Freddy R. Troya

9.3

Chapellet Mountain Cuvée Proprietor’s Blend 2023
Pritchard Hill, Napa Valley, California – USA 🇺🇸

Overview
A vibrant Bordeaux-style blend from Chapellet, a pioneering family-owned estate high on Pritchard Hill since 1967. Known for its rocky, elevated vineyards and bold mountain-grown fruit, Chapellet crafts this approachable yet terroir-rich blend for both immediate enjoyment and graceful aging.

Blend Composition
• 51% Cabernet Sauvignon
• 24% Merlot
• 10% Petit Verdot
• 8% Malbec
• 7% Cabernet Franc 

Aromas & Flavors
Effusively aromatic with dark cherries, blackberries, and plums, framed by spicy oak notes of clove, cardamom, cedar, plus touches of black pepper and savory herbs. The palate mirrors this with plush ripe berry layers, framed by fine-grained tannins, and finishes with lingering dark chocolate and anise.  

Mouthfeel
Medium to full-bodied with a luxuriously textured core. The fine-grained tannins wrap the fruit beautifully, balanced by inherent freshness—creating a long, silky, and satisfying finish.  

Winemaking Notes
Crafted under the guidance of Winemaker Phillip Corallo-Titus, the 2023 vintage benefitted from a cool growing season and carefully managed canopy work to preserve freshness and reduce yields. Fermented and aged to deliver immediate appeal without compromising structure. 

Food Pairing
A versatile pairing wine—ideal with grilled ribeye, slow-braised short ribs, or herbed lamb chops. It also complements rich pasta sauces and grilled mushrooms—luxurious yet approachable.

Verdict
Mountain Cuvée 2023 is a powerful yet elegant Napa blend, showcasing depth, freshness, and mountain intensity. It’s a beautifully balanced wine that offers a compelling mix of immediate pleasure and layered complexity. A benchmark for mountain-grown Bordeaux blends. — a month ago

Andrea Watt

9.0

Very dark with earth, cocoa, and blackberry. — 2 months ago

Mark Mannebach

9.0

Plum, blackberry and dark chocolate tones. Nice and smooth. — 2 months ago

Scott@Mister A’s-San Diego

9.3

1996 vintage. Last tasted 5.8.25 (9.5), 9.29.24 (9.5) and 8.2.24 (9.6). Decanted with some sed and tasted after an hour. Solid cork and fill. This was the worst showing of the last visits with less tannic structure and slightly more richness. Tasted a bit more like their "Au Paradis" offering. Not totally dissuaded from picking up another few bottles for enjoyment in the few 5 years or so tho. Three out of four bottles surveyed were fabulous and this wasn't a total swing and a miss. 07.18.25. — 3 months ago

WC Fields

9.6

Late in posting! 16 years! — 3 months ago

James MacDonald

9.6

Elegant and deeper than the well rounded fruit bomb of the red blend. A wine worthy of a life’s best celebrations. — 6 months ago

jongho lee

9.0

농축된 검은 과실향 속에 카카오60%쯤 되는 다크 초콜릿, 오크와 바닐라가 어우러져 있고 탄닌이 강하게 두드러지지않아 쉽게 마셔졌던 와인 — 6 months ago

Freddy R. Troya

9.5

A Burgundian-styled Cab Sauv from the one of the most compelling Sub AVA of Napa mountains (Mayacamas) which has an amazing soil and solid influence from the Pacific. Crafted with an amazing balance of 68% Cab Sauv, 20% Merlot, 5% and the rest to round it off its structure and age ability. The 2011 is still climbing to its peak. Enticing notes of dry red fruits on the nose and mouth, delicate, outstandingly silky and nearly perfect balance!
The finish shows its beauty. (if you find it, it won’t disappoint you) it will give the run for the money. — 7 months ago

Neal Ferry

9.0

Thanks Dean... we liked it — 7 years ago

with TwiLea

Takuya Namise

9.1

L’OLIVA
重くてバランス取れてる — a month ago

Cheri Coyle

9.2

Quite delicious. 2018 — a month ago

Ted

9.4

Always have loved the label. Ripe fresh blueberry. Soft edges. Always a winner for me. — a month ago

with Jeni

Larry Schapiro

9.9

SPEcTACULAR!!! — 2 months ago

with P

Justin Sun

9.6

So primary but everything in place to be an absolute monster — 3 months ago

Ana Bumgardner

9.3

2018 vintage with homemade pizza on 7/11/25. Really really good wine!! — 3 months ago

