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| Drinking Windows and Values |
| Community Tasting History |
| Community Tasting Notes (average 89.5 pts. and median of 89 pts. in 48 notes) - hiding notes with no text | | | Tasted by Tony Poli on 4/7/2014 & rated 91 points: This, our last bottle, has aged quite gracefully. Smooth and balanced, the fruit is still there, and there is plenty of backbone. It does California proud. (3134 views) | | | Tasted by kmforster on 8/3/2012 & rated 89 points: Really good -- velvety smooth but with good acidity to carry out the back end. Wish I had more. (Perhaps more to the point, wish Phelps still made this wine!!) (4168 views) | | | Tasted by wineward on 11/18/2010 & rated 87 points: Nose with rotten wood and licorice scents. Palate of stewed meat, licorice and a little kirsch. Probably would be interesting in 10 years. Good, but funky. (5150 views) | | | Tasted by Syrogr on 11/28/2009 & rated 88 points: One-dimensional, strawberries and ginger, too sweet. No tannins whatsoever. (6089 views) | | | Tasted by win on 11/10/2009 & rated 88 points: Fairly expressive aromas of blackberries and raspberries. Some acidity present, and after a day, the oak became much more prevalent, which made it more interesting in this case. Definitely was better on day two. (6350 views) | | | Tasted by jimkay21 on 8/30/2009 & rated 91 points: Opened this one randomly, no special reason, but turned out to be good choice. Dark color, nose is a bit muted, almost creamy black fruit palate. Tannins are not present to any significant extent. Smooth finish. I'd drink this one up. (3507 views) | | | Tasted by joshwoodward on 3/21/2009 & rated 87 points: Stimmel's Market: Great Whites (Bowling Green, OH): Pencil lead nose, with black berries. Medium body, red fruit, medium tannin and acid. Simple. Cracked pepper. Fresh, dusty. (3324 views) | | | Tasted by ancientvines on 10/10/2008 & rated 93 points: wow. This was a suprise. This wine is drinking quite nicely. Glad I've got a few left. Wonder how long it will hold. (3162 views) | | | Tasted by Syrogr on 7/15/2008 & rated 92 points: Bouquet of cinnamon and cloves, explosive first impression, then complex, fruity, dark, salty and alive with black licorice and sweet spice. (2545 views) | | | Tasted by TEDL on 12/28/2007 & 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. (3410 views) | | | Tasted by Kryn13 on 12/21/2007: Very Nice. A- (3511 views) | | | Tasted by jackarmando on 12/15/2007 & rated 92 points: I think this wine has been generally underrated on CellarTracker. It's a serious, reasonably priced wine. It has the rich iodine earthiness of a good Rhone blend, with wonderful balance and texture. (3669 views) | | | Tasted by madeiradog on 11/11/2007 & rated 88 points: Spicy and very delicious, the Mistral is a fun drink. Definitely can pick up the oak signature but not too overwhelming. For $24 a great qpr wine. (3612 views) | | | Tasted by CMCLR on 10/19/2007 & rated 87 points: Interesting but a little coarse. (3693 views) | | | Tasted by mmyette on 6/4/2007 & rated 87 points: Was an attempt at CDP. Okay, with tobacco and cigar box on the nose and palate, smokey meat, berry, and ceder. Finish was moderate. Pretty good, but not a true CDP. (3933 views) | | | Tasted by cousteau on 3/25/2007 & rated 91 points: Showing much better than when I tried it at the winery a year ago. Great nose of red berries, vanilla and some white peper undertone. On the mouth it coats your palate with an opulent structure, very sweet tannins, lot's of fruit. Very good balance and good finish. Perfect pairing with a simple roasted filet mignon. (4048 views) | | | Tasted by snaff on 2/5/2007 & rated 91 points: Rich blackberry, pepper and spicy notes, a little cedar and cola in the mid palette. Had with elk steaks at a friend's and it was a perfect pairing. A rich, complex wine with a weak finish being the only flaw. (4186 views) | | | Tasted by Texas R Aggie on 1/19/2007 & rated 89 points: Good ruby color. Fruit aroma, including blueberry and spice. Flavor had cherry and chewy chocolate. Finish was smooth, but nothing special. (4130 views) | | | Tasted by SacredCow on 11/4/2006 & rated 89 points: On the nose, pepper, plum and blackberries. On the palate, medium-bodied with lots of raspberries, blackberries vanilla and black cherry, with a medium length, spicy finish. Nice wine, but simpler and not quite up to the level of the last couple of vintages though. (4185 views) | | | Tasted by cmr on 7/17/2006 & rated 89 points: Fruit seemed a bit subdued but had excellant structure. (4134 views) | | | Tasted by mmyette on 3/1/2006 & rated 88 points: Nice, fruit forward rhone blend. It was forward on the black cherry, red currant, and light vanilla. Nice wine. (4600 views) | | | Tasted by CMCLR on 1/29/2006 & rated 85 points: Too Rustic compared to other vintages (4790 views) | | | Tasted by mmurry on 1/7/2006: This wine was a deep ruby and had a medium thickness. The nose was filled with berries, forest floor aromas, vanilla, and oak. In the mouth were the tastes of sweet berries, and earth. The tannins were soft and the finish was long.
This was my third favorite wine in the tasting I attended. (4473 views) | | | Tasted by davidandrose on 11/25/2005 & rated 88 points: Opened and allowed to sit about 45 mins. Only had one glass of this but in recollection it didn't strike me as anything special. Had some bitter flavors above spice and pepper and dark fruits. (4555 views) | | | Tasted by winefool on 11/12/2005 & rated 91 points: Opaque purple. Ripe zingy jammy black fruit and blueberry aroma with just a hint of bacon. Nice blueberry ripe fruit on the palate with a firm tannic frame. (3388 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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