Finishing up the last third of the bottle leftover from last night’s tasting. Currant, plum, mocha, chocolate, lavender and cassis notes. Seamless across the palate, filling out with dark plummy fruit, rose water, anise and herb flavors. Gorgeous.
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Small Tasting & Dinner with Friends: Blind. Dark color. Plum, blackberry, chocolate and mocha aromas. Full-bodied and nicely integrated, with flavors of blue and black fruit, coffee, plum and chocolate. Notes of saddle leather and sage emerge with air. Velvety texture. Lengthy finish. Gorgeous, and showing nowhere near old as it really is.
This was double decanted off its sediment three hours before the flight was poured. An absolutely pristine bottle, cellared since release, the cork wasn't even stained to 1/8". Improved throughout the remainder of the evening.
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NYE dinner with friends. Similar to my last note in 2022. Purchased on release and stored at 55 degrees. Opened 3 hours ahead. Beautiful nose of cassis, a touch of cedar and flowers. Very plush and silky, but with just enough tannins to maintain freshness. Medium plus bodied with plenty of dark, ripe fruit and a great finish. On a nice drinking plateau but this was slightly softer than a bottle consumed 18 months ago. My last bottle - Probably no upside from here. 95 points
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Wow! This is really at its' epogee now. Tanins are mild while the fruit really shines. Not overblown and really balanced. Hints of blackberry with slight euchalyptus notes. This ranks as one of my favorite Insignias. Only 2 bottles left and will probabably finish them in 7 to 8 years.
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It's been over a year since I last tasted this and it did not disappoint! Powerful nose and dense in colour and texture. Great depth of flavour; evolved leather notes with dark cherries and other berries. Smooth as silk. A real beauty which is in a perfect place now and looks good to go for a few more years if you want more tertiary flavours to match the dark fruit. I am going for drink by 2027..
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Decanted for 90 minutes prior to tasting. Very dark purple color; roasted meat nose. Dark and integrated. Some black fruit remains, complemented with tones of mocha, mint and eucalyptus. There’s still a bit of tannic structure, indicating that this wine can easily develop for another decade or more. It’s terrific at present, and I believe it is just hitting its maturational stride. Let us know what you think.
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Wow delicious. Pop n poured and took about an hour to open up. Nice cassis, aged cab with mellow tannins. Really in a good spot. Dont think more aging needed but can last some years
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Color and body was in excellent condition. Due it is age, lacked some of the complexity it had 10 years ago. Still drinking nicely! Soft mouth feel dark fruits and berries start to end.
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When I first tasted this 12 years ago, my impression was that this was the greatest Insignia I've ever had. This bottle not only reaffirms that, but it's even better than before. What is striking now is how the tannins have resolved into a velvety texture that engulfs the palate. No signs of decline and barely any hints of secondary notes. My last bottle, but if I did have more, I would have no concerns about cellaring this in another decade.
Purchased on release. This is drinking really well.....but it lacked a bit of the 'wow factor' that I was expecting. Red fruits, cassis, and a herbal component on the finish. Perfectly integrated and ready to go, but I don't see it going downhill anytime soon. This bottle was good but not great, and I would probably drink the rest of mine over the next 5 years if I had anymore so as to still catch some of the fruit.
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Luis goes to Kenwood (The Kenwood): Hopefully I"DRATHER... will mention the bottle treatment, because this one seemed more primary than a bottle a year ago. A pairing of this and the 2011 Tignanello may have done the Insignia a disservice, as the Tignanello seemed so lively, while the Insignia was very rich, dark and almost dessert-like. Rich bold fruit.
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Prep: Opened the bottle at 2:00 and poured into a decanter. Placed decanter in the wine cellar for an hour, then back in the bottle and loosely corked. Removed cork at the restaurant at 5:00 and slo-O for another two hours before consuming.
Tasting note: Wowsa! This wine really improved since the last bottle. In a very nice place for my palate, striking that balance, which I love, between fruit and tertiary flavors. Nose was quite appealing with potpourri, cherry bark, leather and earth dominating. The palate showed layers of dark and red fruit, mixed with tobacco, earth, leather and graphite. The tannins were ultra smooth and there was still enough acidity to keep the fruit going strong. Add a medium-long finish and you have a pretty amazing older Napa wine! I wish I had a few more bottles, but absolutely no regret opening now.
Thanks to Odedis for their review on CT, which convinced me to pop this open! Easy 95 for me, and I feel that is pretty conservative! My WOTN, and not just saying that because it was my bottle! I had high expectations, and this bottle still managed to exceed them!
Here is a fabulous 99 point wine by Robert Parker.
Dark ruby in color with a short reddish rim.
Great nose of blueberries, blackberries, black currants, plums, cooked cherries, cedar, earth, vanilla, Mediterranean spices, espresso, cola, light herbs, chocolates, tobacco and black pepper.
Full bodied, smooth and elegant, with medium acidity and long legs.
Dry and fruity on the palate with blackberries, black cherries, figs, cedar, chocolates, vanilla, licorice, spices, tobacco, herbs, light earth, cola and peppercorn.
