2017 Chappellet Signature Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley 750 ml

Chappellet planted the first flag on Pritchard Hill. 

And in the half-century since Donn and Molly Chappellet first settled there, luminaries like the Mondavi Family have flocked to this incomparable red-tinged terroir in eastern Napa Valley. Winemakers like Andy Erickson and Philippe Melka have forged wines from these singular soils, which are now famous for bottles that fetch $250 and much more. 

Meanwhile, Chappellet still stands among the giants. Their Cabernets showcase the same iconic Cabernet quality that made neighbors like Nine Suns, Brand, and Continuum want to stake a claim on Pritchard Hill—and they do it at a fraction of the price.

We’re thrilled to bring you the 2017 vintage of Chappellet’s iconic Signature Cabernet, straight from their cellars on Pritchard Hill. Showing brooding black fruits and a medium-full body of beautiful textural richness, backed up by long-lingering, polished tannins, this will be a cellar staple for years to come. It’s an unfathomable price for an icon, and there’s no savvier way to keep your cellar stocked with Pritchard Hill’s best.

Last year, on the occasion of our first-ever offer of a Chappellet red, we celebrated with a visit to the site that started it all. We headed up Silverado Trail, then turned east on Highway 128, struggling to keep our eyes on the road as beautiful Lake Hennessey shimmered below. Even more than its arresting landscape, the area is now known for some of the most priceless wines produced in Napa Valley.

Considering the cachet it carries now, it’s hard to believe that Pritchard Hill wasn’t always a foregone conclusion. But Donn and Molly Chappellet had a vision, and took a massive leap of faith when they purchased their estate in the 1960s. It didn’t hurt that the endeavor had the approval of no less an authority than Napa Valley godfather André Tchelistcheff. 

It was a wise move, and the list of talent that has called Chappellet home is a testament to the singular terroir: Philip Togni, Tony Soter, Cathy Corison, and Helen Turley have all played roles at Chappellet. Phil Titus joined in 1981 and took over as winemaker in 1990. He has since guided the estate to two 100-point wines, and a profusion of 96+-point scores. In other words, the kind of scores that make a career, Phil and Chappellet make a regular occurrence. 

The first Cabernets came off the estate in the '60s, and were simply labeled Chappellet Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon. As the winery’s offerings expanded in the '80s, the Signature label started to make appearances, and by the early 1990s, this Cabernet—with its iconic white label bearing the red Chappellet logo and Donn’s signature in gold—had become the winery’s defining bottle. 

Once an outlier because of their location in this far-flung part of Napa Valley, Chappellet still stands apart—now for the incredible value it delivers from one of the most prestigious parts of Napa Valley. Every collector’s cellar should have some, and we’re proud to bring it to you at a price that puts this icon well within reach.