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| Drinking Windows and Values |
| Community Tasting History |
| Community Tasting Notes (average 94.1 pts. and median of 94 pts. in 349 notes) - hiding notes with no text | | | Tasted by Valaprop on 4/13/2024 & rated 96 points: Exceptional. Enjoyed over dinner at an excellent restaurant (main dishes were pork in a red wine sauce and a strip steak). 30 years in, this wine is fully mature but at least this bottle still had lots of time left. This is a full-bodied wine, with gorgeous fruit, great structure, and a wonderful long finish. One of the best California reds I have had in quite some time. While this is unmistakably a California wine, it has complexity, structure and nuance -- it's not an OTT "fruit bomb". I have had many bottles of the 1999 Insignia over the years -- I thought this was even better and doesn't seem even close to decline. (218 views) | | | Tasted by jgh123 on 2/7/2024 & rated 95 points: Rich, fully developed and delicious! At a perfect place. Will last at least 5 more years but there's nothing to be gained by waiting. (800 views) | | | Tasted by Pinotfanbg on 1/27/2024 & rated 93 points: Drank this with family at our covid delayed Christmas dinner of prime rib roast. Very elegant wine. Plummy red and black fruit, good structure and balance. Perfectly resolved tannins, long silky finish. Maybe just past peak. Throwing lots of sediment. (778 views) | | | Tasted by ljl on 1/21/2024 & rated 80 points: I knew I was in trouble when I removed the lead cap. The cork had a stain of wine and was soft. Color was good. Deep red and clear. At first the wine was acidic which reduced after decanting. Although the acid taste disappeared, the wine was flat. (873 views) | | | Tasted by dkwins on 10/24/2023 & rated 97 points: Perhaps my favorite Napa year and more than held its own as my WOTN in an amazing lineup. Impressive richness that belies its age with superb nose and long, memorable finish. (1305 views) | | | Tasted by Wineshington on 6/28/2023 & rated 95 points: WOTN. Still fresh and vibrant Beat out some 82 Bordeaux and other choice wines. (1810 views) | | | Tasted by Ruby99 on 3/14/2023 & rated 94 points: 1 hr decant
Dark garnet with just a bit of lightening at the edge
Delicious deep dark blackberry raspberry nose
Intense, fruit forward black raspberry jam on the palate with a long rich finish. Not a bad note anywhere to be found - and the last glass after 3 hrs in the decanter was the best
Drinking at peak and probably will be for a few more years (1919 views) | | | Tasted by ash_then_chase on 2/4/2023 & rated 97 points: Now this is a wine. At the kickoff, was putting almost everything else to shame. Textural fruit presence. @ Napa Boys Trip (1954 views) | | | Tasted by ash_then_chase on 2/4/2023 & rated 95 points: Took 3-4+ hours to open up. Ripe plum, cedar, tobacco. Better with each hour out of the bottle and in the decanter. Splendid body and acidic profile. @ Hawksmoor (1835 views) | | | Tasted by DesMarteau on 1/1/2023: Same as before …takes an hour …but gets to perfection ….strong fruit and long finisb (1573 views) | | | Tasted by Pitkin_CT on 11/23/2022 & rated 97 points: Fantastic! Drinking beautifully (1409 views) | | | Tasted by Dine&Vine on 11/13/2022: Definitely on the decline. Drank from magnum purchased on release and stored properly in my cellar.
Wine has some residual flavor but only a shadow of what it was…waited too long. (1122 views) | | | Tasted by Barsacpinci on 10/30/2022: Out of a magnum. A mature Cal Cab. Lots of dark berry fruit. On the decline. (1028 views) | | | Tasted by Milos on 5/21/2022 & rated 94 points: Drank side by side with ’94 Arrowood Cabernet Sauvignon Réserve Spéciale at Bymark. Very fascinating seeing the two wines evolve over the two hours. Dark red fruit, cassis, leather, nose was quite complex from the start but shy. Intense complex flavours on the palate that integrated nicely over the two hours. Fine tannins make an appearance just at the end. Very long complex finish. Very complete, satisfying wine. At the end it showed more complete than the Arrowood, but I also think it is closer to its end. Drink up. (94+) (1964 views) | | | Tasted by seijaro on 1/22/2022 & rated 94 points: The CT community is right on. Opened an hour ahead, the cork disintegrated so had to use a fine sieve to decant. It went from 92 on opening to 94 after an hour and with the food, then slowly back to 92 in the next hour. We agree with those who say drink it up while it is still a great old CA Cab, it's near the end of its glory days. Great fun to dink and discuss this classic. (2456 views) | | | Tasted by Wineshington on 12/27/2021 & rated 94 points: Towards the end of the drinking window. I would not hold. Popped and poured, but drank over three hours. Improved during the time. (2282 views) | | | Tasted by sdr on 12/11/2021 & rated 90 points: More interesting and better balanced than younger versions, the ‘94 is quite lively, even fresh, with integrated acidity and tannins. Still, the fruit is strictly one note black cherry and there’s nothing to tell you where it came from. Nice for