Long finish with round tannins and tangy cherries.
This is a gorgeous Cabernet Sauvignon based Bordeaux blend from Napa Valley.
Showing nice balance and a great mouthfeel. Round and rich. Elegant and smooth.
This 22 year old still has a lot of power in it, and will continue to age nicely in the next 5 to 10 years.
Good right out of the bottle, and better after 2 hours of airtime.
So soft and powerful, with a great nose. This is a gorgeous wine right now.
A blend of 89% Cabernet Sauvignon, 8% Petit Verdot and 3% Malbec. Aged in all new French oak barrels for 24 months.
dark red with garnet rim - black fruit nose with some complex aromas (graphite, red peonies) - big full round mouth of sweet fruit (black cherries, plumbs) - excellent fruit-tannin balance, low acidity - long 20-30 sec finish - a great CA cab that is continuing to evolve in the mouth, and beginning to develop some complexity in the nose as well
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Wine was in a great place and had cruised in a cold cellar for two decades. Fruit still in place, and showing some age. The wine was very well balanced. Drink now and enjoy.
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230323 - impromptu dinner withthe usual Vino heads in MYS
Another aged American giant sourced by Joe. Super privileged that my first Insignia is a 22 year old bot. This is initially muted and dumb which restrained to take a sip. The bitter & gritty tannins took almost 2 hours of aeration & swirling in the glass to open up. Sweet cassis, licorice, jammy fruit notes, mocha & hint of smoke. Multi layered & great intensity with elegantly polished finish.
Absolutely ready. Birthday dinner with prime ribeyes. Excellent wine from opening to empty. Not decanted. Bottle coated with fine tannins. Didn't fade. Lovely and elegant. Full mouth. Med long finish. Ready now but has some time left.
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Delicious hedonistic dark ripe lush red fruit aromas with silky smooth rich delicious fruit dipped in milk chocolate with no hard edges. A bit warm, but otherwise pure yum. Likely at peak, its almost all about the beautiful fruit here. Thanks ddlm
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One of the red wines opened at a wine dinner at St. Anselm in DC, this was far and away the wine of the night. Just a stunning bottle of Insignia; one that my very Franco-phile palate would have been hard pressed to identify as Napa. In a perfect place right now.
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Spectacular. Fairy tale land - chocolate sprinkled on forest floor, with dark berries poking up from underneath. Mahogany, almost hints of sandalwood. Despite its age, it still has a youth-like structure with present, though rounded tannins and a wonderful acidity that encourages you to play with it in your mouth. Finish is perfect for a 20+ year old wine. If you purchased this shortly after release, it's a perfect testament to the effort of aging a fine wine.
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This was outstanding, decanted and tucked in right away. Tobacco nose, red and black fruit, milk chocolate, with a hint of sweetness and plenty of mineral to balance. WOTN for me. Paired with braised lamb shank at Tuscany in SLC.
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Wow, this is drinking very well right now, and much younger than a 20+ year old wine. Great rich texture, and dark red fruit and red blood flavors that is so typical of Insignia. The tanins have softened and the palate is soft, but the mature flavors are still subtle. Drinking well right now, but will continue to evolve into a more mature beautiful wine.
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WOW!!! This bottle was the star of a night lined up against a 98 Mouton, 85 Lynch Bages and 97 Lail. The 01 Insignia is drinking like a 4-5 year old, but with rounds edges. Beautiful bouquet, loads of dark ripe fruit ... almost candied. Great, integrated tanning, long finish. WOW ... sorry, already said that.
Double decanted for 45 minutes. Deep Ruby color and a touch of mint on the nose. The flavor profile is broad and rich with notes of cocoa mint, and tons of umami. Quite nice. Still performing very well.
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Did a Insignia retrospective tasting at JPV Bought a couple 01’s & a couple 02’ !!! Tastes of sweet cherries! Fine bouquet , velvety tannins on mid. Silky on the finish, a delightful aged beauty for sure! Not the bell of the ball any more but she still has poises and elegance.
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Opened 3 hours ahead. Beautiful nose of cassis, a touch of cedar and flowers. Plush, but with enough acid and tannins to maintrain freshness. Full bodied with plenty of dark, ripe fruit and a lond finish. This was followed by a 1997 Insignia that was perhaps a touch bigger and richer. Purchased on release and stored at 55 degrees. On a nice drinking plateau. 95 points
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A little weird on opening, but who isn’t after 20 years under a cork? Gentle decant led very quickly to a great wine, a little ripe but then smoothed out and we had typical cab dark fruit and plenty of acid for a delicate balance that held up over the next 4 hours. Our last bottle but we’d be happy to have this again. 95 pts
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The last tasting note matched my experience after a one hour carafe. Just want to add that it has come around nicely since my last post in 2013 and is in a perfect drinking window. Obviously a hot year with its creamy, silky texture and prune-like character which works well with the tertiary elements. If it wasn’t for the residual richness It could have been mistaken for a Bordeaux Grand Cru!
