7 Powerful Stories: Chappellet Pritchard Hill

If you are traveling to California’s Napa Valley, you will want to experience the Chappellet Pritchard Hill Winery Tour and Tasting.

Chappellet Pritchard Hill is one of the most famous wineries in California’s Napa Valley.

The Chappellet Family has been crafting wine here for more than five decades.

The Chappellet vineyards are special because of the variety of soil types, as well as the steep slopes of many vineyards.

This allows the Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay, Merlot, Sauvignon Blanc, and other grapes to retain freshness and acidity.

Pritchard Hill is one of the more exclusive areas of the Napa Valley.

I remember my first visit to Pritchard Hill in conjunction with a special event related to the Annual Napa Valley Wine Auction.

I was amazed by the natural beauty of Pritchard Hill.

As well as the tranquility surrounded this area with its picturesque vineyards.

Many regard Pritchard Hill as a mountain.

It rises from 800 to 1,800 feet above sea level.

And virtually all winemakers will agree that mountain fruit makes the best wine.

And wine experts also agree that Chappellet’s age-worthy Cabernet Sauvignons embody the intensity and finesse of fruit from Pritchard Hill

History of Chappellet Pritchard Hill Winery and the Chappellet Vineyards

The Chappellet Winery is founded in 1967 by Donn and Molly.

The Chappellet Family, living in Los Angeles, visit the Pritchard Hill region and fall in love with the area.

Of course, Pritchard Hill land is expensive to buy, even back in 1967.

And the process of turning a rustic hillside into land suitable for vineyards is even more costly.

Luckily, Donn could afford it. He co-founded Interstate United Corporation, a food service business that distributed the first vending machines to make fresh coffee from grounds.

Today the new generation of the Chappellet Family remains at the helm of this family-owned winery.

Stay in the Napa Valley long enough – especially during festivals or auction events – and you are bound to meet a Chappellet Family member.

This may be Cyril, Carissa or Dominic Chappellet, who oversee the day-to-day operations of the winery.

Or Lygia, Alexa or Jon-Mark Chappellet who are active board members.

Chappellet Pritchard Hill : Story of the Appellation

Pritchard Hill fits between the official AVAs (American Viticultural Areas) of Oakville, Howell Mountain, the Stags Leap District, Rutherford and the Chiles Valley. The Chappellet family realized the value of their land … and what made it special.

Even though there were just a few wineries around the area at the time, the family decided to trademark the name “Pritchard Hill” instead of going through the formal AVA application system.

They have the exclusive right to use the name Pritchard Hill on their labels.

The Chappellet Winery Pritchard Hill: Vineyards and Winemaking Team

Phillip Corallo-Titus is the winemaker and the vineyard manager is Dave Pirio.

The Chappellet Estate has 48 distinctive vineyard blocks.

Each block highlights various soil types, elevations, exposures and grades.

This mosaic of micro-vineyards features a wealth of varietals, clones and rootstocks.

And each block has its own requirements for tender loving care which makes Dave Pirio’s job quite challenging.

Chappellet Winery Sustainable and Organic Viticultural Practices

Chappellet Winery uses sustainable and organic viticultural practices.

This dates to the early 1980s, as the Chappellet family is one of the first wineries to plant cover crops as a method for soil conservation and erosion prevention.

Other viticultural techniques in the Chappellet vineyards include bird boxes, on-site composting and organic fertilizers.

Please continue to read more about the Chappellet Winery Tour and Tasting after the jump.

The Chappellet Pritchard Hill Wine Estate Tour and Tasting

Chappellet Pritchard Hill may be one of the most difficult wineries to visit in the Napa Valley. Because the Chappellet family realty want guest to understand their philosophy and mission, they limit the amount of tours and tastings. Click to Tweet

The first step is to make a reservation using the website visit request form or by calling their direct wine tour booking phone number which is 707.286.4219.

The second step is to request directions to the winery, which is a bit out of the way.

It can be easy to miss the turning point off the main road. And even when you are on the right road leading to the Chappellet Pritchard Hill winery, you may wonder if you’ve gone too far. This is when having that PDF file of printed directions in hand will assure you that you must keep driving to the very top of Pritchard Hill. GPS does not work well here.

Once you park, you may also wonder if you have arrived at the right place. The structure that houses the reception area of the Chappellet Pritchard Hill winery is very low key. The objective of the design is for the reception area to blend into the natural environment.

Once inside the reception area, attendants will introduce you to your guide.

My Personal Tour and Tasting at Chappellet Pritchard Hill Winery with Amanda

Chappellet Prichard Hill is known for its Cabernet Sauvignon wine, and you know that in the Napa Valley, Cabernet Sauvignon is king. The top wines are very high-priced, like other wines from top estates in the Napa Valley. Yet few have the picturesque setting of Chappellet Pritchard Hill, or the comfort of its new tasting room.

Actually, the word should be “rooms.” Unlike most other wineries, where guests taste at various tables in an enormous room, the tables at Chappellet are set very far apart. In fact, it would be unusual to see another party as the wine tasting experiences are conducted in the barrel room. Huge stacks of wine aging in French oak barrels create privacy between parties.

On my tour, my guide is Amanda. I am introduced to her a few minutes after I enter the reception area. She has lived in the valley for quite a while now, and knows many of the Napa Valley winery folk by name.

Structure of the Chappellet Pritchard Hill Winery Tour and Wine Tasting

In general, the tours begin in the cellar where the wines are aging in their barrels. Yet it is not long until guests are taken into the bright outdoors to see the vineyards and hear more history of the Chappellet family.

As we walk along the paths surrounding these gorgeous, picturesque vineyards, I spot picnic tables under the trees. Amanda explains that they are for the use of Chappellet wine club members. I would absolutely love to book one of those tables with an excellent picnic and some great Chappellet wines.

We go back into the barrel room to find our own private table and taste some wines. On the table, you will find a bucket for expectorating any wine you do not want to swallow (it is a long drive down the hill, after all). You will also find an order form with the names of the wines you will taste. The wines available for tasting depends on the type of tour you book, so be sure to inquire about what wines will be included.

How to Prepare for your Chappellet Pritchard Hill Winery Tour

A checklist of things you are recommended to bring follows. Yet given how challenging it is to get a reservation (try as far in advance as possible), you should study the history so you can ask the right questions.

You can research the Chappellet family online, yet the easiest way is to ask for this information be emailed to you when you make your reservation. Be certain to also ask for the directions to be emailed to you as well.

This is the Marisa D’Vari aka AWineStory.com List of Essentials to Bring for Winery Visits

A hat, especially for sunny days.
Sunglasses for the same reason.
Sunscreen very necessary in summer.
A charger for your device so not to miss once-in-a-lifetime pictures.
Your favorite bottled water
A cup for expectorating wine in case it is not provided.
A small notebook to record details about the wine or vineyards.
Comfortable walking shoes for vineyard visits
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If you like this article you will like:

— Dominus Estate
— Chappellet Family Winery
— Hess Collection
— Frog’s Leap Curious to Learn More About Wine? Start Here Want to Grab Quick Wine Resources? Click Here About Author Marisa D’Vari

D’Vari contributes to Forbes.com, Financial Times, World of Fine Wine, Quarterly Review of Wine, Decanter Robb Report, San Francisco Chronicle, South China Morning Post, and more.

She holds the (WSET) diploma, Certified Sommelier through the Court of Master Sommeliers, a Certified Wine Educator through the Society of Wine Educators … to see it all, please click on bio

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