Winemaker Notes
Both elegant and intense, this wine showcases classic Cabernet Franc aromas of cedar, graphite, wild sage, black tea and thyme, as well as hints of red currant, rose petal, sweet, toasty oak and sandalwood. On the palate it is graceful, layered and beautifully balanced, with a velvety texture and seamless tannins framing sophisticated flavors of black cherry, anise and white pepper, with a note of earthy richness adding nuance to a long, complex finish.
Blend: 76% Cabernet Franc, 17% Cabernet Sauvignon, 7% Merlot
Professional Ratings
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Jeb Dunnuck
Gorgeous black and blue fruits, spring flowers, graphite, and smoky tobacco notes all shine in the 2022 Cabernet Franc, a remarkably pure, silky, medium to full-bodied blend of 76% Cabernet Franc, 17% Cabernet Sauvignon, and 7% Merlot. While it shows the perfumed, accessible style of the vintage, it brings rock-solid depth and concentration, ripe tannins, and a great finish. Drink over the coming decade.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
In this heat-influenced vintage, Chappellet's 2022 Cabernet Franc is rather fruit-forward, loaded with cherries and only faintly herbal nuances. It's medium- to full-bodied, silky and velvety in texture across the palate and shows excellent structure and balance on the lingering finish.
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James Suckling
The nose is deep and brooding, with aromas of roasted coffee beans, blackcurrants and cedar. The palate is full-bodied with firmly integrated tannins and acidity and a viscous mouthfeel, giving notes of mulberry compote, cured meat and graphite. Very well constructed. Drinkable now, but best from 2028.
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.
Undoubtedly proving its merit over and over, Napa Valley is a now a leading force in the world of prestigious red wine regions. Though Cabernet Sauvignon dominates Napa Valley, other red varieties certainly thrive here. Important but often overlooked include Merlot and other Bordeaux varieties well-regarded on their own as well as for their blending capacities. Very old vine Zinfandel represents an important historical stronghold for the region and Pinot noir is produced in the cooler southern parts, close to the San Pablo Bay.
Perfectly situated running north to south, the valley acts as a corridor, pulling cool, moist air up from the San Pablo Bay in the evenings during the hot days of the growing season, which leads to even and slow grape ripening. Furthermore the valley claims over 100 soil variations including layers of volcanic, gravel, sand and silt—a combination excellent for world-class red wine production.