Chappellet Pritchard Hill Cabernet Sauvignon 2022

This structured and 'monumental' red wine originates from the United States, within the highly celebrated mountain terrain of Napa Valley, California. Sourced exclusively from Chappellet's legendary, high-elevation estate blocks on Pritchard Hill, this limited-production flagship bottling represents the absolute pinnacle of the estate's winemaking portfolio. Donn and Molly Chappellet first settled on these rugged slopes in 1967, becoming the first winery to cultivate the rocky, volcanic, and iron-rich soils of the hill. Operating under a philosophy of strict mountain precision, the estate manages its dry, rocky, and low-fertility parcels with intense viticultural focus, naturally restricting vine yields to pack the small berries with immense depth, structural focus, and extraordinary cellar longevity.

Wine Description

The 2022 Chappellet 'Pritchard Hill' Cabernet Sauvignon presents an opaque, midnight purple-black appearance with concentrated garnet shades shimmering at the rim. Its sensory profile is exceptionally deep, complex, and highly expressive, opening with a bold bouquet of dark black currants, cassis, and juicy wild blueberries, seamlessly layered with fragrant underlays of liquid violets, lead pencil shavings, unsmoked cigars, and fresh mountain sage. On the palate, the wine is full-bodied, concentrated, and beautifully textured, showcasing a pure core of blackberry preserves, dark chocolate, and roasted coffee beans. It is characterized by an outstanding structural balance, maintaining an uncommonly fresh, vibrant backbone of natural acidity (pH 3.71) that effortlessly frames the rich mountain extraction. The mouthfeel is surprisingly supple and velvety for a young mountain wine, driven by firm, polished, and mouth-coating tannins that glide into a remarkably long, radiant finish accented by lingering notes of wood smoke, anise, and toasted French oak barrel spices.

This precise, high-definition Bordeaux-style blend is carefully tailored from select, high-performing estate parcels:

• 94% Cabernet Sauvignon: Dominates the core blend to deliver intense dark fruit density and cellar-worthy muscle.

• 6% Petit Verdot: Elevates the deep color profile and sharpens the tannic architecture.

Following a meticulous block-by-block harvest, the select lots underwent separate, controlled vinifications before completing malolactic fermentation. The wine reached a well-balanced alcohol content (ABV) of 14.8%. To seamlessly knit the components together and craft its premium frame, the wine was matured for 22 months entirely in 100% new French oak barrels before being bottled in July 2024. While the estate champions natural biodiversity and sustainable agricultural management across its high-altitude slopes, this bottling is conventionally farmed and not certified organic.

Accolades

98 Points Robert Parker - A terrific effort from a challenging vintage, Chappellet's 2022 Cabernet Sauvignon Pritchard Hill—94% Cabernet Sauvignon and 6% Petit Verdot—boasts expressive scents of cassis, blackberries, vanilla and caramel. It's full-bodied, supple, generous, deep and round, expansive on the palate and framed by soft, fully ripe tannins and hints of mocha on the lingering, velvety finish. Showy, impressive and delicious, it should drink well for a couple of decades.