Winemaker Notes
Blend: 76% Cabernet Sauvignon, 9% Petit Verdot, 6% Malbec, 5% Cabernet Franc, 4% Merlot
Professional Ratings
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Wilfred Wong of Wine.com
One of Napa Valley's most beautiful wines, the handsome 2014 Chappellet Signature Cabernet Sauvignon displays stylish black fruit aromas and just enough savory oak nuances to keep the wine's purity intact. The sweet tannins and accent of mint provide a lovely foil for a perfectly grilled Chateaubriand steak. (Tasted: September 2, 2017, San Francisco, CA)
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
In keeping with the house style, Chappellet's Signature bottling is sourced from mountain vineyards, like Stagecoach, Edcora and others. The 2014 Cabernet Sauvignon Signature is a super effort for anyone who still has some in their cellar, offering hints of sage and mint alongside cherry fruit on the nose, while the full-bodied palate boasts a supple, silky feel and a spicy, fresh, almost pine-like finish.
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Jeb Dunnuck
The 2014 Cabernet Sauvignon Signature shows the charm, balance, and accessibility of the 2014 vintage beautifully. Still deep ruby/purple-hued, with a beautiful bouquet of crème de cassis and blueberry fruits intermixed with ample white flowers, damp earth, and truffle, this medium to full-bodied beauty has loads of character, an elegant, silky texture, terrific balance, and a great finish. It’s accessible today yet will cruise on its balance and overall harmony over the coming 15-20 years.
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James Suckling
Aromas of blueberries and blackcurrants follow through to a full body, round and velvety tannins and a fruity finish. A little one-dimensional but shows attractive fruit. Pretty firmness. Drink now or hold.
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.