Chappellet Pritchard Hill Estate Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon (1.5 Liter Magnum) 2018
-
Wong
Wilfred -
Dunnuck
Jeb -
Parker
Robert -
Panel
Tasting -
Journal
The Somm -
Suckling
James - Decanter
Product Details
Your Rating
Somm Note
Winemaker Notes
Embodying the essence of great mountain-grown Cabernet Sauvignon, and the majestic terroir of Pritchard Hill, this wine displays epic depth and complexity. Pure, intense aromas of blackberry, cassis, perfumed violets, graphite and macerated berry skins leap from the glass, followed by layers of anise, vanilla, clove and dark chocolate. The luxurious berry and spice notes continue on the palate, where polished, mouth-filling tannins and a powerful structure add gravitas to the deep, rich flavors, carrying the wine to a resonating dark berry and mocha finish.
Blend: 90% Cabernet Sauvignon, 10% Petit Verdot
Professional Ratings
-
Wilfred Wong of Wine.com
COMMENTARY: The 2018 Chappellet Pritchard Hill Cabernet Sauvignon is stunning, from the pulling of the cork to the lingering taste on the palate. TASTING NOTES: This wine masterfully controls the elements as it explodes with bold yet nicely handled blackberries, cassis, chalk, scorched earth, and oak. Cellar this one for at least a dozen years and serve it with grilled entrecôte (if you are in France) or a well-marbled ribeye (if you are stateside). (Tasted: February 16, 2022, San Francisco, CA)
-
Jeb Dunnuck
Always one of top wines in a vintage, the 2018 Cabernet Sauvignon Pritchard Hill is another gorgeous wine with a more plush, supple texture that hides solid underlying structure and tannins. Beautiful notes of blueberries, new leather, camphor, violets, and smoked tobacco all flow to a full-bodied, seamless, gorgeously textured beauty that's very much in the style of the vintage. Possessing remarkable purity, flawless balance, and building tannins, give bottles 4-5 years of bottle age, count yourself lucky, and enjoy over the following 25+ years.
-
Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The 2018 Cabernet Sauvignon Pritchard Hill is composed of 90% Cabernet Sauvignon and 10% Petit Verdot. It was aged in 100% new French oak for 22 months. The alcohol weighed in at 14.5%. Deep garnet-purple in color, it charges out of the gate with bold expressions of warm cassis, wild blueberries and black raspberries, plus hints of chocolate box, menthol, tapenade, smoked meats and pencil lead. Medium to full-bodied, the palate is bursting with vibrant black fruits, framed by fantastically ripe, fine-grained tannins and lovely freshness, finishing long and mineral laced.
Rating: 98+ -
Tasting Panel
A silk road ascends to a dynamic peak, where a hallelujah of flavor and texture rings out. The juiciness of this tamed beast shows through its opaque black fruit. A savory middle carries tar, tobacco, and Worcestershire notes. A triumphant red.
-
The Somm Journal
A silk road ascends to a dynamic peak, where a hallelujah of flavor and texture rings out. The juiciness of this tamed beast shows through its opaque black fruit. A savory middle carries tar, tobacco, and Worcestershire notes. A triumphant red.
-
James Suckling
Blue fruit with boysenberry and floral aromas. Cassis, too. It’s full-bodied, yet very tight and toned on the palate with fine tannins that are formed and polished. A classic wine. Give this three or four years to soften. Best after 2024.
-
Decanter
Fabulous nose on this wine, rich, ripe, full-throttle Cabernet cassis with added complexity from graphite and leaf. Despite being so expressive, you get the impression there is still so much more to come. In the mouth, the fruit flavors encompassing fresh currants, plums and cranberries, are vibrant, condensed and sweet. The body mass is dense and weighty on the mid palate. Beautiful drive to this wine, it tastes ‘alive’, the acidity perfectly balancing the ripeness of the fruit and the fruit and oak tannins perfectly aligned and just beginning to resolve. The finish is long and powerful revealing this wine’s long ageing potential. Superb example of site-specific Napa Cabernet.
Other Vintages
2019-
Parker
Robert -
Wong
Wilfred -
Panel
Tasting -
Dunnuck
Jeb -
Enthusiast
Wine -
Suckling
James -
Spectator
Wine
-
Panel
Tasting -
Wong
Wilfred -
Parker
Robert -
Enthusiast
Wine -
Dunnuck
Jeb -
Spectator
Wine -
Suckling
James
-
Parker
Robert -
Dunnuck
Jeb -
Panel
Tasting -
Suckling
James
-
Dunnuck
Jeb -
Parker
Robert -
Suckling
James -
Enthusiast
Wine -
Spectator
Wine - Decanter
-
Parker
Robert -
Suckling
James
-
Parker
Robert -
Dunnuck
Jeb -
Suckling
James -
Spectator
Wine
-
Parker
Robert -
Suckling
James
-
Suckling
James - Vinous
-
Parker
Robert
-
Parker
Robert -
Spectator
Wine
-
Parker
Robert -
Enthusiast
Wine -
Spectator
Wine
-
Parker
Robert -
Spectator
Wine
-
Parker
Robert -
Guide
Connoisseurs' -
Spectator
Wine -
Enthusiast
Wine
-
Spectator
Wine -
Parker
Robert
-
Spectator
Wine -
Parker
Robert
-
Spirits
Wine & -
Enthusiast
Wine
The Chappellets' romance with Pritchard Hill began when Donn and Molly Chappellet first glimpsed the mountain's spectacular vistas in the late 1960s. Inspired by the notion that Bacchus loves the hills, Donn and Molly followed the advice of legendary winemaker André Tchelistcheff and settled on the rocky eastern slopes of the Napa Valley. There, on the mountain’s serene and picturesque hillsides, the Chappellets established their home and winery, raising their children and cultivating the vineyards.
Since being founded by Donn and Molly in 1967, Chappellet has earned acclaim championing the robust power and complexity of wines crafted from mountain grapes. At the same time, Chappellet has helped to establish Pritchard Hill as one of California’s most revered winegrowing sites. To honor the mountain's rich, expressive character, the winemaking team focuses on creating extraordinary, age-worthy Cabernet Sauvignons that embody the intensity and finesse of fruit from Pritchard Hill.
One of the most prestigious wines of the world capable of great power and grace, Napa Valley Cabernet is a leading force in the world of fine, famous, collectible red wine. Today the Napa Valley and Cabernet Sauvignon are so intrinsically linked that it is difficult to discuss one without the other. But it wasn’t until the 1970s that this marriage came to light; sudden international recognition rained upon Napa with the victory of the Stag’s Leap Wine Cellars 1973 Cabernet Sauvignon in the 1976 Judgement of Paris.
Cabernet Sauvignon undoubtedly dominates Napa Valley today, covering half of the land under vine, commanding the highest prices per ton and earning the most critical acclaim. Cabernet Sauvignon’s structure, acidity, capacity to thrive in multiple environs and ability to express nuances of vintage make it perfect for Napa Valley where incredible soil and geographical diversity are found and the climate is perfect for grape growing. Within the Napa Valley lie many smaller sub-AVAs that express specific characteristics based on situation, slope and soil—as a perfect example, Rutherford’s famous dust or Stags Leap District's tart cherry flavors.