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Estate Vineyards

Great wines reflect the complexity and character of great vineyards, as well as the vision, passion and patience of those who farm them. Rising from 800 to 1,800 feet above sea level, Chappellet’s Estate Vineyards on Pritchard Hill have earned acclaim for yielding grapes that produce mountain-grown wines of rare depth, longevity and elegance. For the past 40 years, the Chappellets have been dedicated stewards of this land, working to honor the natural integrity of Pritchard Hill while constantly evolving their techniques to achieve the site’s full, expressive potential. In practice, this stewardship has manifested itself in three key areas—a respect for the natural variation of Pritchard Hill, a constant refinement of viticultural practices based on years of experience, and a committed focus on sustainable and organic farming methods. Hailed as “Napa’s Grand Cru” and recognized as one of the world’s preeminent sites for growing Bordeaux varietals—in particular Cabernet Sauvignon—the roots of Pritchard Hill’s greatness date back four million years, when a 14,000-foot volcano dominated what is now the eastern range of the Napa Valley. Over the millennia, erosion, water, wind and sun have combined to sculpt this area, leaving behind Pritchard Hill with its array of dramatic slopes and thin volcanic soils.

With a variety of elevations, exposures and soil types, which include varying depths of Sobrante loam and Hambright rock outcrop, Pritchard Hill presents a rare tapestry of growing environments. To honor this diversity, Jon-Mark Chappellet and longtime vineyard manager Dave Pirio guide Chappellet’s dedicated year-round vineyard team to farm the mountainside as 34 distinctive blocks—including approximately 25 different blocks of Cabernet Sauvignon. Specific varietals, clones and rootstocks have been selected for each block, based on a complex understanding of each individual site. This emphasis on diversity as opposed to uniformity has resulted in an expansive palette of fruit— including six different Cabernet clones—from which to blend Chappellet wines. As a result, even during challenging vintages the site always has blocks of fruit that excel.

In addition to their pioneering work in the area of high-elevation vineyard planting, the Chappellets have long been advocates of more environmentally conscious farming methods. Beginning in the early 1980s (long before the term sustainable was ever used), Chappellet was one of the first wineries to plant cover crops as a method for soil conservation and erosion prevention. This early adoption of practices such as no-till farming has evolved into a comprehensive program of sustainable techniques used to eliminate the use of synthetic chemicals. These techniques include the use of cover crops, bird boxes, on-site composting and organic fertilizers.
As a result, 90 percent of the grapes grown on the estate vineyards come from blocks that are farmed using organic methods. A majority of these blocks recently finished an extensive three-year certification process and are now certified organic, with the ultimate goal of achieving certification for the rest of the vineyard in the future. Adding to the integrity and health of the site, only a modest 16 percent of the property is under vine, meaning a large expanse of uncultivated land surrounds the vineyards with a natural buffer that protects the plants from unwanted pests and chemicals.

Embodying the hard work of two generations, winegrowing on Pritchard Hill reflects an intimate relationship between the Chappellet family and a spectacular vineyard property. From the vineyard team’s commitment to low yields and meticulous canopy management to the Chappellet family’s belief in replanting to augment quality, the cultivation of Chappellet’s Estate Vineyards on Pritchard Hill has produced some of California’s most profound mountain-grown Cabernet Sauvignons. Of the vineyards’ 100 acres, approximately 65 are planted to Cabernet Sauvignon with the remainder consisting of small blocks of Merlot, Malbec, Cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot and Chenin Blanc.