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Search my tasting notes for "Joseph Phelps Cabernet Sauvignon Backus Vineyard"

(755 notes on 45 wines)

1 - 50 of 755 Sort order
Red
sublime oak juice, only i was looking for a sublime wine. it represents everything that is wrong with napa valley wines. i bet 99% of those who drink this have no idea what they are tasting. shameful
1 person found this helpful Comment
Red
3/5/2024 - Darwine Likes this wine:
98 points
A great wine hitting its stride now! Nose was full of dark fruit with a background of leather and some vanilla. Flavors followed with ripe dark fruit - blackberry and some ripe dark plum. The tannins were soft and layered with an acid balance that enhanced the fruit flavors throughout. Finish was nice and long with vanilla, chocalte and those dark fruits. A very exceptional wine!!
1 person found this helpful Comment
Red
2/17/2024 - WineWright Likes this wine:
94 points
Haven’t tried this since 2020. This bottle was silky smooth and wonderfully mellow, but very enjoyable. It did not have the personality I remember from last time, either on the nose or palate, but was fantastic for a 20 yr old. For those of you with multiple bottles remaining I would try soon and determine for yourself where you think this is going. For my last bottle I think I will uncork within the next 2 years. Posted a new photo.
1 person found this helpful Comment
Red
1/28/2024 - Bobcat 31 Likes this wine:
93 points
very enjoyable balanced and medium finish
Red
NR - Purchased recently from KL recently when they were selling a number of past vintages. Opened D1 with 3 hours of decanting. Tried the wine on opening and immediately regretted opening the bottle. It's too early to open this wine. Drank half of the bottle D1 with my somm buddy. Lots of tannins. Definitely high quality and got some 'maple syrup'. D2: settled down a bit. mix berry syrup and some vanilla with the oak. Again, too early to enjoy in my opinion.

Small side note: our brown bag included an '82 3 Palms and an '12 Pape Clement. Palms was excellent and Pape was excellent D2.

I have at least one of every Backus vintage going back to 1997 and I've only opened the 2004. Wait 20 on these. There are not many opportunities to enjoy and the wine needs to integrate.

Cheers.
1 person found this helpful Comment
Red
1/6/2024 - Ex-Ray wrote:
93 points
Fully mature, still garnet and opaque. Typical cassis aromas and flavors but still has noticeable tannins. I wouldn't age it any longer.
Ric
1 person found this helpful Comment
Red
12/31/2023 - mdvillaverde Likes this wine:
94 points
Consistent with but slightly improved from last note.
Red
12/28/2023 - Darwine Likes this wine:
98 points
What a glorious wine! Nose was full of sweet notes of black fruit and a touch of chocolate - totally surprising. Flavors were full of ripe dark fruit like a good luxardo black cherry and maybe ripe black plum with a delightful backdrop of chocolate. Finish was long with ripe fruit and chocolate. This is an early wine but if it gets better, and it will, it will be spectacular. Glad I have 5 more!
1 person found this helpful Comment
Red
12/27/2023 - pellejeros519 Likes this wine:
96 points
Fantastic. Great dark hue, blackberry and tobacco aroma, medium body and very enjoyable finish. Still has room to run.
Red
12/25/2023 - KingsleyZissou Likes this wine:
97 points
An outstanding expression of the vineyard, with many years yet to grow.

Nose of dark dried fig, sweet leather, allspice, licorice, pepper, and forest floor all tinged with a floral background of violets. Beautiful concentration that didn’t impose on the subtle nuances on display.

Palate shows typical Napa raw power but tempered with the initials touches of age. Gorgeous balance and lush texture. Excited to see where the 17s will go with time.
1 person found this helpful Comment
Red
12/17/2023 - Darwine Likes this wine:
98 points
Love this full bodied Napa Cab!! Nose was leather, vanilla and some friendly earthy elements with ripe dark fruit. Flavors were ripe black raspberry and black cherry with a wisp of fresh baked. Cherry pie. The tannins were expressive with layered qualities making the finish long and ending in black fruit flavors! A beautiful wine destined to be perfect in several years!!
2 people found this helpful Comment
Red
12/13/2023 - gteran76 Likes this wine:
93 points
Double D for one hour and place in the fridge for about 10 min. The pairing wasn’t the best, sous vide Salmon with linguini and broccoli.

