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| Drinking Windows and Values |
| Community Tasting History |
| Community Tasting Notes (average 94.3 pts. and median of 94 pts. in 530 notes) - hiding notes with no text | | | Tasted by ajm2573 on 4/19/2024 & rated 97 points: Brick red is color. Lots of cocoa notes on the nose. On the palate chocolate and red fruit. Silky tannins well in integrated. Will be good for another 5 years. YUM (404 views) | | | Tasted by essenceofreal on 3/17/2024 & rated 92 points: Decanted about 3 hours prior to consumption. Upon pouring, new world aroma and then some. Was decent and decanting helped.
Pulled a bottle from a case bought from the winery upon release. This bottle has not left Napa, probably traveled all of about 25 miles in its entire 17 years and stored in my cellar at 55 degrees. IE perfect provenance.
Unfortunately, the competition destroyed this bottle. The 1997 Percarlo and 04 rioja blew this off the table, and both were a third the price!!
The Percarlo in particular was amazing. Made the Insignia look totally amateur. Could feel the Italian blowing a big fat sangiovese fart at Mr. Phelps and laughing in his face and saying "you can't touch this."
The Insignia was decent just didn't have the depth, complexity, or finish as the others. After a few hours it developed even more tannins which makes me think this has a long way to go, albeit can drink now.
The 97 Inisgnia I had a few months ago was spectacular in comparison. Too bad was my last bottle. Will this 07 reach those heights? Only time will tell!! I can only hope so but at this stage I have my doubts. Doesn't the depth, but I have plenty left in the case so my guess I'll certainly still have some in 10 years as I get through my other wines and will know then )) (1405 views) | | | Tasted by Bob in NC on 2/10/2024 & rated 95 points: The star of the show, drinking incredible well. Looking forward to our last 2 bottles, whenever that may be. (1934 views) | | | Tasted by winelover1808 on 2/4/2024 & rated 95 points: loved this; had it next to a Schrader 2013 RBS Beckstoffer To Kalon. this was so elegant but still had fruit and power to not be overdone by the schrader. this had pretty cherry fruit, a sweet nose, more red ruby than the dark purple of the schrader. not bordeaux and most certainly CA in its sensibilities given the fruit; in a great drinking window now; not sure it will get better so best to enjoy it now as i think this is one where the fruit is a such a key part of the wine (2161 views) | | | Tasted by Roi Vin de LBC on 1/16/2024 & rated 96 points: 96 points. Standout wine at Christmas 2023 with a 9.5 lb Prime Prime Rib. Wow just wow. Thanks to Tommy Barnes for this stunner. (2535 views) | | | Tasted by gew71walsh on 12/24/2023 & rated 96 points: Last of my bottles. Drank others in 2014, 2019 and 2021. This has continued to evolve into what is now approaching perfection. I think this has at least to 5-10 years left. Beautiful color of deep purple, fully integrated, smooth tannins. Lingers on mid palate and finishes long. Wish I had a couple of more. (Decanted for two hours-was worthwhile to let everything integrate) (2378 views) | | | Tasted by Bordeaux_Jon on 8/20/2023 & rated 89 points: From a half bottle. Insignia half bottles seem hot and miss. I had a totally oxidized 2006 about 5 years ago. This 2007 was not nearly as good as a 2011 I had a few months ago, or 2008 a few years ago which was fantastic, all from halves. It seems evolved but yet still burly and tannic. Lots of oak and less than fresh fruit. The second Coravin pour showed clear oxidation and too much tannins coming through. The bottle had a ton of sediment which I’ve found it tied to uncharacteristically rapid aging. Perhaps this was stored to warm by a previous owner. (4111 views) | | | Tasted by jnewman77 on 8/18/2023: First time actually drinking an Insignia; super ripe initially with rocking cassis and blackberry jam; reined things in a bit with air and showed some spice and earth alongside the fruit as well as a little mineral streak; powerful and huge on the palate, but in a way that still maintains some balance; the fruit is enough to buffer the massive tannins and it gains some mineral drive and finishes with a lovely hint of floral perfume and blackberry; I can see this wine going 50 years easily (3259 