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| Drinking Windows and Values |
| Community Tasting History |
| Community Tasting Notes (average 88.9 pts. and median of 89 pts. in 26 notes) - hiding notes with no text | | | Tasted by Samgorant on 6/13/2020 & rated 89 points: Still very good, fruity and smokey. (615 views) | | | Tasted by JBVino on 6/24/2012: past its best... (3744 views) | | | Tasted by Chrispx on 2/12/2012 & rated 84 points: A bit over its prime but still good fruit and a bit of leather. (3855 views) | | | Tasted by kosinski on 4/2/2010 & rated 91 points: Beautifully integrated tannins. Rich fruits with a long finish. A real pleasure. Probably at or close to its peak. (4626 views) | | | Tasted by mjf@ulkner on 1/13/2010 & rated 89 points: Nice mature Rhone Ranger- tannins nearly fully integrated. Smoky dark fruits. A fairly sophisticated wine- I've had very few Aussie wines of a similar price point that have aged this gracefully. Great QPR. (4824 views) | | | Tasted by jtt300 on 9/21/2008 & rated 90 points: Great blend. Loads of fruit that keeps going and going!! (4428 views) | | | Tasted by Garfield on 9/1/2008 & rated 92 points: Ready to drink now - Loads of dark red fruits that go on and on, with thick tannins that are now well integrtated and getting smoother. This wine is still chewyand has a unique mouth feel. The finish was med. and bitter. (2229 views) | | | Tasted by bleiwejm on 2/7/2008: California style Syrah that is fruit forward that has many flavors of red fruit.
Ken Goosens: "56% Syrah; 32% Grenache; 7% Carignane; 3% Petite Sirah; 2% Alicante Bouschet. This interesting take on a blend of Rhone types is a bit heavier in Syrah than those mixed variety wines tend to be, but it achieves many of the same qualities in ripe, slightly soft architecture and in its fruity red berry/black fruit composite character. Smooth in feel with modest tannins, it needs no aging to be enjoyed but will support some." (2800 views) | | | Tasted by TEDL on 12/27/2007 & rated 87 points: We sampled this wine in a blind vertical tasting between the
2001, 2002 and 2003 vintages of Le Mistral with the 2001 being
the group favorite. The particulars:
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2001 blend: 56% Syrah, 34% Grenache, 3% Carignane, 3% Petite Sirah, 2% Alicante Bouschet & 2% Mourvèdre.
The 2001 had an aroma of fruit when decanted and was the mellowest of the group in regards to flavor. Again it was the tasting group's favorite.
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2002 blend: 56% Syrah, 32% Grenache, 7% Carignane, 3% Petite Sirah & 2% Alicante Bouschet.
The 2002 was spicy one in the group. Also the driest. Initially we guessed it was the youngest also and were surprised to find it was not.
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2003 blend: 57% Syrah, 36% Grenache, 5% Petite Sirah & 2% Alicante Bouschet.
The 2003 also has an aroma of fruit when decanted which was also present in the flavor more than in the 2001 and 2002.
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All three wines were decanted for over an hour prior to tasting. The largest flaw in the tasting was the decanters were not of identical shape so the aeration was not quite the same in each wine when the tasting began. The sampling glasses were the same and it was noted that as the evening went on the vintages did start to taste more the same. Surprisingly the 2002 was in a decanter that would have given it the most exposure to air however it retained the strongest flavor.
Overall all three were very good. The 2001 was given a slightly higher score by being the unanimous tasting group favorite. (2544 views) | | | Tasted by gentleman farmer on 6/15/2007: Matched with a grill-seared ribeye and roasted baby yellow gold spuds drizzled with a hint of truffle oil and steamed asparagus.