The wine is bold, dark, strong character, fair finish. Entering drinking period and should be at peak in about 2-5 years…

Drink or hold.
Red
12/4/2023 - Darwine Likes this wine:
98 points
This was a welcome surprise to the last bottle I had! This aged so perfectly! Opened up over 40 minutes with the notes of leather and vanilla to start going to herbal and floral notes with a background of dark fruit. Flavors followed with dark fruit, blackberry and ripe plum to blackberry and black cherry. The tannis were expressive but soft with lingering black fruit. Finish was long with these beautiful layered tannins and dark fruit. A great Napa Cabernet!!
1 person found this helpful Comment
Red
12/3/2023 - dfcrutcher Likes this wine:
93 points
Nice soft well-developed tannins. Fruit holding up but fading. Needs to be drunk soon.
Red
12/2/2023 - Libbidog Likes this wine:
97 points
Deep ruby. Violets, black plum, black cherry, currants, roasted meat, savory dried herbs, dusty stones, vanilla, long finish. Outstanding.
1 person found this helpful Comments (2)
Red
11/12/2023 - pmarlo Likes this wine:
96 points
11/12/23-Bottle 02538. Cork broke in half but sealed still. Faint bouquet. No fruit and mostly alcohol. Hoping it needs air. Now open about 3 hours and fruit is showing up. The alcohol still there but fruit is balancing it so it is less noticeable. Wine lighter at rim of glass. Now 5+ hours and fruit has swam up to the surface. Not a lot but it's there and nice. Tart and there is acid but dialed down. Was expecting other flavors to be present from aging but its at the moment a onenote wine. Maybe a 92 for me.
Day two. Fruit has stepped forward big time. Taste is sort of cherry, a flavor I usually get from pinot. This is not a pinot. The fruit, which was close to nonexistent yesterday, is front and center today. So nice. Also some other flavors of soil and something earth and organic soil or moss. The greatness of this wine showed up. Revising to 95.
On the third day it rose. The purity of the fruit now is astounding. This wine was not a repeat of my last bottle in 2019. Among the best cabs I have ever had. And I was ready to write it off on day one. There is fruit in abundance but another flavor profile that I can't define. Is it soil or the unique site signature? Either way, compelling wine on the third day. I have no idea how much longer this will last. CT users indicate 2025 end date. My two times having this felt like I had two different wines show up. Further aging depends on which of these two show up. I know nothing about the pedigree of this site, or even if there is a Backus vineyard. A great wine, a great experience. If I recall, I originally bought this to have companions to the 2002 Insignia, which at that time was the wine of the year, a lucky find for me. Pricing will prevent me from ever having another. But glad I had it in the first place.
Red
11/20/2023 - Jim B Likes this wine:
93 points
Decanted for an hour, but really show it's best at the end of bottle, which was about 1 1/2 hours in. I would drink soon, if I had more.
Red
11/14/2023 - DWStyle Likes this wine:
96 points
Quick note: slo-oxed for a couple hours. Napa 07’s are tannic structured wines that need extra time. This is at the age where it can be decanted or slo-oxed into a great drink.
If I had more or a larger format bottle I’d hold off for 2-4 more years or more ideally! This wine needs time.
1 person found this helpful Comment
Red
10/21/2023 - G_H wrote:
97 points
Extremely impressive, deep, dark, intense and powerful. At the same time already quite seductive and sexy. Stunning wine!
Red
9/17/2023 - Darwine Likes this wine:
96 points
Opened up nicely with a nose of dark fruit and some leatger. Further opening added a nice herbal essence - maybe a little cardigan. Flavors were full of dark cherry and blackberry with some ripe dark plum. Finish was beautiful with that dark fruit and a nice blackberry twinge of acid. A beautiful wine!!
2 people found this helpful Comment
Red
3/16/2022 - bubbachumps wrote:
95 points
Covolo's 2002 Napa Cab tasting (Casa Covolo): Started off with a simple nose, notes of cassis, and dark berry. On the palate, well integrated, with some spice and a tad bit of grainy tannins on the finish. This showed the biggest improvement over the evening, the palate became silkier as the night went on the nose continued to open and become more complex. Finished 4 of 8 in tasting of 2002 Napa cabs, but was my 3 of 8.
1 person found this helpful Comment
Red
Not my cup of tea, but many a dinner loved it. So much oak even at age 21. My palate has moved to Burgundy of the non-Parkerized variety so this wine is too much for me. It’s hard to believe this wine is French oak, given the preponderance of vanilla and dill. There is fruit but the oak dominates. I wish Napa wines scaled back on the new oak and made a balanced drink. If you like being hit on the head by an oak stave while drinking then this is a wine for you. For whatever reason, perhaps the Bordeaux blending, I always prefer Insignia to Backus and 2002 is no exception.
1 person found this helpful Comment
Red
Decanted for an hour and drank over several hours. Smooth and seemed quite ready to drink in terms of well-integrated tannins, but strangely muted on the nose and on the palate. It was not corked or seemingly otherwise flawed, so maybe in a dumb phase, although others’ notes here don’t suggest that. I have more bottles, so I will try another one later and see if maybe it was just an off bottle somehow.
1 person found this helpful Comment
Red
8/19/2023 - pdicorpo Likes this wine:
95 points
Phenomenal! Perfectly aged - still robust but with a smooth finish. Love this and wish I had more...
1 person found this helpful Comment
Red
8/4/2023 - gteran76 Likes this wine:
93 points
Double decanted for 15 min and placed in the fridge for about half an hour, drank one hour later.

