Quick Trip to Napa Valley Part 1
Last week I took advantage of an opportunity to go to Napa Valley for a few days. Not only was the weather hot, but also the harvest is starting to heat up as well.
We visited several of our great friends throughout the valley, starting with Mario Sculatti and Trevor Mallet of Vault Wine Co. Mario just came off the crush pad after crushing the last of the Chardonnay. He said the fruit looked great, the free run juice was ripe and rich with flavors. We tasted through several new vintage wines and they were delicious. I am looking forward to bring to the market this Fall the new Sauvignon Blanc and Rosé, as well as several new Cabernets, Zinfandel and a couple of special treats. More on this in the coming weeks.
I cannot tell you how exactly how many times I have visited Napa Valley -- somewhere north of 40 -- but I can say it always feels like a second home. And on this trip, I made it to the famous Pritchard Hill region of Napa, home of Continuum, Brand, David Arthur and Chappellet to name a few.
On Friday the 6th, I made my way to Chappellet for the first time and wow what a view, great wines and amazing people. We started with the 2022 Chappellet Signature Collection Chenin Blanc, a wine made for Molly Chappellet – Don Chappellet’s wife. The Chenin Blanc grapes are grown on a 5-acre plot near the family home overlooking the winery. The wine was perfectly chilled and meyer lemon in color. The aromatics were bright with tropical notes, pear and a touch of perfume. On the palate the wine was refreshing and clean, the fruit was balanced with fresh acidity which lingered on the palate for several minutes. Bottom line delicious!
From there we tasted the Grower Collection Sangiacomo Chardonnay, which was creamy apple, hazelnut, pear, vanilla and a touch of oak giving the wine perfect balance and elegance.
We then started tasting the red wines –the 2021 Chappellet Malbec had an amazing label but more importantly was one of the most well-balanced and restrained Malbecs I have had from anywhere in the world. The inky purple juice in the glass made the wine seem bigger and fuller bodied than it actually was. The blue fruit notes came screaming out of the glass but subtle violet notes appeared on second sniff and at that point I knew this was going to be a special experience. On the palate the wine was restrained almost light on the palate, as blueberries, blackberries, leather and violet cascaded along the palate making you almost salivate at the same time. The flavors lingered for a long time with beautiful acidity, velvet tannins and a finish which lingered for a country mile.
Next up was the Pritchard Hill Cabernet Franc and this wine is a monster compared to the Malbec. Similar blue and black fruit notes combined with big tannins, expressive acidity and a harmonic balance in a glass which stained with how deep purple it was. On the palate this wine exploded with flavors of the fruit, mixed with velvety tannins and baked blackberry pie so good you will not be able to resist this wine.
Surprisingly, we finished with the Signature Cabernet 2021which was considerably lighter than the Cabernet Franc but held its own and was the perfect wine to linger on the palate. Deep garnet in color, with aromatics of blue and black fruit notes. On the palate the blackberry, blueberry and currant flavors mixed with leather, tobacco, cedar box, lead pencil and baked spices to provide the perfect balance of silky tannins and great acidity.
Final notes for part 1 – look for all of the Chappellet wines soon on OWSwine.com and grab a bottle or two and then book your trip to Napa and Pritchard Hill. Word of advice: none of these wineries are open without an appointment. Or better yet, join us in a virtual wine tasting with these wines in the near future.