a sip or two, then boring. (2477 views) | | | Tasted by DH90 on 11/21/2021 & rated 95 points: Excellent fill. Medium deep garnet color with slightly brown edge. Amazingly complex aromas of ginger, cardamom, and candied cherry fruit. Nicely balanced although still had some tannins on the mid palate. Good length. This was a lovely wine and held together well. We tried this next to the 1997, 2000, 2004, and 2012. The group favorites were 2000 and 1997 followed by the 1994. My preference was for the 1994. (2425 views) | | | Tasted by Sperls on 10/9/2021 & rated 95 points: From mag. Forgot to write this note a year ago, but I recall the wine being in excellent shape with wonderful fruit and secondary characteristics and a decent finish. One mag left so I may see how long to push for the next and last try. (667 views) | | | Tasted by DesMarteau on 8/10/2021 & rated 97 points: wow....after an hour open gains weight and color...amazingly young...core blueberries, spice, pencil lead, crushed stones...long finish...great integration. Not opulent...subtle light mouth feel and complex. (2388 views) | | | Tasted by Cailles on 6/23/2021 flawed bottle: Tasted double blind. Sadly this bottle was corked but underneath that taint it showed quite promising and layered. No luck with this flight of Napa Cabs from the legendary 1994 vintage, the Inisgnia corked and the Spottswoode dead. (2585 views) | | | Tasted by lesz on 4/17/2021 & rated 93 points: very good but i think its time to drink (2094 views) | | | Tasted by dkentaustin on 12/24/2020 & rated 97 points: Garnet red - sweet subtle perfume and flint followed by elegant white oak. Lots of sweet red fruits, especially currant. Perfectly integrated tannins that allow the wine to melt around your mouth - no hard edges. Beautifully complex yet soft in so many ways. This wine is in a great place!
p.s. beef tenderloin, pierogis and green beans ... leftovers (2527 views) | | | Tasted by AllRed on 11/27/2020: Annual Friendsgiving Gathering (TLV's): Courtesy of tlv, decanted off its sediment and poured. Dark core with just a bit of bricking. Notes of leather and black currants, cedar and florals. Tannins are nearly fully resolved at this stage, and though mature still shows the ripe fruit of the vintage. Leather and iron qualities as well, finishing with good length. While I think it should hold at this level for a few years, I'd opt for enjoying over the short term, through 2022. (2800 views) | | | Tasted by Vino Me on 11/27/2020 & rated 88 points: Opened by Lostverse. Not decanted. Loaded with iron and beef blood notes. Brickish red color. Showing its age. Soft tannins. 88 points. (2366 views) | | | Only displaying the 25 most recent notes - click to see all notes for this wine... |
| By Stephen Tanzer
Vinous, Vertical Tasting of Phelps Insignia (Apr 2016) (4/1/2016)
(Joseph Phelps Vineyards Insignia Napa Valley) Subscribe to see review text. | By Stephen Tanzer
Vinous, Horizontal Tasting of Napa Valley’s 1994 Cabernets (Jul 2015) (3/1/2015)
(Joseph Phelps Vineyards Insignia Napa Valley) Subscribe to see review text. | By Jancis Robinson, MW
JancisRobinson.com (3/21/2013)
(Joseph Phelps, Insignia Napa Valley Red) Subscribe to see review text. | By John Kapon
Vintage Tastings, Dom Perignon, 12 Angry Men, Auction Lunch and a Holiday Party (12/13/2004)
(Insignia) Login and sign up and see review text. | By Richard Jennings
RJonWine.com (7/4/2013)
(Joseph Phelps Insignia) From magnum; ripe berry, blackberry, black currant nose; ripe berry, baked berry, black currant palate; long finish 93 points | By Richard Jennings
RJonWine.com (12/15/2009)
(Joseph Phelps Insignia) Dark red violet color; bright, ripe cassis, raspberry nose; youthful, charming, cassis, blackberry palate with a touch of mint and depth; long finish 94+ pts. 94 points |
NOTE: Scores and reviews are the property of Vinous and JancisRobinson.com and Vintage Tastings and RJonWine.com. (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.Red Bordeaux BlendRed Bordeaux is generally made from a blend of grapes. Permitted grapes are Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Merlot, Petit Verdot, Malbec and rarely Carménère.Today Carménère is rarely used, with Château Clerc Milon, a fifth growth Bordeaux, being one of the few to still retain Carménère vines. As of July 2019, Bordeaux wineries authorized the use of four new red grapes to combat temperature increases in Bordeaux. These newly approved grapes are Marselan, Touriga Nacional, Castets, and Arinarnoa.
Wineries all over the world aspire to making wines in a Bordeaux style. In 1988, a group of American vintners formed The Meritage Association to identify wines made in this way. Although most Meritage wines come from California, there are members of the Meritage Association in 18 states and five other countries, including Argentina, Australia, Canada, Israel, and Mexico.InsigniaOf interest concerning the sources for grapes for this wine:
http://wine.appellationamerica.com/wine-review/669/Insignia.html
jhtUSAAmerican 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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