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| Drinking Windows and Values |
| Community Tasting History |
| Community Tasting Notes (average 94.7 pts. and median of 95 pts. in 4 notes) - hiding notes with no text | | | Tasted by Eye Drink Reds on 10/13/2019 & rated 94 points: Wow what a wonderful treat. I'm not a zin guy and if tasted blind I would have guessed mid-1990s St. Julian. Pristine bottle with very high-shoulder which is amazing for a 39 year old bottle!
Was expressive, albeit a bit hot, on PnP. Notes of stinky earth, baked red fruits (plums, red cherry), vanilla, and mild baking spices. Lots fine sediment as would be expected. (513 views) | | | Tasted by cab blends on 4/14/2017 & rated 95 points: Tawny port brown in color.
The cork was soft and crumbled easily which was a big concern. The shoulder was mid to low shoulder.
Well integrated and balanced with a lingering finish that holds onto your tongue for quite a long time. No ugliness or over acidic flavor.
Nose has some light oak and wood. Tannins 5/10 and medium body - Far better than I expected.
Very difficult to rate as I am not often a fan of the older fines but this has a lot going on - many fruits. (797 views) | | | Tasted by Millennial Drinkers on 4/14/2017 & rated 95 points: Was nervous about if this wine had held up. Seemed like it had a little bit of seepage and when we removed the cork it was wet and crumbled straight away. Additionally it was a mid to low shoulder.
Medium tawny brown with watery edges. Love this nose, layers of stinky and gamey notes, burnt and smoked wood, mushrooms, forest floor and some light red berries too. Extremely well balanced and well integrated. Moderate tannins (5/10) and medium bodied. A touch of jamminess on the palate with soft red fruits and some nice spiciness. Insanely long finish. Would be excited to try another one of these that was stored properly. Drink till 2019. (969 views) | | | Tasted by mhauser on 10/10/2015: Bought from auction on a lark. Brownish-red, with sediment. Big nose with heat, lots of mushroom and black tea. Very acidic, not much tannin. Piles of oak on the palate, and a searing sourness that obscures everything else. Some fruit, but it's buried. Long finish. This is surviving, but just tastes out of balance and is not worth the trip. (1006 views) |
| 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.Zinfandel ZAP: Zinfandel Advocates & Producers | Varietal character (Appellation America) | Wikipedia-ZinfandelUSAAmerican 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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