views) | | | Tasted by jacobg on 8/9/2023 & rated 96 points: Guess close to perfect for Napa cab (3488 views) | | | Tasted by Sean Tay on 7/4/2023 & rated 96 points: Pronounced nose intensity with cedar, toast, cooked black fruits, spices, pepper. Medium+ acidity and medium+ tannin. Tannin is integrated. Full bodied and long finish. Did not decant, decanting 2 hours will help. (3616 views) | | | Tasted by VinDeVie_1 on 7/3/2023 & rated 98 points: The 2007 Joseph Phelps Insignia is/was the best Napa Cab I have had recently. This wine is almost perfect and in a state that a quick 30-minute decant is all it takes to open it up. This wine is perfectly integrated with its tannins being velvety and its layers of blueberries, black cherries, and plums showing front and center. There was a hint of leather or maybe tobacco that perfectly bridged the fruity and earthy/woody elements as well. I would have preferred a half notch more oak, which would be my only minor gripe on an otherwise otherworldly wine. 98+ (3218 views) | | | Tasted by Winedad53 on 6/3/2023 & rated 96 points: No hurry to drink these. Continuing to evolve on same glide path as my Nov2021 review. (2807 views) | | | Tasted by jedwilson on 5/19/2023 & rated 96 points: My 3rd review over a 10 year timeframe. This wine has aged exceedingly well over these 10 years, going from a 90 to 94 to 96 point wine in that period. Drinking exceptionally well now, this smooth, earthy, wonderfully warm on the palette - without the discomforting heat that was there 10 years ago. This is wine as it was meant to be - enjoy alone or with a good, meaty dish, heavy cheeses, etc. (2766 views) | | | Tasted by timewithwine on 5/13/2023: Ripe but not jammy with flavors of with pomegranate, currants, plum, blackberry, cedar, graphite and some saddle leather. The finish is kissed with both a touch of vanilla and mocha. The masculine power and intensity of this wine always puts a smile on my face. The tannins are integrating well but they could still have a ways to go. The blend this year contains just three of the Bordeaux grapes: Cabernet Sauvignon (88%), Merlot (8%), and Petit Verdot (4%). Decanted, yet finding very little, fine-grained sediment with a shadow of sediment around the bottom fourth of the bottle. 14% alc. Drink now or hold for years. With grilled beef ribeyes from Meating Place. 05.04.23. Highly Recommended. (2678 views) | | | Tasted by spendergast on 5/6/2023 & rated 98 points: This is the 3rd bottle I've tried and this wine continues to amaze me: Dark opulent fruit with notes of black raspberry, plum, cassis, damp earth and graphite. Great balance with a very rich mouthfeel, long satisfying finish. Long way to go. Paired with grilled Wagyu strip steaks. (2729 views) | | | Tasted by webbaker on 3/21/2023 & rated 97 points: A classic from a great vintage. The last one I had was a bit off, but this was spot on. Heavy, dark fruit. Notes of tobacco and smoked meat. Still going strong, no sign of burnout. (3365 views) | | | Tasted by ralaspech on 2/21/2023 & rated 93 points: Initially heavy tobacco and char on the nose. Tasted of muted fruit, cigar, leather and graphite. After decanting 1+ hours, blackberry and boysenberry fruit came forward. Strong accents of tobacco and graphite persisted. Some cocoa. Med- acidity. Medium tannins. Moderate sediment. 93+ (3225 views) | | | Tasted by napasoutherner on 2/13/2023 & rated 91 points: Nice cab but reminded me that during this period when a lot of Napa wineries were doing big fruit bomb style wine. This is no exception. Big, bold, and somewhat overwhelming in its strength, this Insignia was nice with a New York strip. Opened for about an hour before drinking it still had a lot of heat to burn. Should have waited another hour or so. (3219 views) | | | Tasted by Bob in NC on 1/21/2023 & rated 95 points: Incredible. Very smooth with great depth of flavors. This wine is perfectly in it's drinking window right now. (3141 views) | | | Tasted by Ranjan on 12/25/2022 & rated 96 points: Dark berry, graphite, smooth silky tannins. Drink up (3000 views) | | | Tasted by Shay.Aldriedge on 12/21/2022 & rated 95 points: Curiosity finally got the best of me as it was a buddy’s birthday and he wanted to try this 2007. I think this received a three digit score, so whether points matter to you or not, it’s fun to try and get a data point.
