2006 Chappellet Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley Pritchard Hill Estate Vineyard

•  From Pritchard Hill- Home to Girard, Colgin, and Bryant Family 

•  96 points in the Wine Spectator

Donn and Molly Chappellet have been making great hillside Cabernet on the slopes of Pritchard Hill, overlooking the Napa Valley for over forty years. They have been joined on the hill by such luminaries as Bryant and Colgin, but their wines take a backseat to none.

The 2006 Pritchard Hill is a big wine in the concentrated hillside style, but with a real sense of elegance and grace to balance the power and produce a complexity that is stunning. The center of rich berry fruit is wrapped in layers of mineral, espresso, and spice aromas that lead to a finish that lingers, echoing the great flavors on the palate.

The Chappellets' romance with Pritchard Hill started when Donn and Molly Chappellet first glimpsed its spectacular vistas. Perched 1,200 feet above the floor of the Napa Valley, the atmosphere at the Chappellet family's winery and Pritchard Hill estate vineyards is serene and peaceful. You can't help but fall in love with the breathtaking views and the gentle mountain Donn and Molly Chappellet made their home.

The Chappellet family has been crafting world class wines from their Pritchard Hill estate vineyards since 1967. Spurred by the notion that mountain fruit would make superior wine, Chappellet followed the advice of legendary winemaker André Tchelistcheff and settled on the rocky eastern slopes of the Napa Valley. The Chappellets were the first to plant vineyards exclusively on high elevation hillsides and the second winery to be established in the Napa Valley after Prohibition. Rising from 800 to 1,800 feet above sea level, Chappellet's Estate Vineyards on Pritchard Hill have earned acclaim for yielding grapes that produce mountain-grown wines of rare depth, longevity and elegance.

The foundation of Chappellet winemaking program is focused on creating extraordinary age-worthy Cabernet Sauvignon that expresses the unique characteristics of the fruit from Pritchard Hill. The rugged terroir of Chappellet's vineyards produces wines with great intensity and depth, qualities that define the world's finest wines. For four decades Chappellet wines have received high praise from wine critics and have been sought after by the world's premier collectors.

Reviews

Wine Spectator 96 Points

Firm and concentrated, with taut, vibrant mineral, blackberry, wild berry and black cherry fruit that gives this a rich core of flavors. Deep and concentrated, ending with a long, persistent finish. Best from 2011 through 2017. J.L.