External search
Google (images)
Wine Advocate
Wine Spectator
Burghound
Wine-Searcher
Vintages
2022
2021
2020
2019
2018
2017
2016
2015
2014
2013
2012
2011
2010
2009
2008
2007
2006
2005
2004
2003
Show more
From this producer
Show all wines
All tasting notes
|
| Drinking Windows and Values |
| Community Tasting History |
| Community Tasting Notes (average 91.7 pts. and median of 92 pts. in 25 notes) - hiding notes with no text | | | Tasted by JonnyG on 3/27/2021 & rated 95 points: A Memorable Saturday (Various Spots in the Santa Ynez Valley): Beautifully paired with a pristine 1969 Chappellet (and an outlier of a 2018 version). One of the last of a case I bought on release, and in many ways the best bottle. Whereas earlier samplings were delicious, fruit-forward expressions of Napa Cab., this was the first to feature well-received tertiary notes of leather and earth alongside the gentle fruit and mild herbs. Graceful and finessed, and such an instructive contrast to the more robust and fruit-driven '69 version, a remarkable juxtaposition. (962 views) | | | Tasted by mwtrotter3 on 12/20/2016 & rated 94 points: Thick, concentrated, still lively and structured, cherry syrup, dark unsweetened chocolate, plums and prunes. Savory and intense (2103 views) | | | Tasted by AlexHop on 5/25/2016 & rated 94 points: Wow. This is pretty much the perfect repression of well aged Napa cab. Super round, long finish. Red fruit and a touch of sandlewood. Nice herbs on the finish. Drank in memory of Donn Chappellet- thank you for creating such an amazing winery that was a real family operation. (2537 views) | | | Tasted by Luanne Family cellar inventory on 4/25/2016 & rated 94 points: Cyril and Blakesley tasted the 1996 both at their dinner with Art and Bev Cherry,
as well as the Cavallo Point Dinner.
Cyril said it was showing very well, with
a depth of color not very different than the
2012 Las Piedras. Very little sediment in the bottle and the capability to age for perhaps another 20 years. (2547 views) | | | Tasted by raypedia on 7/24/2015 & rated 92 points: Picked this up recently from Benchmark Wine Group, an acquisition from someone else's cellar and appears to have been stored very well. Cork in great shape, heavy sediment visible in bottle. Dark garnet, medium+ body, only a slight fade at the rim. Big aromas of black currant and plum, with some notes of sage and cedar. Fruit still present but restrained, velvety tannins, acidity is still very lively. Long tart finish. Outstanding for any wine, but most especially one nearing the 20 year mark. Wouldn't wait too much longer, it is stellar now and won't get any better from here on out. (3156 views) | | | Tasted by JonnyG on 5/24/2014 & rated 92 points: Another stellar bottle of great purity and straightforward elegance. Layers of mature fruit, without any edges whatsoever. Showing the first signs of fading...? (3202 views) | | | Tasted by JonnyG on 8/18/2013 & rated 92 points: spot-on with my other notes -- old school class and finesse from the moment popped through the final sip (2596 views) | | | Tasted by JonnyG on 3/24/2013 & rated 92 points: Even better than the last one, which I wrote was such an unashamedly drinkable bottle despite its age. Fruit forward right out of the bottle, with power and finesse effortlessly in harmony. (2610 views) | | | Tasted by JonnyG on 7/2/2012 & rated 90 points: Let me confess upfront that I am a devotee of '96 and earlier Napa Cabs, "Old School" if you will, but this bottle is far better than it has any right to be at this stage of its life. The appearance veers towards the tawny and the aromatics are a bit strained: cloves, herbs, a hint of vanilla. On the tongue, though, it is rock solid, with good acidity, structure and a killer finish dominated by dried cherries. A bit one-dimensional to be sure, but all in all a strong performance. (2776 views) | | | Tasted by John McCabe on 1/13/2012 & rated 93 points: I had a '99 Groth Reserve a few nights ago and this was quite a bit better. Still showing nice fruit, some backbone and structure. Still has a few more yeas ahead of it even. (3327 views) | | | Tasted by John McCabe on 11/3/2011 & rated 93 points: Lovely, dark fruit, great concentration, a bit dusty. Drink now. (2627 views) | | | Tasted by soyhead on 10/7/2011 & rated 94 points: nose - wild berry, smoke, red licorice, a wow nose
mouth - well balanced fruit punchy, well integrated and nicely mature. nice dry tannins on the finish. elegant and drinks effortlessly. great wine. (2229 views) | | | Tasted by Tim Heaton on 9/5/2011: Decanted 1 hour, could have used 2. Very fine sediment, dark ruby core with modest sign of age. Aromas really developed over the course of 3 hours with positive development right through the last glass. Initially, this offered cassis, cigar box, spice cake and some cool menthol, but after 3 hours, the profile had shifted to aromas of dark cherry, currant, anise, nutmeg and black earth. Acids still fresh and cooling. Lovely, lifted palate with great satisfaction from front to back - the mid-palate being the highlight. Tannins are delicate, but still offer plenty of grip. Full-bodied done in an elegant way. A joy to drink. Drink thru 2016, recommended, 14,1% abv.
