Chappellet 2008 Pritchard Hill Cabernet Sauvignon - Wine Review

Chappellet
2008 Pritchard Hill Cabernet Sauvignon
Napa Valley, CA

A family-run winery perched high in the hills above Napa Valley, Chappellet was the second Napa winery to be established after Prohibition. But it wasn't until the introduction of their Pritchard Hill Estate Cab in 1967 that the winery began earning its international reputation. The estate, over 1,200 feet above the Napa Valley floor, is largely what sets Chappellet's wines apart in a region famed for Cabernet Sauvignon. The Chappellet vineyard's unique features of rugged, rocky soil and eastern exposure give the grapes a very particular terroir, a feature Chappellet focuses on bringing out in all its wines. The 2008 Pritchard Hill Cabernet leans more in style toward Bordeaux than classic Napa Cabernet. On the nose, it boasts a complex bouquet of black cherries and currants, chocolate, espresso and menthol. The wine's flavors are rich and ripe with teasing red fruit acidity and layers of hazelnut, chocolate, clove and coffee. It is an incredibly mouth-filling drink that lingers long with notes of spice. The wine will be a smart match for sophisticated barbecue, like red wine-marinated chicken, peppered steaks or herb-rubbed lamb shank. For a vegetarian meal, try it with an aged cheddar soufflé or porcini risotto.

Rating: 15/20
Price: $135

Other Cabernet Sauvignon wines we have tasted
Check out our Napa Valley Travel Guide

For more information, see our Chappellet winery profile