Chappellet

Napa Valley Cabernet Franc

9.2222 ratings
9.236 pro ratings
Napa Valley, California, USA
Cabernet Franc
Exotic Spices, Baking Spices, Hard Cheese, Blue Cheese, Chili & Hot Spicy, Pungent Cheese, Potato, White Rice, Herbs, Tomato-Based, Pasta, Mushrooms, Onion, Shallot, Garlic, Salami & Prosciutto, Beef, Soft Cheese, Chicken, Lamb, Turkey, Pork, Duck, Venison
Top Notes For
David T

Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator

9.2

Pebble Beach Food & Wine 2024 back after the Covid lapse.

Decent Cabernet Franc from Chappellet. Would have gotta better score but it lacked some punch. A little lean.

Pebble Beach Food & Wine 2024 back after the Covid lapse.

Decent Cabernet Franc from Chappellet. Would have gotta better score but it lacked some punch. A little lean.

Apr 5th, 2024
Steven Gullo

Powerful and extremely ripe black fruit. Polished tannins and oaky qualities.

Powerful and extremely ripe black fruit. Polished tannins and oaky qualities.

Apr 23rd, 2022
Delectable Wine

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9.1

The 2017 Cabernet Franc is a gorgeous wine with tons of character. Bright red cherry, red plum, spice, graphite, dried flowers, mint and a whole range of spice notes infuse the Franc with tons of flavor complexity. Juicy and pliant, with terrific purity, the Franc is a clear winner in this range. (Antonio Galloni, Vinous, January 2020)

The 2017 Cabernet Franc is a gorgeous wine with tons of character. Bright red cherry, red plum, spice, graphite, dried flowers, mint and a whole range of spice notes infuse the Franc with tons of flavor complexity. Juicy and pliant, with terrific purity, the Franc is a clear winner in this range. (Antonio Galloni, Vinous, January 2020)

Jan 17th, 2020
Shay A
9.2

Chappellet wine dinner. I've not had much of their wines and wanted to see if they are worth a visit when we are out for our yearly Napa trip in February!

I wanted to like this more than I did. I love cab franc! This was good, but having had The Pritchard hill cab franc before, it's hard to compare 🤷🏼‍♂️. Red fruit filled decadent chocolate, with birchwood, cedar, and currant. This sucker will age nicely though. Tannic even after the hour of air.

Chappellet wine dinner. I've not had much of their wines and wanted to see if they are worth a visit when we are out for our yearly Napa trip in February!

I wanted to like this more than I did. I love cab franc! This was good, but having had The Pritchard hill cab franc before, it's hard to compare 🤷🏼‍♂️. Red fruit filled decadent chocolate, with birchwood, cedar, and currant. This sucker will age nicely though. Tannic even after the hour of air.

Sep 23rd, 2017
Mark Buckley

This was an awesome example of Cab Franc from Chappellet. Pritchard Hill is such an amazingly complex vineyard. Highly recommend.

This was an awesome example of Cab Franc from Chappellet. Pritchard Hill is such an amazingly complex vineyard. Highly recommend.

2 people found it helpfulMay 19th, 2014
Rebecca Fletcher

Red bright fruit! M- acid, m body and tannin. Still very young. Give it some time.

Red bright fruit! M- acid, m body and tannin. Still very young. Give it some time.

1 person found it helpfulMar 1st, 2016
Shay A
9.3

Monthly wine group meet up. This month's theme was non-typical reds from Napa. Wines were tasted blind. Always a great time. 👌

This was more red fruit dominant as opposed to the blue and black fruit dominant cab francs I tend to enjoy. Needed to breathe a while, but I got zero green pepper on this. Cherries and cedar on the finish, with a hint of red licorice. Thanks for bringing, José!

Monthly wine group meet up. This month's theme was non-typical reds from Napa. Wines were tasted blind. Always a great time. 👌

This was more red fruit dominant as opposed to the blue and black fruit dominant cab francs I tend to enjoy. Needed to breathe a while, but I got zero green pepper on this. Cherries and cedar on the finish, with a hint of red licorice. Thanks for bringing, José!

Jun 14th, 2017
Daniel P. Drake

Tonight's second wine was the 2012 Chappellet Pritchard Hill Cabernet Franc. Another enjoyable wine that everyone liked.

I tend to enjoy a good cab franc that is made well, has a lighter garnet color with a nice herbal nose and beautiful green expression in the body of the wine. This wine show all those characteristics that I enjoy in a good cab franc.

The nose gives notes of strawberry, red raspberry, herbaceousness, chocolate, and a good earthiness.

On the palate are green bell pepper notes, cherry, red plum, under ripe strawberry, mint, herbal notes, chocolate, a touch of oak and earthy soil.

This wine is a medium to full bodied wine with high acidity and medium + tannins with a firm grip that is enjoyable. The finish is long with beautiful lingering fruit that never seems to end. Nostrovia! 🍷🍷🍷🍷

Tonight's second wine was the 2012 Chappellet Pritchard Hill Cabernet Franc. Another enjoyable wine that everyone liked.

I tend to enjoy a good cab franc that is made well, has a lighter garnet color with a nice herbal nose and beautiful green expression in the body of the wine. This wine show all those characteristics that I enjoy in a good cab franc.

The nose gives notes of strawberry, red raspberry, herbaceousness, chocolate, and a good earthiness.

On the palate are green bell pepper notes, cherry, red plum, under ripe strawberry, mint, herbal notes, chocolate, a touch of oak and earthy soil.

This wine is a medium to full bodied wine with high acidity and medium + tannins with a firm grip that is enjoyable. The finish is long with beautiful lingering fruit that never seems to end. Nostrovia! 🍷🍷🍷🍷

Apr 2nd, 2017
Tom Riley

2011. You might be thinking, 2011, cab franc. I'll bet it's lean, green, and possibly mean. If you thought that, give yourself a big hit in the head. This wine is five years in and still super primary. Concentrated, complex, balanced, and damn tasty. Rich, with great acid, soft tannins, and a deep, supple finish. Needs a few more years in bottle before it starts to truly unfold.

2011. You might be thinking, 2011, cab franc. I'll bet it's lean, green, and possibly mean. If you thought that, give yourself a big hit in the head. This wine is five years in and still super primary. Concentrated, complex, balanced, and damn tasty. Rich, with great acid, soft tannins, and a deep, supple finish. Needs a few more years in bottle before it starts to truly unfold.

Jan 12th, 2017
Lori Sullivan

I liked this, but I found it a bit too fruit forward. Missed the herbs.

I liked this, but I found it a bit too fruit forward. Missed the herbs.

Aug 15th, 2016