edit: even better on day 2 (2271 views) | | | Tasted by slippytoad on 9/3/2011 & rated 93 points: At its peak now, lovely stuff. Just so much going on in the glass, fruit still dominate too although it's softer. (2207 views) | | | Tasted by John McCabe on 8/22/2011 & rated 93 points: Lovely cab, well aged. Drinks better in the first hour or so, and then seems to lose its composure a bit. I don't think this warrants holding any longer; drink now. (1881 views) | | | Tasted by John McCabe on 6/14/2011 & rated 94 points: Wow, pretty amazing stuff. This was deep and penetrating, so rich. It's hard to beliefve that this is so old. It's a beautiful wine, aged beautifully and is a world more enjoyable than some recent vintage. I need to get more. (2111 views) | | | Tasted by tplskylrk on 11/27/2010 & rated 92 points: Dusty dark color. Mature fruit nose, cassias, pencil, earth. Nose is rich, velvet, not extracted, just dense. Freight train of dark red and cherry fruit, acids on this bottle bright, just maybe a bit out in front of the tannins, and close to the fruit. Worry if this is storage or balance. This is a very young 15 year old, a real red with structure to go for a while Secondary flavors/structure beginning to dominate so need to see what the transition does to the balance. (2217 views) | | | Tasted by tplskylrk on 8/6/2010 & rated 93 points: Wow. After 20 minutes pondering my wine for a lonesome Friday night a finalist was chosen. First bit of the pour had sediment from the neck, looked brownish, ugh. Then the meaty part hit. The Cali Cab dark dusty velvet purple. You know what I am talking about.
Rich cassias wafted from the decanter and just got better from there. Killer mature fruit, balanced perfectly, still enough tannins to rough you up as well. Lingers forever. (2404 views) | | | Tasted by bwillia on 4/18/2010 & rated 89 points: Big sweet cassis nose. On the palate mostly resolved. Started out with a touch too much jam and oak but with two hours smoothed out to plum and cherry with just a hint of vanilla. Not great but good nonetheless (2529 views) | | | Tasted by jakuda on 12/11/2009: Decanted off sediment. Red-purple in color. Secondary aromas from bottle age. Earthiness and leather aromas dominate. Some sour cherries on the backend. In the mouth, it is initially lush but then the tannins, which are fine and soft, coat thoroughly and maintain grip. For a '96 vintage it still seems youthful. Finish is medium long with balancing acidity coming at the end. (2868 views) | | | Tasted by Drankthewholebottle on 11/3/2009 flawed bottle: Mmmmm black tar and petrol with some dirty leather; chunky. I got mine at the grocery outlet for $20. (2810 views) | | | Tasted by incident on 5/8/2009 & rated 91 points: Clear, medium red. Some ruby at the core, bricking on the edge. Clean medium intensity aromas of cassis, blackberry, smoke, leather, earth. Mature and soft tannin, medium acid, light tannin. Flavors match aromas, medium-long finish with crushed red berries, strawberry, earth. (2965 views) | | | Tasted by Bobo N on 6/12/2008 & rated 91 points: Cherry, vanilla, smooth and sweet tannins -- this wine has aged well. i had a completely different experience than the prior reviewer, but 3 years has passed and this wine is in an excellent place right now. Based on his recommendation, i did not decant. After 90 minutes, i felt the wine had a lot of structure and had mellowed to let the fruit shine through. It did not fall apart and is certainly better than it was a few years ago. (3116 views) | | | Tasted by davidandrose on 5/23/2005 & rated 84 points: Uncorked but not decanted about 1hr prior to consumption. Color beginning to lighten, some bricking, but still a good grip on the glass. Leather, ripe red cherry aromas with some honeysuckle. Finely grained tanins, fruit still evident early in the evening and this appears to be a very well put-together wine. Nice complexity, not many-layered and a nice finish. However, about 2 1/2 hrs after opening, this just falls completely apart. One dimensional (wet), no finish and devoid of any taste. The score is a factor of this being an 89 pointer early on, but only good as a braising liquid within 3 hours. Drink up, and do so quickly after opening!! (3887 views) |
| Chappellet Producer websiteCabernet SauvignonCabernet Sauvignon is probably the most famous red wine grape variety on Earth. It is rivaled in this regard only by its Bordeaux stablemate Merlot, and its opposite number in Burgundy, Pinot Noir. From its origins in Bordeaux, Cabernet has successfully spread to almost every winegrowing country in the world. It is now the key grape variety in many first-rate New World wine regions, most notably Napa Valley, Coonawarra and Maipo Valley. Wherever they come from, Cabernet Sauvignon wines always seem to demonstrate a handful of common character traits: deep color, good tannin structure, moderate acidity and aromas of blackcurrant, tomato leaf, dark spices and cedarwood.
Used as frequently in blends as in varietal wines, Cabernet Sauvignon has a large number of common blending partners. Apart from the obvious Merlot and Cabernet Franc, the most prevalent of these are Malbec, Petit Verdot and Carmenere (the ingredients of a classic Bordeaux Blend), Shiraz (in Australia's favorite blend) and in Spain and South America, a Cabernet – Tempranillo blend is now commonplace. Even the bold Tannat-based wines of Madiran are now generally softened with Cabernet SauvignonUSAAmerican wine has been produced since the 1500s, with the first widespread production beginning in New Mexico in 1628. Today, wine production is undertaken in all fifty states, with California producing 84% of all U.S. wine. The continent of North America is home to several native species of grape, including Vitis labrusca, Vitis riparia, Vitis rotundifolia, and Vitis vulpina, but the wine-making industry is based almost entirely on the cultivation of the European Vitis vinifera, which was introduced by European settlers. With more than 1,100,000 acres (4,500 km2) under vine, the United States is the fourth-largest wine producing country in the world, after Italy, Spain, and France.California2021 vintage: "Unlike almost all other areas of the state, the Russian River Valley had higher than normal crops in 2021, which has made for a wine of greater generosity and fruit forwardness than some of its stablemates." - Morgan Twain-Peterson Napa Valley Napa Valley Wineries and Wine (Napa Valley Vintners)Napa ValleySt. Helena |
|
