Chappellet Red Blend Las Piedras Napa Valley 2021

If Pritchard Hill is Napa’s Rodeo Drive, then consider Chappellet the CHANEL. Their 2021 “Las Piedras” red blend is a shining example of this fine estate’s prestige – built on all five traditional Bordeaux varieties sourced from the estate’s own vineyards on the rustic and cherished terrain of Pritchard Hill. 

Donn Chappellet planted his vines up on Pritchard Hill back in 1967, betting that a rugged, rock-strewn mountain shelf high above the Napa Valley floor could grow serious Bordeaux fruit. He was right, and the family has spent the nearly six decades since turning Pritchard Hill into one of California's most revered destinations. This is not a "value producer" that happens to be on sale. This is a real deal cult-Napa producer that our uber-talented buying team scored at a massively dizzying price when you get 2 or more. 

Las Piedras means "the rocks" in Spanish, a truthful call-out of the soils up there, which are thin and stony. The vines have to fight for their lives, and the berries come out tiny, dark, and packed with flavor. Longtime winemaker Phillip Corallo-Titus went full Bordeaux on the 2021, blending together all five classic grapes: 61% Cabernet Sauvignon, 16% Malbec, 12% Petit Verdot, 6% Cabernet Franc, and 5% Merlot. Wine folks online adore it, and once you've had some, it's obvious why. As one CellarTracker user so eloquently put it, “I mean...it is las piedras. It is g*ddamned delicious.”

Whew, took the words right out of my mouth. With a gorgeous vintage like 2021 bolstering it, too? Your decision is easy as the blackberry, cassis, and black cherry pie aromas that first waft from the glass. Following the dark fruits is sweet pipe tobacco, pencil shavings, a pull of espresso, and a whiff of anise. The signature Pritchard Hill crushed rock character runs through it, with a plush and mouthcoating core of boysenberry and baking spice humming over velvety tannins and a long, dramatic finish of dark chocolate and dried sage. Downright exquisite today, yet ready to cellar for a decade or more (if you can). 

FOOD PAIRINGS: This calls for a dry-aged ribeye with a heavy crust of black pepper and flaky salt, seared hard and rested, with a pile of roasted mushrooms and a smear of garlic butter.