Splash decant. Deep garnet color with a touch of bricking at the edges. Richly integrated. Sweet Dark fruits undergirded by leather, and other secondary flavors. Good tannic structure, and a long finish. Will go at least another decade.
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Decanted for 90 minutes and cleaned the bottle...This had dark fruits on the nose and was at peak complex and long finish.....great. I think this is peak drinking for this as the tanin is fully integrated and this has low acid....Enjoy
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Double decanted and served blind. Dark hue with some bricking.
On the nose, really regal, with some rosemary and blue/black fruit potpourri. Well integrated but with excellent depth and concentration and some pencil lead minerals. We thought it might have been a top wine from Graves. Sappy but not so sun-kissed that guessed tended toward old world. We suspected a ripe year, like 98. Anyway, this showed impeccably well and Phelps’ insignias from that era (we’ll say 95-05) have aged almost uniformly well in my opinion.
Decanted about an hour before dinner, with rack of lamb. This was actually a very good bottle. My only mistake was pouring this after (rather than before) the 2000 Pavie. This quite possibly deserved a huge score, but the Pavie went to 11.
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Notes very similar from my last notes last year. A tad bit more refined at this point drinking is outstanding time to drink this mother up maybe hold one for another five years for fun.
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Big juicy nose with lots of strawberry, cherry, and raspberry. Palate was much different from the nose. Little fruit but lots of Earthiness. Moist soil, tobacco, violet. Really well balanced with smooth tannins. Long finish and delicious. Decanted just enough to get the broken cork out and drank within 30 minutes. Excellent!
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60 minute decant. Extremely dark garnet color, just a touch of bricking at the edges. White pepper nose. Deeply integrated flavors; no sharp edges. Exotic dark fruit. Spice, tea, mint and leather. Delicious.
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Mature and ready. Black fruits dominate with more cassis and pencil shavings. Good acidity and gritty tannins but integrated. Fun wine to taste and drink though the evening. In a flight with 00’ Abreu and 09 Herb Lamb. This came in 3rd for me but it was in some stellar company.
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Given that there are already 471 tasting notes on this particular wine, I'll compartmentalize this, now #472, tasting note:
1. In a beautiful drinking window right now. 2. Freshness that glides smoothly and maintains persistence through the rolling finish. 3. Medium-bodied overall. 4. Rounded dark earthy berry, leather, and black rocky soil notes. 5. Integrated elements/flavors - classically restrained but still giving in depth and controlled ripeness.
6. Does not pair well with caviar and potato chips......
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My greatest day of wine (over)consumption. Ever. (Aaron and Tiffany's pad): Dfc's primary contribution to the wine orgy was particularly on point, as I found him on CT after almost 20 years of being out of touch by his TN for the '96, which I just bought a mag of. On the nose and palate, the full range of perfectly ripe blue-black fruit, minerality, dark florals, leather, tobacco with just a touch of graphite and gravel on the back end giving it a welcome backbone. Classic Napa purple, medium bodied, medium legs. Completely integrated and silky acidity and tannins, no heat (perfect 13.9% abv, IMO). VG complexity, good persistence and intensity. A big thanks to my former law partner for bringing this subtle, elegant, perfectly balanced and aged wine, and with his CdP, along with A_M's AdV and sherry, giving my Astralis company as the pre-teens contributions. Great on its own and an excellent companion to the bouef, as it would be to more straightforward and bloody red meat dishes. This wine is in a perfect drinking window, and while the complete and seamless integration of the structure suggests it is closer to the end than the start of that window, it may well be one of those wines like the '90 Montrose (it does, IMO, skew far more Bordeaux than modern Napa, as opposed to other vintages of this bottling I've had, which, if not exactly rivaling Mike Smith, are more in the middle) which hits a really good point and stays there forever. And ever. About the worst thing about I can say about this lovely bottle is that it whispered on an afternoon and evening when lots of other wines were shouting, so I think some of its pleasures weren't enjoyed quite as much as they might have been if consumed in a less crowded field. But I was thrilled to have had it, and would love to have it in front of me anytime. 95+
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Opaque purple. Essence of cassis with saddle leather, fresh pipe tobacco, mesquite charcoal and Asian spice. Full through the mid-palate with rich, sweet dark berries and an interesting mineral tone. My only qualm was this was a bit drying on the back-end. Still, a fantastic bottle.
A lot of life left in this wine. Some bricking, with notes of rich cassis, leather and red fruits on the nose. Silky smooth and integrated on the palate. Just an outstanding vintage of insignia that's holding up incredibly well.
Hedonism and Refinement at 60!; 5/14/2021-5/15/2021 (Joe and Kyla's Bar and Grill): My WOTN. This used to be an "Iron Fist in a Velvet Glove" type wine, but the tannins have settled / integrated. This leaves a velvety wine with flavors of black currant, blackberry liqueur, black plum, and mocha. Hints of mint and oak on the long smooth finish. I keep scoring it higher every 6 years! Now-2026.
Lyon 2021 Birthday Bash; 5/14/2021-5/15/2021 (Bear Creek Woodward/Lyon Den): This bottle was spot on. Coffee and dark fruit, with cassis at the forefront. Good structure for 20 year old Napa blend. Tannins were soft, with a loooong finish, which made it my WOTN. I don't think it could have drank better at a different point in its evolution, just differently.