The combination of the fresh cracked pepper on the beef and the distinctive "peppery" Le Mistral was a heavenly match. Very forward nose of fresh-picked strawberries was able to compete with the wine’s spicy characteristics. Enjoyed in a Riedel Vinum, the Le Mistral continued to hold its own during and well beyond the dinner. Decanted just before the first glass, hints of “hotness” blew away almost immediately revealing perfect balance. The finish was prolonged, much more than I expected and the experience left me thirsting for more. This is the kind of wine each of us are looking for more of. I may wait a few years before I open my last bottle. Kudos to Cometspider for his suggestion to pick up a few! 91 - 92 points (2966 views) | | | Tasted by SacredCow on 4/21/2007 & rated 92 points: No major changes since the prior bottle in November. Very good in a California way. (2958 views) | | | Tasted by SacredCow on 11/15/2006 & rated 92 points: Very nice wine. On the nose, blackberries, blueberries, meat and earth. On the palate, medium-bodied and very well balanced, with blackberries, blueberries and raspberries, and some spice and pepper on the smooth, medium length finish. More California than Rhone in style, but smooth, hedonistic and delicious. Great bargain. (3046 views) | | | Tasted by pgm on 6/13/2006 & rated 91 points: This bottle showed plenty of interest and complexity. Red fruits, mixed berries, and mineral with a smoky, meaty bacon note on the nose. Delicious and dense flavors in the mouth and a long, spicy finish. Enjoyed it a lot. (3418 views) | | | Tasted by tomandlu on 4/12/2006 & rated 85 points: This was typically jammy and, as others have mentioned, pretty four-square. The aroma was overpowered by vanillin oak. Overall it was tasty but not special. (3456 views) | | | Tasted by grapist on 2/11/2006 & rated 87 points: Not on the restaurant's wine list but advised that it had just arrived and was reasonably priced. Opened and poured. Not decanted. Quite jammy but pleasant. Nothing special, but then we never gave it a chance to develop and show us much more than what it offered immediately after the cork was pulled. (3681 views) | | | Tasted by davidandrose on 9/30/2005 & rated 87 points: Nice coloring, little too much graphite. Didn't develop to my liking but still quite drinkable. (3699 views) | | | Tasted by mdstenner on 9/29/2005 & rated 90 points: Dark ruby with a big, extracted spicy and jammy nose of raspberry jam and other red fruits. Clearly a fruit bomb, medium- to full-bodied wth big dollops of fruit. Primary flavors of licorice, spice and a pot-pourri of red fruits. Really expands over the course of just 30 mins in the glass (no idea how long the wine had been opened as it was consumed at a wine bar). No tannin to speak off and not much acid detected. However, this paired nicely with the cheese plate that accompanied it. My only complaint was the initially hot finish that blew off to a degree with some time. Still, another winner from Phelps. Nicely crafted and delicious if you like the style. I do. 89-90 points. (3581 views) | | | Tasted by Pool Boy on 6/2/2005 & rated 85 points: Delicious if a little on the simple side. Not too much on the nose, but it delivers on the palate. Quite tasty for the price point. Worthy of a mid-week drink. 85 pts. (3579 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.Red Rhone Blend Read about the different grapes used to produce red and white Rhone wines
On CellarTracker, Red Rhone Blend is the term for a wine consisting of two or more of the traditional 13 Southern Rhone grape varieties. Typically it's the Grenache, Syrah, Mourvedre or Cinsault grapes, but can also contain the Muscardin, Counoise, Clairette, Bourboulenc, Picpoul, Roussanne, Terret Noir, Picardan or Vaccarese grapes.
A 'food' wine. Lacking pretension and intended for local consumption with local cuisine. Lacks the 'high' notes on a Bordeaux, more earthy and sharper so often a better partner to meat dishes with a sauce. USAAmerican 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 Central Coasthttp://www.ccwinegrowers.org/links.html
http://www.discovercaliforniawines.com/regional-wine-organizations/
http://beveragetradenetwork.com/en/btn-academy/list-of-winegrowers-association-in-central-coast-california-274.htm
Central Coast AVA WikipediaMonterey County Monterey Wines (Monterey County Vintners & Growers Association) |
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