Chappellet excels at most anything they do. So this Hideaway Vineyard Cabernet, a 100% Cabernet, should be no surprise that it’s a deftly made wine. From the outset this is a rich, structured wine. It begins with moderate to heavy tannins, which support black cherry, blackberry, light campfire smoke, rhubarb, black tea leaf, soft cedar, wild flower and herbs, and light clove. Aged in mainly new French oak to subdue the tannins, this high elevation Cabernet fruit from Pritchard Hill is classic Napa Cabernet – ripe but restrained. To fully understand this wine, I strongly suggest a minimum two-hour decant time. Most wines do not need this kind of attention, but this is not most wine. The tannins will soften, but only a little. The fruit becomes more open and you can smell and taste how the flavors develop with richer, darker undertones. This is a wine that you want to linger over, and if you do you will be rewarded. ORIGIN: Napa Valley. ALCOHOL: 14.7%.