Similar to prior note after double decanting for 1 hour, deep ruby, no bricking, dark cherry, med/ tannins, long finish; outstanding, but this bottle seemed younger & was not as opulent as usual, drink or hold
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This is really coming into it's own. Mature and ready to drink with no hard edges. Note is from memory but I still feel this is a more classically styled Insignia compared to the 02'. it's not as flamboyant with more structure and I frankly prefer it to the 02'. I stopped buying Insignia after the 02' vintage when the pricing really took off. One of the reasons Insignia was so appealing was it's quality vs, price. Even at $100/btl it was well worth it. At closer to $200 there are a lot of other options to challenge it.
Surprisingly different from the 2000 bottles I drank recently. The taste seems much lighter, for lack of a better word, with more obvious hints of mineral flavors vs. the 2000. Much less sediment in the neck vs the 2000.
I’ll update this post with more details on aromas and flavors when I open the 2nd bottle in a few days.
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Deep purple color, currant and plum nose. Nicely integrated, deeply layered. Blackberry fruit, leather saddle, tobacco, roast meat. Softened tannins, but they are still discernible. Lingering finish. This wine is excellent and it is holding up well.
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Decanted 2 hours, cellared since 2005, nose was a bit muted, with faint hints of currants cassis, the palate was quite rich, concentrated and smooth with plum, dark cherry, a good dose of chocolate. This bottle was fully integrated but to be honest I was expecting more, none the less this was a delicious bottle that paired well with the beef tenderloin and multiple root veggies.
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One of 3 reds for the New Year's Eve festivities with a small group of friends, along with an '05 Bouchard Le Corton and an '03 Montrose.
The Corton was opened prior to dinner, while the Insignia and Montrose were both decanted. Both the Montrose and Insignia were outstanding, but at least tonight, the Insignia was the (slightly) better wine. While that may have been a function of the youthfulness and slower evolution of the Montrose, the Insignia was stellar. While a committed Francophile, I'm looking forward to my last two bottles of the '01 Insignia.
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Decanted for 90 minutes. Opaque dark garnet. Nose of intense violets, cassis, red plum, currant, pencil lead. Densely-packed, velvety layers of black currant, plum, earth, leather, and graphite. Moderate acidity and still-serious tannin. Longer finish of plum, earth, and sweet grip. Felt weighty and just a bit lacking in nuance. I’d say it’s still early in this wine’s career.
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Anton’s Wine Tasting Notes Winery: Joseph Phelps Insignia Varietal:89% Cabernet Sauvignon, 8% Petit Verdot and 3% Malbec from 73% estate & 27% grower vineyards: 33% Banca Dorada Vineyard (Rutherford), 15% Las Rocas Vineyard and 10% Barboza Vineyard (Stags Leap), 15% Home Ranch Vineyard (St. Helena) and 27% Coombsville, St. Helena and Napa growers. Area/Appellation: Napa Valley Vintage: 2001. Price: $259 From Anton’s Vintage Wine Inventory Color: Opaque, dark ruby, purple Legs: medium Nose: nose is very faint but i picked up Blackberries, currants, cassis, Palate:succulent blackberries, currant, tobacco and coffee, earth Finish: fairly drying, with cedar, tobacco leaf, coffee, Comments: 2.5 hour decant with some minor rusticity this is drinking really well, aged Insignia has always intrigued me lots of secondary characteristics showing up now and is becoming intriguing. Pairing Suggestions: ribeye, venison, roast duck, the usual suspects, Score in terms of Vintage: 93 Score for the Wine: 94 Value for the Money:Excellent Date Tasted: 12/19/2020 Tasted by:ACK
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The fruit amd oak are desapearing leaving the stage ready for the earthy notes to shine. Hard to guess Napa Cab, it has some terroir style like it were a Barolo, and the nose it a bit French. Very pleasant experience.
Did not decant it, opened 6 hours prior to dinner.
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dark red with garnet rim - restrained nose of black fruit with only hints of complex aromas (graphite, peonies) - big full round mouth of black cherries and plumbs - good fruit-tannin balance, but low acidity - long 15-20 sec finish - a great CA cab that is continuing to evolve in the mouth, though not so much in the nose (yet) - a very interesting comparison with the 2000 Tertre Roteboeuf tasted at the same time: the Insignia had much more intense fruit, but a far less interesting nose and less structure as a result of lower acidity - no question this is the bigger richer wine, but less elegant at this time than an equivalently aged Bordeaux - preference is a matter of one's taste
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Drank at The Greens with the Kleins. Full bodied, lots of sediment, and a mouthful of some great juice. Slightly earthy but rich and sexy, this wine remains likely my fave red Cali wine. Lots of blackberries and black cherries here, tobacco and coffee notes, along with some chocolate, soft tannins, great length and wonderful complexity. Lovely wine!
