By Chappellet
2020 Signature Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley

The Wine
The Signature Cabernet Sauvignon has been our flagship wine for more than three decades. It is a benchmark for the long-lived hillside wines of the Napa Valley, full of structure and aging potential, yet seductively forward in its varietal character. The dry, rocky soils of Pritchard Hill produce small, intensely flavorful grapes. Crop thinning allows for full, even ripening and further elevates the flavor complexity.

Growing Season and Harvest
The 2020 growing season began with a very dry winter. While we benefited from early spring rain to properly saturate the soils, the overall lack of precipitation limited canopy growth and led to an ideal fruit set with small clusters of highly concentrated berries. Summer brought temperate weather with no significant heat events, allowing grapes to ripen slowly and uniformly. As a result, our wines from the 2020 vintage are vibrant and complex, with impeccable structures, alluring aromas, and pure, focused varietal flavors.

Tasting Notes
Luxuriously dark and concentrated, this wine displays alluring aromas of black cherry, dark plum, roasted coffee, and bittersweet chocolate, as well as notes of clove, fresh herbs, and baking spices. On the palate, it is beautifully lush and layered, with bright, underlying energy and a robust mountain structure that frames generous flavors of boysenberry and cassis, with hints of violet, anise, cinnamon, and sweet oak emerging throughout a long, dramatic finish.

Wine Statistics
Harvested: September 14-26, 2020
Bottled: June 2022
Brix at Harvest: 25.0 - 28.0
Alcohol: 14.70%
TA: .59 g/100 ml
pH: 3.63
Wine Blend: 93% Cabernet Sauvignon, 4% Petit Verdot, 3% Merlot
Winemaker: Phillip Corallo-Titus
[Information provided by Chappellet]