2018 Chappellet Pritchard Hill

98 POINTS

Lisa Perrotti-Brown MW - Wine Advocate

The 2018 Cabernet Sauvignon Pritchard Hill is composed of 90% Cabernet Sauvignon and 10% Petit Verdot. It was aged in 100% new French oak for 22 months. The alcohol weighed in at 14.5%. Deep garnet-purple in color, it charges out of the gate with bold expressions of warm cassis, wild blueberries and black raspberries, plus hints of chocolate box, menthol, tapenade, smoked meats and pencil lead. Medium to full-bodied, the palate is bursting with vibrant black fruits, framed by fantastically ripe, fine-grained tannins and lovely freshness, finishing long and mineral laced.

96 POINTS

James Suckling

Blue fruit with boysenberry and floral aromas. Cassis, too. It’s full-bodied, yet very tight and toned on the palate with fine tannins that are formed and polished. A classic wine. Give this three or four years to soften. Best after 2024.

96 POINTS

Antonio Galloni MW - Vinous

The 2018 Cabernet Sauvignon Pritchard Hill is bright, punchy and structured. Blackberry jam, grilled herbs, lavender, menthol and crushed rocks all come alive in the glass. This searingly tannic, mountain Cabernet needs a good deal of time to open, but when it does, it dazzles. Bright floral notes, blood orange and slightly redder tonalities of fruit develop over time. The Pritchard Hill is a wine for readers who can be patient.

95 POINTS

Virginie Boone - The Wine Enthusiast

This impressive wine is fresh in crisp red fruit and dried herb and is tightly grippy in mountain tannin and powerful strength. With 10% Petit Verdot it broods in dark inky color and mocha-rich intensity, with a depth of elegant structure that should give it plenty of life in the cellar. Enjoy 2028–2038.

95 POINTS

Matthew Luczy - Decanter Magazine

Sourced from the top 15-20% of Chappellet’s holdings on Pritchard Hill. Floral aromas of fresh violets, damp herbs and black fruits. Powerful and muscular on the palate, but a lean, toned muscle. Often, the flagship wine of a Napa estate pulls out all the stops with ripeness, but this bottling is impressively restrained and elegant.