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Drank after 1 hour decant. Very long finish and still tannic, although resolved. Elegant fruit that is complex with some pleasant bitter notes. Dark cherry perhaps. There is such a difference between good and bad Napa
beautifully balanced with abundant rich black fruit - full body, long 30 second finish - very drinkable now, but has many more years to evolve additional complexity
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Served single blind, I confused this with a 1996 Monte Bello. The wine seemed very integrated, tasty, and did not have much tertiary components. A great wine, but maybe this needs a few more years.
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Single Blind Old Napa Virtual Tasting (Home): Very dark red color with a 5-6 mm transitional margin. PNP, poured into vessels and capped 2 hours prior to pouring into glasses. Drank 2 glasses single blind over 3 hours. This was my second favorite wine of the night. I was divided on whether this was the '01 Insignia or the '96 Martha's. Unfortunately at one point earlier on I thought I noted some eucalyptus on the nose which steered me to thinking this was the '96 Martha's. Stupidly, I ignored the other clues that should have been the preponderance of evidence, so to speak, especially since I never got the eucalyptus again. Regardless, this was drinking great. This also develops a lovely perfumed nose with cassis and other dark fruits, very earth, boysenberry, violets and dust. The palate is full bodied, poised, great intensity, very pretty black and blue fruits, fine pencil, earthy, dusty tannins, long finish. This is drinking great now with a long future. My #2 WOTN.
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This was a single blind tasting. Everyone knew the wines, but not the order or which wine was which....the lineup:
1996 Ridge Monte Bello 2011 Myriad Cellars 2001 Joseph Phelps Insignia 1996 Heitz Cellar Cabernet Sauvignon Martha’s Vineyard 2002 Dunn Howell Mountain 2012 Kirkland Signature Series Cabernet Sauvignon 2010 Araujo Estate Sauvignon Blanc Eisele Vineyard
Dunn was opened and decanted to remove sediment, then back in the bottle at 2:30, until 4:45, when it was poured into jar 6 oz for transporting. The rest of the wines were poured in glass jars starting at 4:15. Tasting began at 6:30. All wines were tasted between 6:30 and 8:00. Group's number 1 wine was the 1992 Dunn. Number 2 wine was the 1996 Heitz Martha's Vineyard.
2001 Insignia - Plenty of fruit, well integrated into the wine. The wine is medium - medium full bodied. The color is still dark purple. The nose is perfumed with lavender, blue and black fruit and some earthiness. The palate shows plenty of fruit that is well integrated with hints of cedar, spice and some pencil and leather, finishing with a slight dusting of cocoa. This wine is a pleasure to drink, and I could enjoy a bottle as I watch the world go by. This was tied for number 3 (with the Ridge Monte Bello), but only a point behind the number 1 wine (for me). Any of these wines (except the Kirkland, which wasn't bad) would be awesome wines I could easily consume by myself! This wine, although well-integrated, will likely still improve, and will easily keep for quite a few more years....definately has some upside potential, but I don't think it will disappoint drinking now. I have 1 more bottle and will likely wait 5 years before opening (if I can last that long!). Re-tasted the next morning...still gobs of fruit and more tertiary layers...this wine will definitely improve, and I would recommend a 1-2 bout decant if opening soon. Raising my previous score to 93+...love this wine, hope I live long enough to enjoy more recent vintages!
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This is an absolute amazing Insignia. It is balanced, elegant, and smooth. This is outstanding with cherry and oak tasting and one of my favorite and enjoyable Insignia wines.
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From a bottle purchased upon release and pristinely cellared, this blend of 89% Cabernet Sauvignon, 8% Petit Verdot and 3% Malbec (73% Estate fruit) retains a youthful deep ruby/red robe. After three hours in decanter, it unfolds a bouquet of black currants, lavender potpourri, anise, tobacco, fig and graphite. Full-bodied, low in acidity and with plentiful but supple residual tannins, it delivers flavors mirroring the nose and throws no significant alcoholic heat (13.9%). Plush on the mid-palate and finishing long, this is pure hedonism! Those holding well-cellared bottles should be able to enjoy them throughout the decade. Drink now-2030.
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The 2002 is rated 100 and is a great wine, but I prefer the 2001 which is very smooth and still displays a long lasting aroma. Enjoyed slowly over the new year eves with friends and family.
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A nice floral nose that has some violet in there. Really big flavor and mouthfeel initially. Deep, dark flavors. Took a short decant to open up. But absolutely delicious.
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From mag last night at the 4th annual Veteran's Day party, double decanted for 2 hrs, deep ruby, no bricking, dark cherry, med. tannins, long finish; outstanding, MC Charlie rated it WOTN, drink or hold
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I drink a 2008 not so long ago and it seem overprice for what it is - not this one - Is really good and don't wait - I don't believe is going to get better. Iodine - Black cherry, well balance! The wine looks inky colored. The legs are slow. There is light sediment in the bottle. It smells like black currant (cassis), prune and espresso.
