Winemaker Notes
With a remarkable level of concentration and complexity, and a sense of place that speaks volumes about Chappellet vineyards, this wine represents the very best from an exceptional vintage on Pritchard Hill. From its dark, incredibly saturated color to its intense aromas of baked blackberry, dark cherry, crème de cassis, plum and anise this wine is layered, rich and sophisticated. On the palate, notes of espresso, dark chocolate and toasted oak, support beautiful ripe fruit and spice flavors, with seamless, mouthcoating tannins adding power and longevity. Despite its epic nature, there is also a liveliness and radiance to this wine that gives it poise, precision and balance.
Professional Ratings
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Wine Enthusiast
Dark and saturated in color, this has earthy and meaty aromas like bloody, rare steak and charred bone—that sort of proteinous spirit. The actual fruit flavor is incredibly rich and concentrated in blackberries, black currants and crisp bacon. The impression is of a sweet, delicious Cabernet that's a touch warm in alcohol, but lush and refined.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
While previous reviewers have touted this as a long-aging wine, my take on the 2009 Cabernet Sauvignon Pritchard Hill is that it has probably peaked and should be consumed relatively soon. Even directly from the winery's library, it exhibits an aged character, with notes of leather and dried cherries on the nose. It's still highly enjoyable, with a supple, creamy mouthfeel and ample spice and a bit of alcoholic warmth on the lingering finish.
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Wine Spectator
Dense, tannic and rustic red, sharing traits of many muscle-bound Napa Cabernets from the vintage. Requires chewing through extracted dark berry, cedar, roasted herb, woodsy oak, forest floor and crushed rock flavors. Ends with a touch of black licorice woven in the fiber of extracted flavors. Patience required.
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.