Chappellet Cabernet Franc 2018
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Jeb
Dunnuck -
Robert
Parker -
James
Suckling
Product Details
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Blend: 75% Cabernet Franc, 15% Cabernet Sauvignon, 6% Malbec, 4% Petit Verdot
Professional Ratings
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Jeb Dunnuck
A smoking value, the 2018 Cabernet Franc has textbook Cabernet Franc darker, almost blue fruits as well as gorgeous floral, leather, spice, and incense aromatics. Medium to full-bodied, it has a similar supple elegance that conceals solid underlying tannins and concentration. It can be drunk today with plenty of pleasure, yet a good 3-4 years of bottle age will do it well, and it should evolve gracefully over the following 10-15 years.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The 2018 Cabernet Franc is a blend of 75% Cabernet Franc, 15% Cabernet sauvignon, 4% Petit Verdot and 6% Malbec. It was aged for 22 months in French oak barrels, 60% new. The alcohol weighed in at 14.5%. Deep garnet-purple in color, bright, cheery red and black fruit notes of red currant jelly, blackberry pie, Morello cherries and boysenberries spring from the glass, followed by nuances of pencil shavings, red roses, raspberry leaves and cinnamon stick. Medium to full-bodied, the palate displays compelling purity, featuring bags of crunchy black berry flavors and ripe, finely grained tannins to support, finishing with a lively skip in its step. Rating: 95+
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James Suckling
What a luscious, succulent cabernet franc with blue fruit, chocolate and some hazelnut and walnut undertones. It’s full and layered with a round, creamy-tannin texture that gives form and texture to the wine. Drink or hold.
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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.
Undoubtedly proving its merit over and over, Napa Valley is a now a leading force in the world of prestigious red wine regions. Though Cabernet Sauvignon dominates Napa Valley, other red varieties certainly thrive here. Important but often overlooked include Merlot and other Bordeaux varieties well-regarded on their own as well as for their blending capacities. Very old vine Zinfandel represents an important historical stronghold for the region and Pinot noir is produced in the cooler southern parts, close to the San Pablo Bay.
Perfectly situated running north to south, the valley acts as a corridor, pulling cool, moist air up from the San Pablo Bay in the evenings during the hot days of the growing season, which leads to even and slow grape ripening. Furthermore the valley claims over 100 soil variations including layers of volcanic, gravel, sand and silt—a combination excellent for world-class red wine production.