Chad Private Reserve Napa Valley 2018

I love Chad Alexander and his yearly fleet of releases. But despite our success with the wines, there’s one bottle I’ve never managed to get my hands on in enough quantity for an email – the CHAD Private Reserve. 

One big reason is CHAD doesn’t make it every year – only in select vintages where both quality and quantity abound. I first had it in the 2012 vintage– one of the best in Napa in a long time. The 2013 and 2014 Private Reserves, released in 2015 and 2016 respectively were the last of its kind. But the crown jewel of the CHAD wines program is back after a four-year hiatus. 

An NDA protects the exact source of the wine, but Chad’s clue was that it sits high above Lake Hennessey and that the winery typically sells this for $125. That puts it among the Napa Elite. After tasting it, I have my guess. Either way – this is an absolute no brainer.