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| Drinking Windows and Values |
| Community Tasting History |
| Community Tasting Notes (average 89.8 pts. and median of 90 pts. in 29 notes) - hiding notes with no text | | | Tasted by Swekman on 4/26/2015 & rated 91 points: Nose of green apples, peach stone, and minersls. This wine is very smooth with a satisfying finish. (1255 views) | | | Tasted by Guy Des Rosiers on 6/28/2014 & rated 87 points: Medium yellow core. Nose of pear and stone fruit, with subtle notes of French oak (somewhere between fresh wintergreen and jasmin flowers). Dry, medium-bodied, with balanced acidity. Mostly peach and melon on the palate. Medium length, beginning to show some age on the finish. Drink up. (1562 views) | | | Tasted by SonnyChiba on 5/24/2014 & rated 92 points: Really enjoyed this one a lot this time. Very creamy mouth feel, good citrus fruit, acidity, and overall balance. Big fan. (1677 views) | | | Tasted by Ginnar on 4/6/2014 & rated 90 points: crisp and light - perfect for a sunny, warm afternoon visit with friends
The wine looks straw colored. There is no sediment in the bottle. The body is light. The wine has satin-like texture with low acidity. (1772 views) | | | Tasted by SonnyChiba on 10/19/2013 & rated 89 points: Tasted at Joseph Phelps dinner. Golden color, smooth and nice texture, a lot of lemon flavors, touch of oak and buttery finish. Felt like a Chardonnay. (955 views) | | | Tasted by RickyT12 on 10/19/2013 & rated 91 points: Lemon lime big oak nose. Medium acid. New plastic type of nose. Buttery taste, kind of like sour green melon flavors. Little marshmallow taste. Quite heavy for a sauv blanc. (2505 views) | | | Tasted by jeffm_fla on 8/7/2013 & rated 88 points: surprisingly viscous mouthfeel. Odd contrast with the more austere Phelps chardonnay we had with it (896 views) | | | Tasted by rtd3 on 12/22/2012 & rated 90 points: wonderful wine. very crisp. (1431 views) | | | Tasted by affordableCollector on 8/18/2012 & rated 85 points: clear, pale, in color. citrus, citrus zest, melon, floral, on the nose. medium acid, finish. (1233 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.Sauvignon Blanc Varietal CharacterUSAAmerican 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)St. Helena Appellation Napa Valley
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