2012 Pott Cabernet Sauvignon Her Majesty's Secret Service Stagecoach Vineyard
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Searing tannins and layers of pure blue/blackish fruit make a very positive first impression in the 2012 Cabernet Sauvignon Her Majesty's Secret Service. Naturally the tannins need time to soften, but in a vintage in which wines can lack structure, a little bit of spine is a very good thing. Graphite, smoke, licorice and tobacco add nuance as the flavors build to a dizzying crescendo of intensity.
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Robert Parker
Stephen Tanzer, Vinous
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The 2012 Cabernet Sauvignon Her Majesty’s Secret Service is another offering from Dr. Krupp’s Stagecoach Vineyard. It exhibits chocolaty, cedary, fruitcake notes, not the density and power of Pott’s other Cabernet Sauvignons, but good spice box and unsmoked cigar tobacco characteristics. Medium to full-bodied and slightly tannic, it is a beautiful wine that I may have underrated. Drink now-2027.
(14.7% alcohol): Dark ruby-red. Enticing aromas of black raspberry, minerals, mocha and bitter chocolate. Hugely ripe and plush on entry, then a bit chunky in the middle, conveying a somewhat aggressive impression of elevated alcohol. Tannins are broad and full. I wanted more complexity.
The 2012 Cabernet Sauvignon Her Majesty's Secret Service Stagecoach Vineyard is another wine that is not fully expressive today. The ferrous, savory notes typical of Stagecoach lie a bit in the background. Instead, it is the wine's pre textural depth and elegance that stands out most. Rich and layered through to the finish, the 2012 is shaping up beautifully.