2018 Chappellet Cabernet Franc
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Tasting notes
A smoking value, the 2018 Cabernet Franc has textbook Cabernet Franc darker, almost blue fruits as well as gorgeous floral, leather, spice, and incense aromatics. Medium to full-bodied, it has a similar supple elegance that conceals solid underlying tannins and concentration. It can be drunk today with plenty of pleasure, yet a good 3-4 years of bottle age will do it well, and it should evolve gracefully over the following 10-15 years.
Critic scores
James Suckling
Jeb Dunnuck
More reviews and scores
The 2018 Cabernet Franc is a potent, heady wine. Dried herbs, tobacco, crushed rocks, menthol, licorice, crème de cassis, spice and chocolate are all laced together in the glass. I would give the 2018 a few years in bottle to shed some of its baby fat.
The 2018 Cabernet Franc is a blend of 75% Cabernet Franc, 15% Cabernet sauvignon, 4% Petit Verdot and 6% Malbec. It was aged for 22 months in French oak barrels, 60% new. The alcohol weighed in at 14.5%. Deep garnet-purple in color, bright, cheery red and black fruit notes of red currant jelly, blackberry pie, Morello cherries and boysenberries spring from the glass, followed by nuances of pencil shavings, red roses, raspberry leaves and cinnamon stick. Medium to full-bodied, the palate displays compelling purity, featuring bags of crunchy black berry flavors and ripe, finely grained tannins to support, finishing with a lively skip in its step.
What a luscious, succulent cabernet franc with blue fruit, chocolate and some hazelnut and walnut undertones. It’s full and layered with a round, creamy-tannin texture that gives form and texture to the wine. Drink or hold.
About the producer
Founded in 1967, Chappellet is a pioneering, family-owned Napa Valley estate on Pritchard Hill, where it helped establish the tradition of high-elevation viticulture. Its mountain-grown wines are renowned for their depth, elegance and longevity, led by Cabernet Sauvignon.