2019 Pott Kaliholmanok
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Tasting notes
From a Spring Mountain vineyard that sits above Togni and next door to Paloma, the 2019 Cabernet Sauvignon Kaliholmanok Kicu Me Vineyard is a terrific effort. Pott helped plant it 2001 and has received fruit from 1.5 acres since, but it seems that arrangement has come to an end, as the site is now leased to Darioush. In any event, this is a mountain Cab that's quite fine, elegant and long. Yes, there's a slight herbal edge—sage, bay leaf and mint nuances—but also cassis and cherries. It's medium to full-bodied, smooth and silky on the palate, just a complete, polished effort that's worth a search.
Critic scores
Average Score
Jeb Dunnuck
Antonio Galloni, Vinous
More reviews and scores
The 2019 Cabernet Sauvignon Kaliholmanok, Aaron Pott's Spring Mountain Cabernet, is magnificent. Exotic red-berry fruit, blood orange, mint and spice are all given an extra kick of energy by bright acids that run through the wine. High-toned and wonderfully expressive, the Kaliholmanok dazzles from start to finish. It is one of the most complete and arrestingly beautiful wines I have tasted from Aaron Pott.
Coming from a site on Spring Mountain sitting at 2,262 feet in elevation, the 2019 Cabernet Sauvignon Kaliholmanok will be the last vintage for this cuvée for Pott. It's a terrific wine, no doubt, offering lots of chocolate covered cherry, graphite, ripe tobacco, and herbal, forest notes to go with a medium to full body red with juicy acidity, ripe tannins, and terrific overall balance. It's another seamless, layered, impeccably made wine to enjoy over the coming two decades. I suspect it will be even better with 2-4 years in the cellar.
The 2019 Cabernet Sauvignon Kaliholmanok is still coming together following a very late malolactic fermentation. Even so, the aromatic lift and purity of Spring Mountain come through nicely, with hints of red fruit, iron, dried herbs and rose petal that linger.