Paul J

9.2

The conundrum with Continuum continues :)

PnP’d, thought that might be the trick. Was great to start but after 20-30 minutes devolved into a strange, astringent Napa Cab or CDP. Still can’t figure this wine out. — 4 months ago

with Brooke

Rick Phillips

9.4

Boldly burst out of the glass with Sharp Ruby flavors. Blackberries, blueberries and raspberries with chocolate and a hint of leather. 15 years and just reaching out for life! Has many years left. — 6 months ago

with Letha

Rufus King

9.3

Smooth, mildly astringent Bordeaux with Chateaubriand roast on Christmas night in Toronto — 9 months ago

Jose Rico

9.2

Dark fruits, intense colour, great legs. A real bargain. — 8 years ago

Nathaniel DiMaggio

8.9

Love this stuff. They do such a great job. Black raspberry if I've ever tasted it, great acid, velvety tannins. — 11 years ago

Peter van den Besselaar

9.2

Vintage 2018 | a Malbec with classic characteristics — a month ago

Ron Siegel

9.3

Youthful showing mostly black fruits with cedar, graphite, mocha, spice & tobacco — a month ago

Colleen Tomasello

9.2

Full bodied and with a great taste of oak. So rich in flavor. — 2 months ago

with Mike

John Malcolm

9.5

An excellent wine (although I prefer the Realm Farella from this vintage). Deep purple color and full-bodied. Blackberries, currants, black olives, and a hint of tobacco. — 2 months ago

Freddy R. Troya

9.4

Opus One Overture Red Blend N/V
Napa Valley, California, USA 🇺🇸

Overview
A second wine from Opus One Winery, Overture is crafted as a multi-vintage Bordeaux-style blend, mainly Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot, with smaller portions of Cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot, and Malbec. Unlike the estate’s grand vin, Overture blends across several vintages to achieve harmony, depth, and consistency. This wine edition includes 2014, 2015, and 2016, vintages that shows the elegance and complexity of extended barrel aging.

Aromas & Flavors
Nose: red currants, ripe cherry, and fresh red fruit, wrapped in earthy tones of mahogany, cocoa powder, and vanilla spice.
Palate: rounded and expressive, with plush dark fruit layered over subtle tobacco, cedar, and espresso. The oak influence creates warmth and complexity without overwhelming the fruit.

Mouthfeel
Medium-to-full-bodied, velvety in texture, with smooth tannins and a long, polished finish. The extended oak elevates its creaminess, while freshness keeps it balanced.

Winemaking & Style
Barrel-aged longer than the main Opus One lots, this wine achieves silky integration of fruit and oak. The flexibility of blending across vintages results in a wine of remarkable harmony and immediate drinkability, while still capable of short-term aging.

Food Pairing
Excellent with grilled ribeye, lamb shanks, duck breast, or mushroom risotto. Also pairs beautifully with aged cheeses or a dark chocolate finale.

Verdict
A luxurious, multi-vintage blend that captures the soul of Opus One in a more approachable, versatile package. Refined, elegant, and deeply satisfying, Overture is a wine to savor now or cellar briefly for added nuance.
— 3 months ago

David Walser

9.2

The CJ isn’t up to my Melka expectation, it is a lower cost product, but it is ok at 10 years old. It did take awhile to open up. — 4 months ago

Colin Cahoon

9.4

Inky dark color. Tomato leaf, coffee, and mint on the nose. More pyrazine notes on the palate along with cocoa, cranberry, leather, black pepper, molasses, raisins, coffee, tobacco, and dark cherry. High acid, high alcohol, medium plus tannins, medium plus body, and long finish. Despite all the tertiary notes, drinks vibrant and fresh. Drink now or hold. — 6 months ago

Norman

9.7

Nose was muted on opening but came out with air. Delightful wine that outshine the Hourglass from the start and until the end although it was no slouch. — 7 months ago

Bill Morgan

9.1

Red fruit bright soft finish — 10 months ago

Ian Gomez

9.1

2008 delightful and easy to drink. — 10 years ago