Chappellet, Napa Valley (California) Cabernet Sauvignon 2008

 Pritchard Hill is a place. It’s just off the Silverado Hill in the Napa Valley and all of the wineries in the Pritchard Hill area (such as Bryant Family) make extraordinary wines. But only Chappellet can use the Pritchard Hill name, and it’s easy to understand why they guard that name with a passion. The 2008 Pritchard Hill Cabernet from the Chappellet vineyards is a massive wine with dense layers of black fruit aroma. Because it is on the eastern side of the Napa Valley and the area catches the afternoon sun and gets plenty of daylight, the flavors are infused with the characteristic nuances of mocha and espresso that are common to the wines of immediate vicinity. Yet despite its obvious weight and power, this is a wine that, like all other Chappellet Cabs, exhibits finesse, elegance and sophistication.