Joseph Phelps Vineyards
Insignia Estate Grown Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon Blend
Napa Valley, California, USA
Just a few bottles from an awesome Open That Bottle Night celebration this past weekend.
Up there for wine of the night. En mag. Fruit and secondary notes in perfect harmony. Old black cherry and muddled raspberries with bay leaf, fig, saddle leather, and underbrush. Incredible drinking window.
Just a few bottles from an awesome Open That Bottle Night celebration this past weekend.
Up there for wine of the night. En mag. Fruit and secondary notes in perfect harmony. Old black cherry and muddled raspberries with bay leaf, fig, saddle leather, and underbrush. Incredible drinking window.
(100% new French oak from here on; from a harvest featuring relatively small berries): Healthy bright, dark red. Captivating aromas of raspberry, tobacco, truffle and smoke are distinctly darker than those of the 1990. Wonderfully suave, fine-grained wine with superb intensity and retention of dark fruit flavors. Harmonious acidity and a firm tannic spine give this wine noteworthy thrust and extend the finish. The wine's 10% Merlot component was partly from the cooler Hudson and Hyde vineyards in Carneros. This impeccably balanced wine remains remarkably fresh. (Stephen Tanzer, Vinous, Apr 2016)
(100% new French oak from here on; from a harvest featuring relatively small berries): Healthy bright, dark red. Captivating aromas of raspberry, tobacco, truffle and smoke are distinctly darker than those of the 1990. Wonderfully suave, fine-grained wine with superb intensity and retention of dark fruit flavors. Harmonious acidity and a firm tannic spine give this wine noteworthy thrust and extend the finish. The wine's 10% Merlot component was partly from the cooler Hudson and Hyde vineyards in Carneros. This impeccably balanced wine remains remarkably fresh. (Stephen Tanzer, Vinous, Apr 2016)
Feb 16th, 2018
Haven’t had a better Insignia. This was bringing it on all levels. These are made in a bombastic style, maybe the trick to bringing them into balance is that they just need 24 years.
Haven’t had a better Insignia. This was bringing it on all levels. These are made in a bombastic style, maybe the trick to bringing them into balance is that they just need 24 years.
Nov 5th, 2017
Part of a 94 Cal Cab horizontal; dark ruby red; nice Cab perfume of rich berry fruit, wood, and leather; great velvet structure; in a good drinking window right now
Part of a 94 Cal Cab horizontal; dark ruby red; nice Cab perfume of rich berry fruit, wood, and leather; great velvet structure; in a good drinking window right now
Oct 22nd, 2016
Drinking so well for a 20+ year old wine. Soft, delicate, perfumed, and mature.
Drinking so well for a 20+ year old wine. Soft, delicate, perfumed, and mature.
Jul 18th, 2016Classic California just a little touch of heat in the end .
Classic California just a little touch of heat in the end .
Jul 16th, 2016
Friend brought a mag over and this was about the best burger wine anyone could pull from any cellar. Low acid but restrained fruit. I don't drink CA wines often enough, this was a hit. Chocolate, raspberry, very smooth and round mouthfeel.
Friend brought a mag over and this was about the best burger wine anyone could pull from any cellar. Low acid but restrained fruit. I don't drink CA wines often enough, this was a hit. Chocolate, raspberry, very smooth and round mouthfeel.
Apr 3rd, 2016
Not to excited about this 94
Has a little taste but I think it's to old. Just didn't last.
Not to excited about this 94
Has a little taste but I think it's to old. Just didn't last.
A special Auction Napa Valley Reserve bottling. What a gorgeous wine full of fruit and spice elements. #anv15 #josephphelps biased review.
A special Auction Napa Valley Reserve bottling. What a gorgeous wine full of fruit and spice elements. #anv15 #josephphelps biased review.
Jun 6th, 2015