Cabernet Sauvignon (1990)

About this wine

Chappellet Cabernet Sauvignon from Napa Valley is all about mountain structure and that old school Napa perfume. In the glass, it leans into Black Currant and Black Cherry first, then opens toward Cedar and Tobacco with a gentle Dusty Cocoa note that feels very era correct for early 1990s Napa. The palate is dry and composed, with the fruit still present but clearly in its secondary phase, more about cassis, dried cherry, and cigar box than fresh sweetness. The tannins read as firm but resolved, giving the wine a steady, confident shape rather than sheer weight. You will also catch a quiet Wild Sage edge that keeps it savory and lifts the finish. Chappellet was one of the early modern pioneers on Pritchard Hill, and by 1990 the estate style was already recognized for Cabernet that could hold its form for decades, which is exactly what this bottle is aiming to show.

About the grape

Cabernet Sauvignon is a crossing of Cabernet Franc and Sauvignon Blanc that became a global staple after its rise in Bordeaux in the 18th century, prized for thick skins and late ripening which produce tannic, age worthy wines. On Pritchard Hill Chappellet planted Cabernet on steep, rocky volcanic soils at elevations from about 800 to 1800 feet where low vigor and small berries concentrate flavors, and the winery manages the site as many small blocks with targeted rootstock and clonal selections to suit soil and exposure. For the 1990 Chappellet bottling the estate relied on mountain grown Cabernet planted and maintained for long hang time and reduced yields through pruning and crop thinning, producing intensely structured fruit that forms the backbone of their single varietal Cabernet releases. Over the decades Chappellet has refined vineyard practices such as matching clones to block and controlled canopy management to preserve acidity and tannin balance in this style of Cabernet.

Quick facts

• 👨‍🔬 The 1990 Chappellet Cabernet marks the arrival of long‑time winemaker Phillip Corallo‑Titus, the beginning of a new stylistic era for the estate's Cabernets.
• 🌱 It was one of the first vintages made after an extensive 1989 replanting, so the 1990 wine reflects richer fruit from new clones and thoughtful vineyard redesign.
• ✍️ Chappellet bottles carry Donn Chappellet’s printed signature (added in 1989), so a 1990 bottle is part of the era when the family’s name became an on‑label hallmark collectors love.
• 🌋 Grapes for the 1990 Cabernet came from Pritchard Hill’s steep, rocky, volcanic soils, giving the wine a compact, concentrated character you can still taste decades later.
• 🕰️ The 1990 Signature Cabernet is known among collectors for impressive aging, often revealing leathery, cedar and dried‑berry notes after 20+ years in bottle.

Palate profile

Producer

Chappellet Winery, established in 1967 by Donn and Molly Chappellet, was among the first post-Prohibition wineries in Napa Valley and the first to plant vineyards exclusively on high-elevation hillsides. Their inaugural 1969 Cabernet Sauvignon, crafted under winemaker Philip Togni, received critical acclaim and set a standard for mountain-grown wines. The winery's distinctive pyramid-shaped building, designed by artist Ed Moses, has been described as "the most remarkable wine cathedral of the modern world." Today, the second generation of the Chappellet family continues to uphold their parents' vision, focusing on sustainable farming and producing wines that reflect the unique terroir of Pritchard Hill.