2015 Chappellet, Chenin Blanc “Molly Chappellet” Napa Valley.
The Chappellet old vine Chenin is a dry and dusty Savennieres style wine that thrills the Loire Valley fans and is one of the great wine geeks white of Napa Valley, even in a warm and small vintage like 2015 the Chappellet Chenin Blanc delivers steely crisp vitality and lovely balance. With subtle richness and flair this 2015 offers vine flowers, earthy lemon/lime, white peach and unsweet honeycomb as well as light herb and spice with palate that expands to almost a medium body with air, while remaining brisk and taught. There are a bunch of exciting new Chenins in California these days with Littorai being one of the most sought after, but there is Broc and Pax as well that deserve your attention, though classics like Casa Nuestra in Saint Helena, Chalone in Monterey County and of course this wonderful Chappellet offering. Lovely and bright with hints of mineral, leafy notes, earthy tones and stone fruit detail this is a stylish Chenin that can be enjoyed with a vast array of food choices. Chappellet’s current lineup is full of winners, including this Chenin Blanc, but also their 2014 Don Chappellet Signature Cabernet Sauvignon, just released, is a wonderful Napa Valley expression, pure and full bodied with a dazzling palate, right up there with the 2013! If you’ve not had Chappellet or not lately, you’ll want to sample this latest set, drink this Chenin anytime and while great fresh it will age too, as it does have loads of concentration and lifting acidity, best now through 2023.
($38 Est.) 92 Points, grapelive
