About Doug Wilder

Doug Wilder - Founder, Wine Reviewer

doug@wildernapavalley.com

As a native of Northern California who regularly took trips to the vineyards of Napa and Sonoma during the 1960’s with my parents for Sunday drives, visiting the wineries introduced me to the sights and smells that helped fuel my passion for wines to this day. I always had an inquisitive nose for aromas and many years later realized that all of the training I had subjected it to prepared me pretty well for a career in wine. After starting in the business in 1990 I began writing about what I found in wine for the benefit of my clients. Over the last ten years I worked with two of the most influential domestic wine companies in the country based in the middle of Napa Valley where I continued to evolve the discipline of tasting, writing and reviewing.

The purely domestic wine blog is a unique source of consumer information as it is the only independently written blog dedicated to reviewing domestic wines produced in California, Oregon and Washington. The focus on emerging, cutting-edge producers who likely have not hit the mainstream press yet, brought to you from the local perspective. Thank you for taking the time to read it regularly.

Doug's Networks
Navigation Links
Powered by
Powered by Squarespace
About Lulu Roberts

Lulu Roberts - Executive Coordinator, Writer/SF

lulu@wildernapavalley.com

Lulu joined the purely domestic wine blog in Spring 2009 shortly after arriving from London. Her enthusiasm for all things food and wine oriented and the fact that she lives in San Francisco led me to appoint her in November 2009 as my official eyes, ears and ‘pen’ for essentially all urban activities related to this website. 

Wikio

<a href=”http://www.wikio.com/blogs/top/Wine”><img src=”http://external.wikio.com/blogs/top/getrank?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.wildernapavalley.com%2Fimported-data%2F&amp;cat=Wine&amp;style=7” style=”border: none;” alt=”Wikio - Top Blogs - Wine”/></a>

Experience the Difference

 

 

Doug's Blog Archive
Blogs I read
When are you coming?
This form does not yet contain any fields.
    This area does not yet contain any content.
    « First taste - Sabina Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon | Main | My one month report card »
    Friday
    Dec052008

    First Taste - 2006 Chappellet PHEV Cabernet Sauvignon

    DateFriday, December 5, 2008 at 14:31

    I took the opportunity today after washing a few weeks worth of grime from my car to drive up to one of the most beautiful spots in Napa Valley. The air had shed about 20 degrees of the frosty crispness gripping Calistoga by the time I reached my destination - Chappellet Winery, perched high above Lake Hennessey on Pritchard Hill, east of Rutherford. Retrospectively, it seems like I am on a mission to visit and taste all of the wineries of what I recently called “The Golden Age”. Since launching my blog, I reported on Montelena, followed by Duckhorn, and now Chappellet. There are more notes from the visit to post early next week but I wanted to let you know about one wine in particular. 


    As one of my stated goals for this blog, I want to bring the freshest information possible to you so that you can decide for yourself if you want to take action on it. My review and rating for 2006 Chappellet Cabernet Sauvignon Pritchard Hill Estate Vineyard, a wine not due for release until Spring 2009 represents the first impressions by any wine writer for this wine.

    As many of you may know the 2005 vintage of this wine, made by Phillip Corallo-Titus, ranked #24 in The Wine Spectator’s Top 100 list for 2008 (96 points) and was also recognized in this blog’s Top 25 list of 2008 (97 points). The winemaker feels the new release will be even better, I always take comments like that with a certain amount of conservative skepticism, preferring to make my own conclusions.  Here you go…

    2006 Chappellet Cabernet Sauvignon, Pritchard Hill Estate Vineyard (unreleased) DW 97
    After sampling a freshly opened bottle at the winery I replaced the cork and brought it back to my office for more in-depth evaluation. Upon removing the cork, I could easily smell the wine from two feet away as it settled into the glass where it displays a deeply colored, translucent magenta brilliance at rest.

    Aroma: sun-warmed black fruits, chocolate, violet, rock salt and tapenade kissed with verbena and the faintest hint of clementine zest 
    Palate: already enormously rich and dense with complex layering of chocolate, black fig, gooey medjools, blue plum and espresso
    Impression: in what should be currently fairly angular youth, the PHEV already displays rare precociousness that continues to evolve in the glass. showing beautifully polished tannins, depth and balanced intensity.  It is still very early for 2006 Napa Cabernet, but as it stands right now, PHEV is my benchmark

    If you want this wine please contact Chappellet Winery directly and tell them to put you on the list. 

     

    AuthorDoug Wilder | Comment2 Comments |

    Reader Comments (2)

    Do you have the link to this post "Top 25 list of 2008" that you reference?

    January 5, 2009 | Unregistered CommenterNorman

    Norman,

    Here is the link to my Top 25 List of 2008. You can find it in my archive of posts, on the right side of my blog.

    http://dougwilder.blogspot.com/2008/11/top-25-list-of-2005-eight-in-abundance.html

    Thanks for asking.

    January 5, 2009 | Unregistered Commenterdougwilder - the purely domest

    PostPost a New Comment

    Enter your information below to add a new comment.

    My response is on my own website »
    Author Email (optional):
    Author URL (optional):
    Post:
     
    Some HTML allowed: <a href="" title=""> <abbr title=""> <acronym title=""> <b> <blockquote cite=""> <code> <em> <i> <strike> <strong>
    Alert
    Comment Moderation Enabled
    Your comment will not appear until it has been cleared by a website editor.

    Notify me of follow-up comments via email.