2018 Chappellet Signature Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley

For five decades, the Chappellet family has been crafting world-class wines from fruit cultivated on the steep, rocky slopes of Napa Valley’s renowned Pritchard Hill. As one of the first wineries to pioneer high-elevation hillside planting, and one of the few remaining great family-owned Napa Valley wineries, Chappellet Vineyard has influenced generations of vintners. Throughout its history, Chappellet has also established an enduring legacy as one of California’s most acclaimed producers of Cabernet Sauvignon.

Though focused on crafting limited quantities of benchmark Cabernet Sauvignon for five decades, the Chappellet portfolio also includes exceptional Chardonnay, Chenin Blanc, Merlot, and Cabernet Franc. While consistently setting the standard for mountain-grown wines, Chappellet has earned high praise from critics and a devoted following from many of the world’s premier collectors.

The Signature Cabernet Sauvignon has been Chappellet's flagship wine for more than three decades. It is a benchmark for the long-lived hillside wines of the Napa Valley; full of structure and aging potential, yet seductively forward in its concentrated varietal character. The dry, rocky soils of Pritchard Hill produce small, intensely flavorful grapes. Crop thinning allows for full, even ripening and elevates flavor complexity.

“Old-timers have long known that one of the most compelling, riveting, world-class Cabernet Sauvignons ever made in California was Chappellet’s 1969.” ~Wine Advocate

The turbulent growing seasons for upcoming Napa vintages, 2019 and 2020 have produced more questions than answers. The quality of these wines will be heavily scrutinized and reviewed under every critic's microscope. The time is ripe to stock up on quality vintages like 2015, 2016, and 2018. The opportunities to capture wines from previous years are limited.