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| Drinking Windows and Values |
| Community Tasting History |
| Community Tasting Notes (average 93.4 pts. and median of 93 pts. in 52 notes) - hiding notes with no text | | | Tasted by dfcrutcher on 12/3/2023 & rated 93 points: Nice soft well-developed tannins. Fruit holding up but fading. Needs to be drunk soon. (360 views) | | | Tasted by gteran76 on 7/29/2020 & rated 94 points: I took my last bottle to our monthly CWG (blind tasting) and it was the wine of the night, the closest someone got on the year was 2005! This wine is vibrant and beautifully balanced, nice bouquet and mid palate and lovely finish. (2528 views) | | | Tasted by gteran76 on 12/21/2019 & rated 93 points: Taken to our monthly (blind) CWG. This was the favorite wine for half of the group (8 people). Not showing it’s age, it felt like a 12-15 years old left bank. The body is medium plus, good consentratuin and balance of fruit, acidity and oak. It’s low in tannins so I would drink fast rather than holding. (2308 views) | | | Tasted by WoodieBayArea on 5/8/2019 & rated 91 points: call it 91/92... I had greater expectations for this wine... it had the kind of structure (acid and body) that I like (ie not super big, round, flabby, fruit-bomby) but frankly there wasn't enough fruit on the palate... could this have been shut down for now... hmmm... took to a blind tasting and this didn't attract as much attn as I had assumed it would (2662 views) | | | Tasted by galewskj on 4/7/2019 & rated 93 points: Reruns - The Wine Event: Not decanted, this was big, and the tannins are resolved. Blueberry and blackberry along with earth and maybe some leather. This was not overly complex, but it was incredibly satisfying. (3033 views) | | | Tasted by rocknroller on 4/4/2019 & rated 93 points: Reruns (Joe & Khem's Place, Mpls): Purple red color, 3mm tranisitional margin. PNP, drank a glass over 90 minutes. I'd never had this vineyard before so this was a treat. Big, impressive, blackberry, cassis, rich and powerful, lots of glycerin, layers of dark fruit, youthful, plush tannins, dirt, black cherry, no aok showing. Really good. This has got a lot of life left too. (2930 views) | | | Tasted by WoodieBayArea on 12/28/2018 & rated 92 points: my 6/18/18 note says it well... if not for my pref for elegance over power this could have scored 93 or 94... loved by the family members who had it at Xmas dinner (1542 views) | | | Tasted by WoodieBayArea on 6/18/2018 & rated 92 points: very very nice, with tons of time left... good balance of fruit (a touch of sweet) and structure, good acidity and hint of tannin, help up well over four hours (1915 views) | | | Tasted by peternelson on 4/9/2017 & rated 93 points: Fantastic shape, very youthful still; wonderful classic cab notes of cigar, cassis, pencil lead, medium plus rich body. I liked this better than Insignia as it seems to be more dialed back, balanced and showing more terroir. Very good. Showing impeccably for 1997 (a few of which I have had did not show as good as they should). should go quite a while longer, 10+ years. (2971 views) | | | Tasted by KenK on 11/23/2015 & rated 94 points: In a great place and took honors tonight over other 1997's such as Caymus SS, Spottswoode, Lokoya HM, and by a hair even Shafer HSS, which was also stunning once again. Big dark brooding black fruit dominant aromas. Rich dense sleek palate profile, showing both nice contraction and good verve to match. Black spices and long finish. Very well balanced and fruit still showing good life and not stewed like the Spottswood, or showing much signs of maturity as the Lokoya and Camus were indicating on the edges. The heat of the Shafer HSS only noticable on the finish, let the Backus slide accross the finish line. A very very good wine and plenty of life left. (4480 views) | | | Tasted by soyhead on 10/30/2015: With D & D. Nose - beautiful cornucopia of red fruit with orange peel, coconut, slightly reminiscent of a Maya
Mouth - lively fruit punchy, nice lively fruit that smack around the palate, with enough residual sugar to call it california (4380 views) | | | Tasted by McKraftyWino on 12/1/2014 & rated 93 points: at first, something was off with bottle.
cork disintegrated.
decanted.