Tried a glass right at pop, then drank from the decanter over the next 4-5hrs.
This was quite the rollercoaster. It was big and bruising the first hour, then blossomed in to an extremely smooth and balanced Bordeaux style blend. Dark red and black berry fruits, violets, mocha, dark chocolate and pipe tobacco all dominate the rich mid-palate. It seemed to somewhat shut down after 3+hrs, so either pop and enjoy or hold another three years for this drinking window. (2925 views) | | | Tasted by ddemas on 12/9/2022 & rated 100 points: Perfection. Well integrated. Tannins have faded away gracefully. Long finish. Drinking really well right now. (2749 views) | | | Tasted by markcic on 11/12/2022 & rated 96 points: Almost 5 years since my last bottle of the 2007 and it is probably the best bottle of Insignia that I have drank. Opened and slow ox'd for 3 hours prior to dinner. We drank this against a 2015 Ulysses and a 2014 Realm Houyi and in my opinion it stole the show. Dark berries and hints of chocolate on the nose. The palate was dark berries, plums, cassis, cigar box, touch of fig and tobacco. The finish was long and deep. 96++ almost a 97 (3255 views) | | | Tasted by GFWeaver on 8/27/2022 & rated 96 points: Excellent. What a beautiful expression of Cali Cab (3733 views) | | | Tasted by TexasBob on 5/15/2022 & rated 91 points: Deep purple cassis color. Cranberries and mulberries on the nose. Still tight with concentrated raspberry and pomegranate notes. Tasty and enjoyable, but nothing special. Well, not special in the pantheon of good wines. (4743 views) | | | Only displaying the 25 most recent notes - click to see all notes for this wine... |
| By Stephen Tanzer
Vinous, Vintage Retrospective: The 2007 Napa Valley Cabernets (May 2017) (5/17/2017)
(Joseph Phelps Vineyards Insignia Napa Valley Red) Subscribe to see review text. | By Stephen Tanzer
Vinous, Vertical Tasting of Phelps Insignia (Apr 2016) (4/1/2016)
(Joseph Phelps Vineyards Insignia Napa Valley) Subscribe to see review text. | By Jancis Robinson, MW
JancisRobinson.com (3/21/2013)
(Joseph Phelps, Insignia Napa Valley Red) Subscribe to see review text. | By Linda Murphy
JancisRobinson.com (12/8/2010)
(Joseph Phelps, Insignia Napa Valley Red) Subscribe to see review text. | i-WineReview.com, Joseph Phelps Wines (10/31/2010)
(Joseph Phelps Insignia Napa Valley) Subscribe to see review text. | By Stephen Tanzer
Vinous, May/June 2009, IWC Issue #144
(Joseph Phelps Vineyards Insignia Proprietary Red Wine Napa Valley) Subscribe to see review text. | By Richard Jennings
RJonWine.com (9/9/2012)
(Joseph Phelps Insignia) Very dark red violet color; ripe berry, black fruit, violets nose; tart black fruit, berry, tar palate; needs 2-3 years; medium-plus finish 91 points |
NOTE: Scores and reviews are the property of Vinous and JancisRobinson.com and i-WineReview.com and RJonWine.com. (manage subscription channels) |
| Joseph Phelps Producer website
In the late 60s, Joseph Phelps was running one of the largest construction companies in the U.S. when he won the bid to build Souverain Winery (now Rutherford Hill) located a few miles outside of St. Helena. Enamored with the beautiful Napa Valley and contemplating a career change, in 1973 he bought the 600-acre Connolly cattle ranch in Spring Valley, and began planting vineyards. The winery was completed in 1974 and that same year the first Syrah was made, the first grapes were crushed at the new facility and the first Insignia was produced. It was a period of unparalleled activity, creativity, ingenuity, entrepreneurship and risk-taking and it put Joe Phelps on the map of top Napa Valley wine producers.
