Exploring Napa Valley’s mountain terroir with Chappellet – Wednesday 9th September

When Donn and Molly Chappellet founded Chappellet in Napa Valley in 1967, they chose a different path from their contemporaries, looking beyond the valley floor towards the region’s steep, rugged hillsides.

Following the advice of legendary winemaker André Tchelistcheff, they planted on the rocky eastern slopes of the valley. There, in the six decades since, they have helped to establish Pritchard Hill as one of California’s most acclaimed winegrowing enclaves.

Today, the Estate Vineyard remains at the heart of the Chappellet enterprise, now split into 47 different plots, including 40 blocks of Cabernet Sauvignon, each of which is farmed differently. Specific clones and rootstocks have been selected for each, with an emphasis on diversity resulting in an expansive, complex palette of fruit from which to blend.

Chappellet was also one of the first Napa wineries to plant cover crops as a method for soil conservation and erosion prevention – back in the early 1980s, long before the term ‘sustainable’ was ever coined. The early adoption of practices such as no-till farming has evolved into the harnessing of a host of organic techniques to avoid the use of synthetic chemicals.

The result is intense yet elegant, ageworthy Cabernet Sauvignons that embody the rugged terroir and intensity of fruit that have led to Pritchard Hill standing among the most heralded of Napa’s sub-regions through a signature mix of grandeur, power and purity.

We are delighted to welcome Chappellet’s Mitch Boyd to the Club to open seven wines spanning the last 15 years, split between the Signature Cabernet and the Estate Vineyard Cab, in what should make for a fascinating comparison.

The wines we’ll be tasting:
2025 Signature Chenin Blanc, Chappellet, Napa Valley
2023 Signature Cabernet Sauvignon, Chappellet, Napa Valley
2015 Signature Cabernet Sauvignon, Chappellet, Napa Valley
2010 Signature Cabernet Sauvignon, Chappellet, Napa Valley
2023 Pritchard Hill Cabernet Sauvignon, Chappellet, Napa Valley
2019 Pritchard Hill Cabernet Sauvignon, Chappellet, Napa Valley
2016 Pritchard Hill Cabernet Sauvignon, Chappellet, Napa Valley

Wednesday 9th September
St. James’s Room
18:30 – Glass on arrival
19:00 – Masterclass starts
20:30 – Masterclass ends

Please note, tickets are refundable for cancellations up to 5 business days before the event. Cancellations must be made in writing to [email protected]. Any cancellations within 5 business days of the event are non-refundable unless 67 Pall Mall resells the ticket to another Member. This is only possible when the event is sold out and there is a waiting list.

Please note that once your order is placed, your ticket status will display as “processing” until after the event, when your member account is then charged. You will receive an email confirmation after ordering your tickets, stating that your order is being processed – please take this as full confirmation that your booking has been finalised. For any questions, please reach out to [email protected].