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| Drinking Windows and Values |
| Community Tasting History |
| Community Tasting Notes (average 89.1 pts. and median of 89 pts. in 42 notes) - hiding notes with no text | | | Tasted by bajayngo on 4/2/2015: Wow this bottle blew me a way a little. Beautiful bouquet of mineral, wild flowers, honey suckle, sharps sea acids, sweet herbs, a blend of citrus on a balanced frame. (4420 views) | | | Tasted by Jared_Kopp on 3/15/2015 flawed bottle: Sadly I think this bottle passed its prime. Not terrible, but I ended up having to let half the bottle go because it had turned. (4289 views) | | | Tasted by kcp on 1/4/2015 & rated 89 points: My ratings with this wine seem to gradually decline, perhaps because as this wine ages, it loses its youthful fruit and acidity, and oak moves to the front--not exactly heavy or overbearing, but replaces the properties that I found more enjoyable. I'd say that after 5 years, this well-made wine moves past its prime (for me). I liked it better at 4 years. (4307 views) | | | Tasted by NineteenEightyTwo on 1/1/2015 & rated 86 points: Medium-dark maize color. Nose of green apple, with a pronounced aroma of oak. Palate is quite buttery, moderately acidic but still coming off a bit broad and flabby. This is your stereotypical California Chardonnay- big fruit and wood, but lacking any sense of place. (4404 views) | | | Tasted by Swekman on 10/25/2014 & rated 89 points: Nose of green melon, grapefruit, and a hint of black licorice. The wine has medium oak and is very smooth drinking. (4525 views) | | | Tasted by psusfca on 8/11/2014 & rated 87 points: I think this wines best days are behind it. Definitely shows age. Some will like that and at times I do. But this was a bit more oxidized than I would care for. There is still fruit there but it gets a bit overwhelmed. Still liked it, but wish I had opened this bottle a year earlier like I did my other 2009's from here (1273 views) | | | Tasted by kcp on 3/10/2014 & rated 91 points: As expected for a West Sonoma Freestone--fairly crisp fruit, good acidity, underlying modest oak. (1693 views) | | | Tasted by budh on 12/12/2013 & rated 91 points: Very nice Chard. On the nose, mainly vanilla (oak) and butter to start with. Then the fruit seeps in with some apple, pear, apricot. Some lemon on the palate. Nice crisp, high acidity, full body, long tart finish. (1794 views) | | | Tasted by Chateau Cabron on 7/28/2013 & rated 93 points: Lively and rich. An elegant and sophisticated California Chardonnay that strays from the bubblegum and popcorn flavors more commonly found in the region. Noticeable French Oak background with an upfront lemon curd note. This is a special Chardonnay, and one of the best made in the state. Outstanding stuff. (2856 views) | | | Tasted by Kahnru12 on 4/14/2013 & rated 92 points: Pure creme brûlée on the finish. What a wonderful chard. Sorry to see it bought out and likely priced up in the future. (2758 views) | | | Tasted by As-Is on 3/18/2013: paired with sushi and it was perfect. Just a little essence of buttery, not too much. (2705 views) | | | Tasted by Istrico on 3/2/2013 & rated 90 points: Lovely chard, a little buttery for my taste but nice. (2098 views) | | | Tasted by skp88 on 10/20/2012 & rated 89 points: A nice cool climate chard. Crisp with subtle fruit favors and just a hint of oaky butter. Food friendly. I had this with a simple dish of pasta with pesto and Parmesan and it paired well. At $33 at Costco, I would buy more (2497 views) | | | Tasted by kstoddard on 7/13/2012 & rated 89 points: 100% Chardonnay. 15 months in French oak. Golden yellow color. French oak nose of tropical fruit. Tastes of apple, spice, and caramel. Bright acidity with a slight tartness. Fruit forward finish. (2760 views) | | | Tasted by GoBlue2002 on 7/2/2012 & rated 88 points: Honeymoon Wine Tasting; 6/25/2012-7/3/2012 (California - Napa & Sonoma Counties): Tasted at Winery. Light gold in color, with an aroma of soft fruit and buttery oak. The wine also had a nice crisp acidity to it, and a very short and simple finish. (4412 views) | | | Tasted by RobSpectator on 5/22/2012 & rated 90 points: Light yellow hues with aromatic expression of wet stone, mineral elements and mellow citrus and spice notes. Surprisingly light for a CA chardonay with nice acid structure indicating a cooler climate and smaller berries. Refreshing crisp entry with apple, baking spice, lemon and mineral elements. Some light toasty notes but no overbearing butter tones characteristic of CA chardonnay. (2306 views) | | | Tasted by SonomaWilliam on 4/15/2012 & rated 90 points: Another great wine from Freestone.
Bright clear pale yellow.
Tropical nose with pineapple, coconut, with pear, hints of mandarin orange and lemon.
Bright citrus in mouth, with juicy pineapple. Viscous texture.
Mouth watering acidity that lingers pleasantly on the finish.
Don't concur with tasting note below of oak and flabby. Perhaps newly released at the time. (2286 views) | | | Tasted by rjonwine@gmail.com on 3/19/2012 & rated 90 points: 2012 In Pursuit of Balance Tasting (Julia Morgan Ballroom, Merchants Exchange Building, San Francisco, California): Light yellow color; tart pineapple, citrus nose; tart pineapple, citrus palate with medium acidity; medium finish 90+ points (4192 views) | | | Tasted by pizzasomm on 11/21/2011: color: light honey color
nose: caramel, vanilla and oak
taste: citrus notes of lemon, bright acidity that keeps it from being too creamy, finishes long with caramel and oak (1661 views) | | | Tasted by lumpyelbow on 10/8/2011: Napa 2011; 10/6/2011-10/9/2011 (Napa Valley, California): Peach. Bright and lively on the tongue. Very pleasant. (3028 views) | | | Tasted by christophee on 9/24/2011 & rated 82 points: Straw yellow with medium/heavy viscosity in the glass. Mostly oak (popcorned butter) on the nose with secondary citrus and wet flower petals. Ditto the palate with pleasant minerality. Medium finish. Simple and a bit on the flabby side. (1907 views) | | | Only displaying the 25 most recent notes - click to see all notes for this wine... |
| 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.Chardonnay The Chardonnay GrapeUSAAmerican 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 Sonoma CountyMendocino CountySonoma Coast * Sonoma Coast AVA (Wikipedia)
* Sonoma Coast AVA (Wine Institue) |
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