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Served blind, the fourth of 5 red wines between the 1997 Ornellaia Masseto and a 2002 Blankiet Paradise Hills. I guessed this was an 08/9 Macchiole Italian Merlot, definitely believed it was one of the younger reds on the table, so at least I guessed that! Powerful dried black herbs and fruitcake spice. Really nice medicinal black cherry and blackberry nose. Still rather astringent on the finish for having been opened at 4:30am today. Still a lot of chewy, youthful sweet oak. This one went better with the grilled broccoli and potatoes and did not go as well with the New York strip loin. Definitely good, but this and the 5th wine (a 2002 Blankiet Paradise Hills) were both overshadowed by the first three wines (97 Insignia, 98 Haut Brion and 98 Ornellaia Masseto). From a very good 2001 Napa vintage, this one was good but wasn't a contender for the gold, silver or bronze medal.
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Decanted at Bici, and paired superbly with spare ribs. I thought this wine was bigger and more enjoyable that my previous experience three years ago, but my notes are otherwise consistent. Our WOTN.
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Really enjoyable aged Cali cab blend. Soft tannins and long finish. The nose suggests heavier oak, vanilla but the wine is way softer than it appears. To be critical, a tad sweet revealing Cali over Bordeaux. Not so sure how this will age further so drink up.
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Dark purple with few signs of bricking. Soft tannins, beautifully integrated. Layered sweet black fruit, roast meat, cedar pencil, tobacco, leather. Long finish. Decanted two hours. Outstanding!
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Dinner with Friends (211 Clover Lane, Louisville): Our penultimate bottle, decanted for a short while before service. Deep color with just a hint of bricking. Violet and cassis along with plummy dark fruit. Shows just a little bit of tannin along with flavors of plum, black currant, violet liqueur and a hint of spice box. Long finish. Balanced across the palate. At peak for me, though will clearly hold at this level for a couple of years at least. 94-95 pts.
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Excellent, sublime, delicious...right in its peak. Full of dark fruit. Benefited from decanting but not sure it wouldn’t have been fine just with a little time to breathe...cork was deteriorating tho so something to be cautious of. Still has at least a few years before it starts going downhill
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Full bodied, still rich in color, great fruit remaining with long with purity of flavors and long finish. Definitely has aged characteristics, and perhaps on the decline, but I don't usually have wines this old. So drink them if you have them.
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Fruit forward and full bodied with extracted darker stewed fruit. Flavors of leather and cigar smoke and a lot less sweet than other Insignia’s. The finish lasts and the spicy eucalyptus notes are nice. No shortage of tannin and acidity but not as balanced and complex as the 2002
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Drunk with Stu. This is beautiful pure Napa cab. It has sweet Phelps insignia fruit a long lead in and a long finish. It is fantastic but perhaps slightly inferior to the sublime 97. Still has years left
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Good dense, dark ruby/purple. No bricking, little sediment.
Singing nose of creme de cassis, black plums, raspberry liquer. Some wood—white mocha—saddle leather, and nondescript spice notes hover.
Last tasted 3 years hence, and was impenetrable and tannic. Strikes me now as similar to a 2013 Quintessa or 2012 Ark. Very sweet, sexy and giving, but very young.
(This review will be finished at a later time.)
Ok— took a break to get another case under 250 purr.
Palate gorgeous crême de cassis, sweet plums, some blackberry compôte, smoke, calf leather and violets.
Finishes over 30 seconds. Proof that popular doesn’t suck: Mozart and Insignia.
Not to pick on anyone, but to poo-poo this wine is to poo-poo Yosemite. You ain’t been there (or you are effen INSANE.)
Had with rare+ prime rib at Sundance Palo Alto. A riddiculicious wine, who is a great place. Enjoy.
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Last tasted in 2011 (96), we gave the Insignia an even higher score this time around. Definitely bordeaux like with rich deep fruit in the nose and flavor. Blackberries, black raspberries, black cherries, leather and earthiness in the nose. Blackberries, black raspberries, currants, chocolate, and minerals in the flavor. Perfectly balanced elegant wine with nice structure, great complexity and ending with a long lingering finish. This wine is drinking beautifully now and still has a long life ahead of it. Delicious, and what a great match to a bone-in dry aged ribeye! (Decanted three hours)
Deep ruby color. Complex nose of black cherry and blackberry essence with smoky chorizo and some sweet floral topnotes. Medium to full bodied on the palate with good grip and length, some lingering ripe tannin on the finish. Very pretty wine.
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From magnum. Full nose of sweet black cherry and plum with some cedar and bell pepper notes. Still young with polished fruit initially then lots of structure. Pretty firm and in need of time (or a ribeye) to show more charm and approachability.
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Flash note. A flash note is one that I distinctly remember the quality/overall rating of a wine but can’t give specifics because the tasting note was not written at time of tasting.
Great wine and I don’t typically love insignia. 2001 is great in Cali Napa. This wine was tasted at trattoria Marcella along side 1994 mondavi reserve. This wine won that race by its nose. Haha pardon the pun.
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My birthday dinner. one of 6 wines consumed. Opened 6 hours before serving. Dark fruit and chocolate on the nose. The palate was dark berries, plums, tobacco, fig and mocha. Finish was smooth.