Great drinking spot and smooth.
Red
7/19/2023 - Darwine wrote:
98 points
A beautiful full bodied Napa Cabernet! The nose was spectacular with a blast of dark fruit and then going to a vanilla and leather essence. The flavors followed with dark fruit and vanilla chocolate notes. The tannis were there with a nice enjoyable presence - layered and soft. . The acid balance of this wine made the flavors intense and marvelous. It can’t get any better than this.!!
2 people found this helpful
Red
7/12/2023 - Darwine Likes this wine:
98 points
A beautiful luscious full bodied Napa Cabernet! Nose of leather and vanilla which changed with time to a nice floral essence. The flavors were full of dark fruit - Black cherries, blackberry and some muted plum. The tannins were very reserved but had that presence that made the finish long and enjoyable. This wine is young as a 18 but a few more years and it will be perfection. Best cab I have had in a long time. Just delicious!!!
2 people found this helpful Comment
Red
6/12/2023 - El Gato wrote:
Really really good and well worth the wait.
1 person found this helpful Comments (1)
Red
5/27/2023 - markcic Likes this wine:
95 points
This wine was opened three hours prior to dinner and drank against a 2013 Insignia and a 2006 Cos d'Estournel. The nose on this wine was spectacular with dark berries and hints of chocolate. The palate was dark berries, dark cherry, tobacco and chocolate leading to a long finish. My good Michael preferred this wine over the Insignia. I have rated them the same but I did prefer the Insignia.
2 people found this helpful Comment
Red
5/5/2023 - Winechat63 Likes this wine:
99 points
WOW. Great cork. Drinking wonderful now and will last a while longer. Decanted for 2 hours then drank over next 3+. Incredibly smooth, tannins basically gone. Hard to say whether on the lips or the finish was the best. Maybe best ever wine for us. I’m always wondering if the quality merits the price, but this did and was phenomenal.
4 people found this helpful Comment
Red
5/5/2023 - gteran76 Likes this wine:
93 points
Double decanted for 3 min and started consuming about 2 hours later. I have had several vintages of this wine and never before the 2005.

The wine shows very little age and no bricks, body is close to full body, firm tannins and acidity. Dark notes, a bit linear for it age. I was expecting a touch more but when it cuts through some fat it gets much better. I guess a fatty meat will help, I had it with Seabass so not the best pairing.

