under his arm. But he wasn’t snobby about it. Aaron was (and is) a guy who truly loves the classics—wine, music, culture, stories told around long tables with a little too much decanted. It was obvious even then: the moment he and Claire created their own label and had full control of the vines, the world was going to notice. And now, years later, here we are with his 2023 Cabernet—stitched together from 33 distinct mountain soil types across Napa’s highest elevations—a panoramic symphony from one of the valley’s most gifted interpreters. It’s opulent without being showy, powerful without being loud, the kind of wine that unravels on your palate like a silk scarf slipping off a shoulder. Pure pleasure, expertly tuned.

Pott Wines began in 2004 on a wild piece of Mount Veeder land that the Potts jokingly called “Châteauneuf du Pott”—a name with a grin, but a mission that was anything but. This was where Aaron—UC Davis–trained, Bordeaux-sharpened—set out to fuse precision, philosophy, and raw Napa terrain into something unmistakably his. Over time, he ventured beyond Mount Veeder, selecting Napa’s most compelling vineyards wherever they lay—Howell Mountain, Rutherford benches, Atlas Peak, Coombsville—always chasing character, texture, and truth. What emerged over the years wasn’t just a winery; it was a narrative—of geology, of schooling, of a winemaker who had seen the world and decided to distill it into Cabernet with soul. He has worked with fruit from every corner of Napa’s best terroirs, but this wine comes exclusively from the mountains. The 2023 Cabernet Sauvignon is an all-mountain blend of 80% Cabernet Sauvignon, 14% Cabernet Franc, and 6% Merlot, sourced from the Pott Estate on Mount Veeder and Remedium Vineyard on Howell Mountain, combining elevation structure with lifted aromatics. 

The 2023 is Pott at full stride. Fermentation is gentle, letting the aromatics rise: blackcurrant, boysenberry, black cherry, crushed violets, warm graphite, cacao, forest floor, and mountain herbs. The French oak is there, but as supporting cast, not lead actor. On the palate, the wine is impeccably balanced—muscular, grounded, precise. Blue and black fruits merge with dark chocolate shavings, wild brush, and a long echo of minerality. The tannins are polished enough for early drinking, structured enough to let you forget a few bottles in the cellar for a decade. This is Napa Cabernet for people who love Napa, who love Bordeaux, who love wines that feel like they were made by someone who has lived—really lived—and decided that the best stories are told in the glass. Enjoy this on an upcoming holiday night with close friends—ideally with something delicious like prime rib with all the fixings.