let sit for an hour and then it began a wonderful presentation. (5027 views) | | | Tasted by Bill Bucklew on 4/13/2014 & rated 90 points: Complex nose with a lot of secondary characteristics, notably roasted meat, black fruit, cedar and graphite. Approachable palate, some muted black fruit, chocolate and subtle smokey and earth notes. Pretty balanced and the tannins have resolved nicely, drink up. (5481 views) | | | Tasted by DHutch on 10/31/2013 & rated 96 points: Beautiful bottle and wonderfully aged in the cellar. A recent review mentioned "velvet revolver" - totally agree. Fantastic! (5102 views) | | | Tasted by haBu on 3/8/2013 & rated 96 points: This tasting was offered by someone who is fastastically knowlegable in wine; as something he realy is impressed with. After the second mouthful it is best described as a 'velvet revolver'. oh so wonderfully smooth, complex, with mouthful of flavors that would not quit. It literally tries to overwhelm your mouth with wonderfulness. Dark ruby in color, with complex waves upon waves of new leather, dark chocolate, spice, mineral, dark berry, and cassis. Long in finish, andleading to a lingering of chewy tanins. I would love to try this again in ten years, but I am extremely grateful for this opportunity. Last note: this is my highest score I ever recorded on CT - cheers (4696 views) | | | Tasted by beaunehead on 3/8/2013 & rated 98 points: For a wine of fifteen years, this is incredibly dense and powerful in both the color and aromas - lots of cedar, smoke, white pepper, mint, grilled meat, pencil lead, and lots more. Every swirl of the glass released more and more nuances. On the palate, the attack is still dominated by acid and tannins, but the supple structure is seductive. A mouthful of intense cassis, blackberry, dark chocolate, smoke and wood, cigars, a cupboard full of spices, and so much more. Wouldn't say it's still a baby, but youthful, just entering adulthood. Still has years of life to go. Wow, wow, wow, wow, wow. On of the all time greats I've ever tasted, and I will lust for more. (4849 views) | | | Tasted by AlexHop on 2/26/2013 & rated 92 points: Nice and elegant. Well aged- drink now. (4023 views) | | | Tasted by pdemaio on 3/21/2012 & rated 93 points: Still aging relatively gracefully. Very much in teh traditional Phelps high end style. Good fruit and spice. Round tannins. Not as exciting in term of secondary notes on the nose as I might expect given the age. (4841 views) | | | Tasted by bonedocnine on 12/26/2011 & rated 91 points: This wine is fine and very typical of aged cali cabernet. The profile was not my favorite but very true to style and well executed. (4431 views) | | | Tasted by dannyk8232 on 11/15/2011 & rated 93 points: Brought to an offline along with a 99 Herb Lamb. Although the HL blew this away, it still is unbelievably young and will most liely benefit greatly from many more years of aging. You can tell there is something terrific hiding beneath the ripe, sweet, heavy beast that is currently standing guard. Bright red and black fruits, some spice and sweet oak. Fingers crossed this becomes a classic. (4319 views) | | | Tasted by DecoEd on 9/25/2011 & rated 91 points: Way too "jammy". This wine is as mature as it will get. 1997, Drink up now. (4093 views) | | | Tasted by floydtp on 6/25/2011 & rated 95 points: CellarTracker Wisconsin June 2011; 6/24/2011-6/25/2011 (Madison, WI- various venues): Tasted non blind at a tasting that included 94-99 Insignia and 94-99 Quilceda Creek. Beautiful cassis and mint nose with more of the same on the palate along with a hint of cedar. Big tannins. Very, very long finish. A bit more Old World in style than the Insignias it was tasted along side. If you are lucky enough to have any of these, hands off for a few to several more years. (6083 views) | | | Tasted by wineismylife on 6/25/2011 & rated 92 points: CellarTracker Wisconsin Offline I - Part Two - Double Vertical Tasting (petiteblanc's house in Madison, WI): WIML92+
Tasted non blind at an offline. Double decanted and left cork out for four hours before serving.
Garnet to dark garnet color in the glass, clear looking throughout. Nose of tobacco, currants, berries and a hint of garam marsala. Solid berry flavors, cherries and plums. Medium acidity, firm tannins, full bodied. Drink or hold. (5038 views) | | | Tasted by IWineAlot on 6/25/2011 & rated 91 points: CT Wisconsin Offline (Madison, WI): Didn't like this as much as the '97 Insignia. Seemed more aged on nose, cherries and a little meatiness. On the palate I got cherries and meaty/earthy note. This was dryer than Insignia on the finish. (5404 views) | | | Tasted by petitblanc on 6/25/2011 & rated 93 points: CT Wisconsin Offline; 6/24/2011-6/25/2011 (Madison, WI): Brilliant ruby red. Tasted next to the 97 Insignia, this showed a menthol/wood note that added smoothness and class. Nice now, but with structure to potentially become a superb mature cabernet. (5442 views) | | | Only displaying the 25 most recent notes - click to see all notes for this wine... |
| By Stephen Tanzer
Vinous, May/June 1999, IWC Issue #84
(Joseph Phelps Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon Backus Vineyard Napa Valley) Subscribe to see review text. |
NOTE: Scores and reviews are the property of Vinous. (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.Cabernet SauvignonCabernet Sauvignon is probably the most famous red wine grape variety on Earth. It is rivaled in this regard only by its Bordeaux stablemate Merlot, and its opposite number in Burgundy, Pinot Noir. From its origins in Bordeaux, Cabernet has successfully spread to almost every winegrowing country in the world. It is now the key grape variety in many first-rate New World wine regions, most notably Napa Valley, Coonawarra and Maipo Valley. Wherever they come from, Cabernet Sauvignon wines always seem to demonstrate a handful of common character traits: deep color, good tannin structure, moderate acidity and aromas of blackcurrant, tomato leaf, dark spices and cedarwood.
Used as frequently in blends as in varietal wines, Cabernet Sauvignon has a large number of common blending partners. Apart from the obvious Merlot and Cabernet Franc, the most prevalent of these are Malbec, Petit Verdot and Carmenere (the ingredients of a classic Bordeaux Blend), Shiraz (in Australia's favorite blend) and in Spain and South America, a Cabernet – Tempranillo blend is now commonplace. Even the bold Tannat-based wines of Madiran are now generally softened with Cabernet SauvignonUSAAmerican 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)Oakville |
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