2022 Chappellet 'Pritchard Hill' Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley
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This limited-production Cabernet Sauvignon represents the pinnacle of Chappellet winemaking and embodies the elegant power and complexity of Pritchard Hill winegrowing. Like the great Bordeaux wines that first inspired Donn Chappellet, this wine is crafted by blending Cabernet Sauvignon with other classic Bordeaux varietals. Grown on the rocky mountainside estate vineyard they have displayed the ability to age for several decades.
With 98 points from Wine Advocate this is another serious contender to stock in your cellar.
“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.”
If you asked us for our list of Napa Valley wineries currently making the highest quality, most complete, most consistent, most interesting, most ageworthy wines for the money, Chappellet Winery would be at the top. Consider all the metrics: track record, intrinsic quality, taste of the soil, availability, quality-price rapport, freshness, and visceral excitement. Is this the finest winery, top-to-bottom, in the Napa Valley? Why are the wines so good? First, take a great terroir: volcanic terraces high on Pritchard Hill that were first planted in 1882. It’s no accident that Colgin, Continuum, and Bryant Family set up shop in the neighborhood. Then we have 47 years of accumulated knowledge from some of the best winemaking talent the valley has ever seen: Philip Togni, Joe Cafaro, Tony Soter, Cathy Corison and finally Philip Corallo-Titus, who has been at the winemaking helm since 1990. And finally there’s the huge Chappellet family, dedicated as a team to farm great grapes and make superb wines since 1968.
Wine Advocate
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.
James Suckling
The nose is wonderfully complex and deeply scented, with aromas of blackberries, cassis, earth and cedar. The palate is full-bodied with seamless tannins and acidity, giving notes of mocha, graphite, dried herbs and spices. Incredibly balanced and powerful, with underlying freshness. Excellent. Drinkable now, but best from 2028.
Jeb Dunnuck
The flagship 2022 Cabernet Sauvignon Pritchard Hill brings more density and depth than just about every other wine in the vintage. This brilliant 94% Cabernet Sauvignon and 6% Petit Verdot blend offers darker blue fruits interwoven with graphite, crushed stone-like minerality, and liquid violets. Full-bodied and concentrated on the palate, it has beautiful tannins, a lively sense of freshness and purity, no hard edges, and a great finish. Best after 2-3 years of bottle age, it will drink well for 15+ years.
Decanter
A blend of 95% Cabernet Sauvignon and 5% Petit Verdot, the 2019 Cabernet Sauvignon Pritchard Hill is another wonderfully evocative triumph from this family-owned Pitchard Hill pioneer. Deep garnet-purple colored, it storms out of the glass with profound scents of crème de cassis, blackberry preserves, licorice and mulberries, plus hints of unsmoked cigars, wild sage and tar. The medium to full-bodied palate delivers fantastic intensity and great poise, offering fine-grained, ripe tannins and bold freshness, finishing long and mineral laced
The Wine Independent
The 2022 Pritchard Hill Cabernet Sauvignon is a blend of 94% Cabernet Sauvignon and 6% Petit Verdot, delivering a deep garnet-purple in color. Juicy blueberries, black currant cordial, and plum preserves notes spill from the glass, opening out to suggestions of dried mint, dark chocolate, tapenade, and lilacs. Full-bodied, the palate is laden with ripe, expressive black fruit flavors, supported by firm, grainy tannins and wonderful tension, finishing long and fragrant.