A beautiful day at Chappellet

When I took a tour of Chappellet Winery on Pritchard Hill back in March of 2009, I fell in love--with the property and its breathtaking views, my enthusiastic tour guide Candice, and of course, the amazing wines. To this day, it has been one of the most memorable wine tours I have ever had because it's an experience, not just a wine tasting. Most tours begin with a conservative splash of something white and then you walk around the winery with an empty glass. At Chappellet, you begin with a glass of Chardonnay inside the 41-year-old winery before heading out into the vineyards, a few more bottles of wine in tow.

As part of the tour, you walk through the crushpad, where there is a lot of action this time of year. And in the vineyard, you are encouraged to sample grapes off the vine. On the tour I took last year, Candice spoke passionately about the family history while she poured us the 2006 Merlot; she talked about the terroir as we tasted the 2006 Mountain Cuvee; she went into detail about the organic farming techniques while she poured us the 2006 Malbec; she told us about the grafting process as we sipped the 2006 Las Piedras Bordeaux-style blend; and the winemaking process was discussed at length, accompanied by the 2006 Signature Cabernet Sauvignon.

The wines I tasted then have since sold out with the help of some very significant scores from James Laube at Wine Spectator. The 2006 and 2007 vintages of the Signature Cab both received 94 points, and the high-end Pritchard Hill Cabernet Sauvignon was awarded 96 points for the 2007, 2006 and 2005 vintages. You'll never find scores in the Spectator for the Malbec, Petite Sirah, Zinfandel, Syrah, Las Piedras, or Cab Franc; just enough of these wines are made to go out to wine club members and are not nationally distributed.

Now I lead most of the tours at Chappellet, and it's just as fun to give the tour as it is to experience it as a consumer. Of the wines that I pour each day, my favorite is the 2007 Pritchard Hill Cab Franc.

Blended with 11% Malbec and 10% Cab, this is a Cab Franc that is juicy and lush with terrific structure. The powerful aromas of cherry, cola, and violet leap from the glass and open up to a full body of ripe raspberry and cocoa flavors intertwined with delicate spice notes. Velvety tannins give way to a finish that is long and smooth.

I tell my customers how versatile this wine is, but I like it so much, I am happy to drink it regardless of what I may (or may not) be eating. I hope you'll come visit us at Chappellet and taste this wine for yourself before it sells out!