Chappellet, Napa Valley (California) Cabernet Sauvignon 2013

Cyril Chappellet told me that his 2013 Cabernet Sauvignon sold out very quickly, and tasting it for the second time today, I can understand why (average production: 8,000 to 12,000 cases).  Chappellet’s wines seem to be really well-known only to its followers, of which there are many.  There’s a long waiting list to join the Chappellet Wine Club.  I have become a convert.  The 2013 Cabernet Sauvignon I am tasting has been open for three days, and it is better now than when it was first opened.  It shows the classic cassis aroma of great Cabernet Sauvignons.  The blend is 79 percent Cabernet Sauvignon, 12 percent Malbec, 5 percent Merlot, and 4 percent Petit Verdot.  Blackberry flavors dominate; the winery literature describes it as having “a deft balance between elegance and power,” and I can’t improve on that description.  It has a very long finish — always a sign of a great wine.  I would not doubt that it will prove to be one of the great Cabernet Sauvignons in Chappellet’s history.