Maybe the peak for this one is on the rear mirror. Drink up but no rush either…
Red
4/15/2023 - evanlyall Likes this wine:
96 points
Awesome bottle. Will be good for many years is my guess. Bold but smooth
1 person found this helpful Comment
Red
4/8/2023 - Darwine Likes this wine:
98 points
A beautiful full bodied wine. Right out of the bottle the dark fruit overcame the alcohol and leather notes. The nose stayed in a dark fruit realm of dark plum, black cherry and some black raspberry - wow! The tannis were very soft and alluring and the finish was to die for!! I really enjoyed this wine!
2 people found this helpful Comment
Red
3/12/2023 - RedMeat wrote:
97 points
What BestDamnCab said... My first Insignia was the '96 which I purchased in '99, although I later tasted the '95. The '96 was consumed shortly after purchase (for $69) although it had a long decant. It was served at a blind tasting of ten cabernets, tasted in random order by about 20 of my coworkers. It changed my view of wine entirely and made me a cabernet devotee. The depth and richness of the wine was stunning, although later in my wine journey I grew to appreciate the balance and complexity that aging cabernet nurtures. I've tasted most every Insignia from 1995 to 2019 with impressions ranging from outstanding to classic, but I had never tasted a Backus until the Member Appreciation event that BDC mentioned. I was there, too. I'm long into my wine journey and am not easily impreseed, but the 2016 Backus... blew... me... away. I love the Insignia blend, but this is the essence of California cabernet. The mouth feel, the texture, the deft weight, the cherry, violets and chocolate. Silky. Don't recall mineral/earth, but I assume it added to the dazzling complexity that enticed you for another and another sip. Young by experts' assessments, but can a wine possibly improve over this? If so, 100 points are within grasp. Found it the next day on the secondary market for considerably less than what Phelps was parting with it that day. Simply magnificent. I'm currently eying the '13, '14 & '15 at auction. Bravo Phelps!
3 people found this helpful Comments (2)
Red
3/11/2023 - markcic Likes this wine:
94 points
With our good friends Leslie and Michael coming for dinner I opened this bottle 3 hours prior to their arrival and decanted two hours prior. The nose is dark fruit and a hint of red fruit. The palate is blackberry, cassis, tobacco, with a hint of mocha. The finish is long with a hint of spices coming through.
1 person found this helpful Comment
Red
3/2/2023 - jcampano Likes this wine:
95 points
Decanted for 3 hours. Bold aromas of lavender, black cherry, crushed rocks and graphite. Medium-full bodied with grippy tannins that became silky over time, leading to a 15-second finish.
Red
3/2/2023 - Darwine Likes this wine:
98 points
This wine is hitting its stride! A full nose of brautiful dark fruit with the pallet to follow. Bold flavors of dark fruit - take your choice and a finish full of beutiful sold silky tannis - a long one. Had it with filet mignon - perfect and so enjoyable.
3 people found this helpful Comment
Red
Singer & Foy survey of '86 Cabs with MPL and BLR. Excellent, dark, blood-ruby color. Good sleek fruit in the nose, with eucalyptus and mint. In the mouth, too much eucalyptus. Really light. No backbone. A disappointment. 5-11-9-5: 80/100.
Red
6/23/1990 - MicklethePickle Likes this wine:
85 points
At Singer & Foy survey of new "killer Cabs." Very lovely dark ruby; coats the glass. Nose shows highly extracted fruit. Not as deep or powerful as some others. On the palate, mouth-drying tannins are downright astringent. Is there enough fruit? I don't think so. Good, but too tannic. 5-11-14-5: 85/100.
Red
2/11/2023 - RockinCabs wrote:
89 points
Blind Flights with Boston Dinner Club: Beautiful minty nose with dark fruit and warm stone, perhaps a touch oxidative, but the mint, cedar, olive and plum notes were prominent.

On the palate this was showing a hot, and a bit smudged. Some thought it might be heat damaged, but for me the warmth of this exposed Oakville site was on display. Very ripe plum, bruised berries and burnt clay notes that were underpinned by classic herbal cabernet.

I'll hunt for a fresher bottle, but this neck fill with a pristine cork was about as good as you are going to get on this wine. I just did not get the HD quality of the other wines in this flight.
Red
6/1/1991 - MicklethePickle Likes this wine:
90 points
At Singer & Foy survey of '84 cabs. Dark ruby color. Coats the glass. Deep, lovely, varietal aroma. Blackcurrants and cassis. Just a hint of mint. Lovely. Pretty nice wine in the mouth, too. Very astringent with a boatload of unresolved tannin, packed with fruit. Tobacco notes too. Great future. Drinkable now, but could use a few more years. 5-12-15-8: 90/100.
Red
12/1/1988 - MicklethePickle Likes this wine:
89 points
With MPL and BLR at lunch at the London Wine Bar. Extremely dark. Very rich, deep nose with multiple nuances. Excellent concentration and depth of flavor. Juicy and good. Lasting. 5-11-16-7: 89/100.
Red
1/29/2023 - mp44 wrote:
92 points
v smooth, though not super complex - certainly v enjoyable though!
Red
1/23/2023 - Tranquility Base Likes this wine:
95 points
Christmas dinner wine. As with my previous bottle, this is much more subtle and smooth than what one might expect from a Napa Cabernet. It's a wonderful wine though, with so many nuanced flavors. Very elegant. We had it with a superb prime rib roast - obviously a great pairing. The bottle showed no signs of going south, so it probably could have aged for many more years. In fact, I wondered if it was in a bit of a quiet phase and might be better five or more years from now. This is possible. It remains one of the best Napa Cabernets I have ever had.
1 person found this helpful Comment
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