Nearly four decades later, the flagship wine, Insignia, is recognized as one of the world’s great wines. Twenty nine of 34 vintages have been rated ninety or more points by various wine publications. From 1990 to 2007, the average score from Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate is 94.5 pts., with the lowest score still a fabulous 91. The 2002 vintage was “Wine of the Year” by Wine Spectator Magazine, and the 2007 vintage has been rated 98 points by Robert Parker and 96 points by Wine Spectator Magazine.
Over the years, the goal of becoming 100% estate grown resulted in carefully planned acquisitions of prime vineyards in the Napa Valley. Today, the Phelps estate consists of the Spring Valley Home Ranch outside of St. Helena, Banca Dorada in Rutherford, Las Rocas and Barboza vineyards in Stags Leap, Yountville Vineyard in Oak Knoll, Suscol Vineyard in South Napa and Backus Vineyard in Oakville.
Beginning with the 2009 vintage, estate-grown wines include Cabernet Sauvignon, Sauvignon Blanc, Viognier, Insignia, Backus (the single vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon from Oakville) and Eisrébe, a dessert wine made from the Scheurebe grape. In addition, a small amount of Syrah is produced from fruit owned by Hyde Vineyards in Los Carneros.
Though the main focus is on Bordeaux varietals, Joe Phelps has had a life-long love affair with the wines of Burgundy and a desire to craft wines in that style. Originally Chardonnay was sourced from St. Helena, later from Yountville and then from Los Carneros. Through the years, however, Joe continued to search for the ideal spot to grow both Chardonnay and Pinot Noir, and his search ended when the perfect combination of climate, soil and location was found in Freestone, located in the Sonoma Coast AVA, a mere eight miles from the Pacific Ocean. In 1999, 200 acres were acquired and planting began. Today, 80 acres of Pinot Noir and 20 acres of Chardonnay are producing some remarkable wines which are available for tasting at the Freestone Guest Center. Visit Freestone Vineyards to learn more.2007 Joseph Phelps InsigniaWinemaker: Ashley HepworthRed Bordeaux BlendRed Bordeaux is generally made from a blend of grapes. Permitted grapes are Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Merlot, Petit Verdot, Malbec and rarely Carménère.Today Carménère is rarely used, with Château Clerc Milon, a fifth growth Bordeaux, being one of the few to still retain Carménère vines. As of July 2019, Bordeaux wineries authorized the use of four new red grapes to combat temperature increases in Bordeaux. These newly approved grapes are Marselan, Touriga Nacional, Castets, and Arinarnoa.
Wineries all over the world aspire to making wines in a Bordeaux style. In 1988, a group of American vintners formed The Meritage Association to identify wines made in this way. Although most Meritage wines come from California, there are members of the Meritage Association in 18 states and five other countries, including Argentina, Australia, Canada, Israel, and Mexico.InsigniaOf interest concerning the sources for grapes for this wine:
http://wine.appellationamerica.com/wine-review/669/Insignia.html
jhtUSAAmerican wine has been produced since the 1500s, with the first widespread production beginning in New Mexico in 1628. Today, wine production is undertaken in all fifty states, with California producing 84% of all U.S. wine. The continent of North America is home to several native species of grape, including Vitis labrusca, Vitis riparia, Vitis rotundifolia, and Vitis vulpina, but the wine-making industry is based almost entirely on the cultivation of the European Vitis vinifera, which was introduced by European settlers. With more than 1,100,000 acres (4,500 km2) under vine, the United States is the fourth-largest wine producing country in the world, after Italy, Spain, and France.California2021 vintage: "Unlike almost all other areas of the state, the Russian River Valley had higher than normal crops in 2021, which has made for a wine of greater generosity and fruit forwardness than some of its stablemates." - Morgan Twain-Peterson Napa Valley Napa Valley Wineries and Wine (Napa Valley Vintners)Napa ValleySt. Helena |
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