Deep garnet-purple colored, the 2017 Cabernet Sauvignon Pritchard Hill comes bounding out of the glass with exuberant black cherries, warm cassis, chocolate pie and blackberry preserves notes plus nuances of wild sage, forest floor and tobacco. Medium to full-bodied, the palate is elegantly played and refreshing with velvety tannins and a long mineral-tinged finish.

The flagship is the 2017 Cabernet Sauvignon Pritchard Hill, and this cuvée just about always represents the pinnacle of mountain Cabernet Sauvignon from Napa Valley. The 2017 is 100% estate Cabernet Sauvignon and reveals a deep purple color as well a stunning bouquet of blue fruits, burning embers, dark chocolate, sage brush, and crushed rocks. It's powerful, full-bodied, and concentrated, and the tannins clamp down on the finish enough to warrant hiding this beauty in the cellar for a solid 5-7 years. If drinking today, give it an hour or two in a decanter. It's another stunning wine from this estate.

The 2017 Cabernet Sauvignon Pritchard Hill is a positively stellar wine in this challenging year. Crème de cassis, licorice, lavender, chocolate, spice and espresso all run through the 2017. This is an especially inky, flamboyant style for Chappellet, but all the elements come together very nicely.