Chappellet Pritchard Hill Estate Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon 2008
-
Robert
Parker -
Wine
Spectator
Product Details
Your Rating
Somm Note
Winemaker Notes
This exceptional Cabernet Sauvignon is a testament to the mountain terroir of Pritchard Hill and the exacting viticultural methods applied to its cultivation. Our 2008 Pritchard Hill Cabernet Sauvignon was blended from a selection of the finest grapes from our most storied vineyard blocks. The result is a rich and multifaceted wine offering ripe fruit aromas of blackberry, dark cherry and cola that flow from the glass. Dark chocolate and espresso notes add depth and definition to the fruit, while spicy oak aromas of cinnamon, clove and brown sugar contribute lively top notes to the wine's charming personality. The palate is rich and mouthcoating, with lingering sweet berry supported by hints of cedar and anise, which add an intriguing counterpoint to the fleshy texture. The tannins are seamlessly integrated, making this a wine with excellent aging potential.
Professional Ratings
-
Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The medium to deep garnet colored 2008 Cabernet Sauvignon Pritchard Hill, a blend of 76% Cabernet Sauvignon, 16% Petit Verdot and 8% Malbec, opens with baked blackberries and warm plums scents on the nose giving way to underlying garrigue, sautéed herbs, espresso and cedar chest. The palate is full-bodied, super concentrated and built like a brick house, with firm, grainy tannins and background freshness supporting the muscular fruit, finishing long.
-
Wine Spectator
Tough-edged, earthy and leathery, though deeply concentrated and muscular. Built around a core of dense dark berry fruit, mineral, cedar and graphite, this is not the early-allure charmer it's been in recent years. Best from 2013 through 2022. 2,309 cases made.
Other Vintages
2019-
Robert
Parker -
Wilfred
Wong -
Tasting
Panel -
James
Suckling -
Jeb
Dunnuck -
Wine
Enthusiast -
Wine
Spectator
-
Wilfred
Wong -
Robert
Parker -
Jeb
Dunnuck -
The Somm
Journal -
Tasting
Panel - Decanter
-
James
Suckling
-
Tasting
Panel -
Wilfred
Wong -
Robert
Parker -
Wine
Enthusiast -
Jeb
Dunnuck -
Wine
Spectator -
James
Suckling
-
Jeb
Dunnuck -
Robert
Parker -
Tasting
Panel -
James
Suckling
-
Jeb
Dunnuck -
Robert
Parker -
James
Suckling -
Wine
Enthusiast -
Wine
Spectator - Decanter
-
Robert
Parker -
James
Suckling
-
Robert
Parker -
Jeb
Dunnuck -
James
Suckling -
Wine
Spectator
-
Robert
Parker -
James
Suckling
-
James
Suckling - Vinous
-
Robert
Parker
-
Robert
Parker -
Wine
Spectator
-
Robert
Parker -
Wine
Enthusiast -
Wine
Spectator
-
Connoisseurs'
Guide -
Robert
Parker -
Wine
Spectator -
Wine
Enthusiast
-
Wine
Spectator -
Robert
Parker
-
Wine
Spectator -
Robert
Parker
-
Wine &
Spirits -
Wine
Enthusiast
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.