In your opinion, what winemaker makes the best expression of Pritchard Hill? A beautiful area chock-full of wineries, curious what people’s favorite offerings are. Especially with all the changes happening in the last 10 years, with Continuum establishing itself as a large presence, Realm’s Houyi, whether those newer offerings have a chance of beating out old stalwarts like Colgin IX estate, Chappellet.
It starts with Philip Titus, winemaker since 90’ for Chappellet.
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Continuum.
Joe Czerwinksi just published an article on recent Napa vintages that included a brief blurb on Pritchard Hill. Wineries (either located there or sourcing fruit from) he listed were: Brand, Chappellet, Colgin, Boswell, Bryant, Continuum, AXR, Chateau Boswell, Fairchild, Hall, Alpha Omega, Gandona, Plinth, Brion, Ovid and Realm.
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Gandona on PH is also a solid option as well.
Phillippe Melka is driving the winemaking bus there, and I especially like their Encosta, “second” bottling.
There’s only one Pritchard Hill wine now and its Chappellet
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I heard that Melka may not be the winemaker going forward. Not sure it was something that passed by me.
Too many great wines up there to just chose one.
Melanson Vineyard has many folks sourcing from it.
Chappellet has unfortunately gone blueberry milkshake/score hunting. I don’t fault them, but the wine is not drinkable now IMO.
I think the King of Pritchard Hill - in terms of winemaking - is actually the Queen, and it’s KK at Bryant. They certainly had their extraction era as well but are going the opposite direction now.
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Interesting! What year do you think that happened? I have a bunch of 2012’s (son’s birth-year) and it definitely isn’t milkshake like, but i haven’t tried one since that vintage.
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Based on Parker’s notes, 1997, apparently.
1997: A dark saturated blue/purple color is followed by tight aromatics offering up scents of blueberries, minerals, cassis, and subtle toast.
1999: The impressive 1999 Cabernet Sauvignon Pritchard Hill boasts a dense purple color in addition to notes of blueberries, cassis, vanilla, and lead pencil shavings.
2000: One of the surprising successes in an extremely irregular vintage, Chappellet’s 2000 Cabernet Sauvignon Pritchard Hill boasts beautiful aromas of blueberries, creme de cassis, licorice, and flowers.
2001: A dense ruby/purple color is followed by an oaky nose revealing scents of blue fruits, black currants, licorice, and spice box.
2002: …the 2002 Cabernet Sauvignon Pritchard Hill Estate exhibits a dense ruby/purple color along with a beautiful nose of blueberries, cassis, graphite, and subtle new oak.
2002(b): …the wine has put on weight and offers up an absolutely stunning nose of acacia flowers, melted licorice, blueberry liqueur, and lead pencil shavings.
2003: Its dense ruby/purple color is accompanied by aromas and flavors of graphite, blueberries, cassis, and acacia flowers.
2006: Blue fruits intermixed with black raspberries, black currants, blackberries, camphor, spring flowers, and a forest floor-like character contribute to the complex aromatics.
2007: The 2007 Cabernet Sauvignon Pritchard Hill boasts glorious notes of flowers, blueberries, blackberries, boysenberries, plums and incense.
Are you sensing a theme?
In terms of richness and density, 1997 again marks the beginning of the increase (“the finest wine to emerge from Chappellet since the Philip Togni era,” Parker proclaimed in his initial review), and by 2004, terms like “rich,” “broad,” “full-bodied” are common markers.
I for one find the 2018 and 2019 to be pretty clear departures from the past.
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Super interesting. I have much less experience than others here with other vintages but im happy to have multiple 2012’s in the cellar for the long-haul 
I just recently dropped from the Chappellet list. I wasn’t finding milkshake style wines. The Pritchard Hill bottling is pretty damn solid. The regular cab is not all pritchard hill fruit so hard to compare the two. The cab franc is also very very good. The Hideaway Vineyard is another really good one they make but they only poured it for me once.
What I noticed was a large price increase post fires and this was one of the first wineries where I stopped buying after being on the list for several years.
I have some 18s from them but they are in deep storage, it will be a few years before I pull those to start drinking.
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Bryant makes the best wine on pritchard hill imo.
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Agreed. Had the 19 the other day and it was blueberry galore.
Full disclosure - I am still a member but likely will be dropping this fall also due to pricing and my current inventory.
I agree with Jeff on this (my experiences have been with 2012-2019). I last had a 2012 about a year ago and don’t plan on opening my remaining bottle for maybe 5 more years. The Pritchard Hill bottling has a lot of grippy/harsh tannins when young that I don’t associate with the milkshake style. The Signature Cab on the other hand does lean modern. Those are not built for the long haul but I usually have some on hand for family parties (decent value with member discount or on sale at retailers).
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I had bottles of the 2014 and 2017 Ch Pritchard Hill recently and thought both were very good. Fan of Houyi (Realm and Lerner) and Ovid wines.
My late dad and mom knew someone back in the early 1990’s who had some insider knowledge on Bryant and figured they would be a cult producer.
I don’t think my parents ever got on their mailing list, but would have been cool If they did early on.
Just wish they weren’t so expensive haha.
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Ya i definitely dont buy anymore but from what ive tasted they are the best in class on pritchard hill