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Darker garnet. Full nose of cassis, cedar, black currant, plum pits, and pungent floral notes. Ripe, vivacious fruit on the palate with layers of red currant, plum, and blackberry cut with bits of tobacco and earth. Moderate acidity and filed off tannin. Longer finish of pure red plum fruit, stone, and sweet grip. Still has mainly primary fruit to offer at this stage with complexity seemingly to come. Will ultimately be quite excellent but aging at a glacial pace. From a 375.
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Showing very well with fine, moderate tannin remaining. Incredible, fragrant nose of dried herbs, blackberries, black currants; rich, dense dark fruit flavors with oak-infused chocolate and vanilla hints.
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Dark and rich ruby and color, this wine has plenty of structure with a core of black currant, mineral and tar. Not the best Insignia has to offer, but drinking well now and over next 2-4 years.
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Received in a wine exchange with a friend. Enjoyed with my family as an early Christmas dinner. Decanted for 3 hours. Outstanding with prime rib. Nose of dark fruits and violets. Dark color with beautiful balance on the palate. Medium length on the finish. Black fruits and the oak still came forward. I regret that I do not have more. I would drink in the next 3 years.
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tasted blind and my wotn form the kali vs bdx competition. big fruit, but nice structure. it seemed to straddle the line between Bdx and Kali, and thus I guessed it to be a Pavie.
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Napa Cabs in Boston: Medium red. On the verge on starting to display some tertiary characteristics. Tasted next to the 2002. This is less rich in comparison and tastes notably more mature
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This 750ml bottle of 2001 Phelps Insignia was decanted and aerated for an hour. It was then consumed over the next two hours. It had been carefully cellared and, after decanting, was chilled for a few minutes prior to serving.
Deep purple color with no browning whatsoever; moderate sediment; beautiful nose; medium-to-full bodied; tasty, smooth, dark fruit predominates on the palate with nice oak accents and a medium-length finish. This is an excellent wine that could last many more years.
A great wine but, at about $200/bottle, it should be. This is not something the average wine afficionado is likely to enjoy on a regular basis, let alone purchase by the case. Hence, while the "quality" is definitely there, the "value" proposition leaves something to be desired. It would be nice to find a $50/bottle or so cabernet sauvignon (or red blend) that could approach the quality of Insignia year after year at a fraction of the price. That would represent true "value".
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1 hour decant; beautiful blackberry cobbler nose; well-balanced, rich raspberry and cherry fruit, kirsch, lots of vanilla with an extra looong finish. Interesting that the fruit has not yet transcended the oak - outstanding with Morton's bone-in filet.
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The only wine served blind in the evening, decanted in the famous Shebang jug, and tasted after a 1992 Dominus Estate Napanook. Color was a little brighter reddish tint than the Napanook. Nose of crushed black cherries, leather, and forest floor. Palate was medium-bodied but still had more of a tannic bite. Still young with room to improve. I guessed it was a CA cab from the late '90s.
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DoubleD Fest (Carlsbad, California): Decanted and tasted blind in the venerable Shebang jug. Clear dark inky garnet-blood red. Gorgeous sweet bouquet of blackberries, black cherries, blueberries, cocoa, pen ink, violets, acacia flowers. Similar on the palate, full body, seamless, beautiful structure and balance, powerful but not fatiguing. Most of us correctly guessed this as a Napa Valley cabernet blend between 2000-2009. I guessed 2010 or younger. My #4; group's FIFTH PLACE. To our credit, we voted for this blind wine when there were many big name bottles on the table. Some people commented that the rankings would have been different (i.e., this wine would have ranked higher) if all -- or none! -- had been tasted blind.
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Pours a deep ruby. Full bodied with blackberry, black currant, black cherries. Secondary notes of coffee, chocolate, tobacco and cedar wood. Agreeable tannins. Wonderfully long finish. This is fantastic and drinking extremely well right now.
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This was absolutely fabulous! Planned a 2-hour decant before dinner and it turned out to be a 4 hours so it opened up beautifully. Well balanced and smooth, it is drinking beautifully!
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40th Anniversary Magnum Party; 6/3/2017-6/4/2017 (R&D's): From magnum, leftover from the prior night. Aromas of plummy dark fruit, chocolate, black raspberry and florals. Nicely balanced. Flavors of dark fruit, mocha and lavender with a long finish. Gorgeous.
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I didn't get a chance to sit with this. Even after a hour or two in the decanter it was still dense and wrapped up. I don't remember a lot of tannin but this has a ways to go.
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Cal Cabs (Chez Bruce, London): Dense full ruby. Gorgeous nose. Plush and dense. Cassis cut through with a wet gravel note. Dense but surprisingly cool attack. Blackcurrant leaf. Again, a slightly minerally edge on the finish when revisiting. ****
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California Cabernets (Chez Bruce, Wandsworth, London): Ripe, minty nose. Intense. A medicinal tone and a bit of spice. Restrained power and soft grip. Ultimately the most satisfying of this first flight, with its penetrating nose.
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Decanted for 2 hours. While it has a lot of classic Insignia markers, it was a little more subtle and reserved. Well balanced, nice sweet tannins, cassis and a little black licorice on the finish.
