Chappellet
Napa Valley Merlot
Napa Valley, California, USA
Chappellet — Merlot 2021
Napa Valley, California, USA 🇺🇸
Overview
A limited-production, mountain-grown Merlot from Chappellet that captures the power and concentration associated with its Napa Valley vineyards while retaining the variety’s natural suppleness. The 2021 spent 22 months in French oak, 40% new, providing a polished framework for its generous fruit and substantial structure.
Aromas & Flavors
Remarkably expressive from the moment it was opened, with concentrated black cherry, ripe plum, cassis, and dark red fruits accompanied by cocoa, tobacco leaf, clove, anise, and subtle oak spice. The aromatic intensity is immediate, deep, and compelling without pushing the fruit into jamminess.
Mouthfeel
Initially robust and firmly structured, with substantial body and wonderfully chewy tannins. After approximately 45 minutes of decanting, the wine noticeably relaxed: the tannins became more integrated, the mouthfeel mellower, and the finish progressively smoother and more refined while retaining its impressive concentration.
Food Pairings
Duck breast, roasted lamb, wild mushrooms, braised short ribs, mushroom risotto, or aged cheeses. Its combination of concentration and evolving texture makes this particularly rewarding alongside richer cuisine.
Verdict
A serious and beautifully crafted expression of Napa Valley Merlot. What makes it especially compelling is its evolution with air, starting powerful, deeply aromatic, and structured before gradually revealing a softer, more polished personality. Decanting this one is definitely worth the wait.
Did You Know?
Chappellet was founded in 1967 on Pritchard Hill, where its mountain vineyards rise high above the Napa Valley floor. Cabernet Sauvignon may command most of the attention, but Merlot and the other Bordeaux varieties grown there benefit from the same mountain environment that has defined Chappellet’s identity for decades.
🍷 Personal Pick
A Merlot from Chappellet is already intriguing; this 2021 was sublime. Right after opening, it exploded with intense dark fruit and aromatics, robust body, and wonderfully chewy tannins. After about 45 minutes in the decanter, everything began to settle and integrate, the mouthfeel became noticeably mellower and the finish progressively smoother and more refined. Watching that transformation was as compelling as the wine itself.
Chappellet — Merlot 2021
Napa Valley, California, USA 🇺🇸
Overview
A limited-production, mountain-grown Merlot from Chappellet that captures the power and concentration associated with its Napa Valley vineyards while retaining the variety’s natural suppleness. The 2021 spent 22 months in French oak, 40% new, providing a polished framework for its generous fruit and substantial structure.
Aromas & Flavors
Remarkably expressive from the moment it was opened, with concentrated black cherry, ripe plum, cassis, and dark red fruits accompanied by cocoa, tobacco leaf, clove, anise, and subtle oak spice. The aromatic intensity is immediate, deep, and compelling without pushing the fruit into jamminess.
Mouthfeel
Initially robust and firmly structured, with substantial body and wonderfully chewy tannins. After approximately 45 minutes of decanting, the wine noticeably relaxed: the tannins became more integrated, the mouthfeel mellower, and the finish progressively smoother and more refined while retaining its impressive concentration.
Food Pairings
Duck breast, roasted lamb, wild mushrooms, braised short ribs, mushroom risotto, or aged cheeses. Its combination of concentration and evolving texture makes this particularly rewarding alongside richer cuisine.
Verdict
A serious and beautifully crafted expression of Napa Valley Merlot. What makes it especially compelling is its evolution with air, starting powerful, deeply aromatic, and structured before gradually revealing a softer, more polished personality. Decanting this one is definitely worth the wait.
Did You Know?
Chappellet was founded in 1967 on Pritchard Hill, where its mountain vineyards rise high above the Napa Valley floor. Cabernet Sauvignon may command most of the attention, but Merlot and the other Bordeaux varieties grown there benefit from the same mountain environment that has defined Chappellet’s identity for decades.
🍷 Personal Pick
A Merlot from Chappellet is already intriguing; this 2021 was sublime. Right after opening, it exploded with intense dark fruit and aromatics, robust body, and wonderfully chewy tannins. After about 45 minutes in the decanter, everything began to settle and integrate, the mouthfeel became noticeably mellower and the finish progressively smoother and more refined. Watching that transformation was as compelling as the wine itself.
Dark and rich with cherry and smoke.
Dark and rich with cherry and smoke.
Sep 26th, 2024A little sharp for my preference, oak, smoke, and a touch of cherry.
A little sharp for my preference, oak, smoke, and a touch of cherry.
Aug 26th, 2024