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Wine has continued to evolve into a super balanced well integrated cabernet blend. The malbec actually is more present at this stage even though its in the single percentages. Tannins have softened and the resulting blend is harmonious. Just a fine drinking wine. Entire table commented on how well the wine was drinking.
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94. 2 hr decant. Nose of blackberry jam, wet coffee grounds and caramel. Softer and more restrained on the palate. The tannins have resolved and the wine has a smooth finish. Still well balanced. Feels like it should ride the plateau for another decade.
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My expectations for this bottle did not disappoint. Not since I enjoyed a bottle of Hillside Select have I been more impressed. The 2001 Insignia is a great wine from a great year. Perfectly integrated with notes of Blackberries, Blueberries, leather and graphite. Drink by 2020.
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Dark garnet to almost purple looking in the glass, clear looking throughout. Still a fairly huge nose of boysenberry, black raspberry jam and sweet dark plums with a little added floral notes drifting underneath. Rich and full flavors of dried plums, raspberries and dark chocolate covered cherries. Medium acidity, medium to firm tannin, full bodied. Drink or hold. I'd lean toward drinking over the next 3-4 years with just a little bit of air time before serving.
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From mag, Christmas Eve dinner. Drinking beautifully now, perfectly integrated. Great with roast beef. At or near peak, , but will last for many more years.
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Solid wine, but never showed like I was expecting. Very dark color. Dark fruits on the nose and palate. Some mild tar on the nose. Consumed over 2 days. It never opened up. Not sure if it was closed, needs more time, in a funk, or it just was never the wine I expected.
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Drank well with rib eye steak. Opened nicely over the evening and wonderful when we left a bit to taste the next day. Poised and balanced opened with chocolate and berries and turned to plum as it sat. I wonderful wine still at the top and will not going to get better. Should be consumed now or in the near future.
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Decanted for 4.5 hours before drinking. Pretty closed down when I popped the cork, evolved a lot over the 4 hours and end up drinking beautifully. Coming to an end of peak drinking.
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40th birthday dinner celebration, from magnum (wedding gift 10 years ago from wife!), next to Ridge 2006 Monte Bello: The Insignia was incredibly smooth, with a glorious and long finish. I slightly preferred the MB, as it had a bit more interesting character. Both were stunning.
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Been a while since the last bottle, maybe a decade ago. The nose gives off an earthy leather, with a subtle mint mixer. On the palate, you get a sense that this isn't going to last too much longer, as it is starting to lose the acidic backbone that prevents is from transitioning from elegant to deliciously flabby /flat, but veeery tasty. I'd give this 2-3 years left based on this bottle before exiting it's peak. As bordeaux as a Cali-cab can get, the symbiotic relationship of fruit and alcohol prototypical-just great juice.
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Dead nose, almost a nose of chopped salad. But the initial palate and richness of the dark fruit comes thru big time! A good terroir finish. This producer is overpriced and worth every penny all at the same time. Go figure. This wine has years and years of enjoyment to go!!!
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A wine of the greatest finesse and refinement. Leather, sandalwood, and graphite on the nose. Seamlessly smooth, creamy mouthfeel of warm red and black fruits. Not so much a long finish, but the most gentle glide off the tongue. Tannins silky and fully integrated. This wine is at its peak now, balanced in every way, including the balance of primary to tertiary flavors. For a visit from a great-grandmother of royal blood, this would be my go-to wine...
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Notes of dark fruit caress the palate with well integrated tannins. Everything here is seamless with a wonderful finish. I decanted the wine for 6 hours before dinner. This is just about as good as it gets for a California Cabernet.
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Decanted for 1h at 1862 Restaurant. Just a powerful complex red with extracted red fruit and mineral. Otherwise consistent with my previous note from 2014. Tonight with wagyu sirloin.
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decanted for an hour+ excellent nose of dark fruit compote, delicious still with bright stewed fruits and a touch of cinammon stick. still with 10+years to go but good now. limited notes as it was a birthday party. Solid 93-maybe more.
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From magnum; the fill was into the neck and the cork was sound. Decanted and consumed over the course of two hours. Aromas of ripe dark fruits, fennel, and hints of cedar. Medium bodied, with layers of flavor, impressive depth, and a long finish.
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Pre-christmas pull from the cellar. Dark purple - good tannins. Not as powerful as other bottles I've had, but a solid wine. Can't remember what I paid, but likely too pricey for the quality.
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Damn Winos (Ambrosia Restaurant in Eugene): PNP at Ambrosia, this had an immediate presence. Black fruit, oak, mint, and spice on a velvety texture that just goes on and on. The tannins have mellowed significantly, but I do think it'll make 25 years. Great wine!
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45 minute decant (restaurant). Ruby red, cedar and spices, solid length. A little hot. Went quickly. Not epic as I had hoped, but still very enjoyable.
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amazing wine, decanted for 90 minutes and had with grilled lamb. a perfect combination. wine has evolved since the last bottle, not sure it is going to get any better, drink up if you still have it!
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This was drinking amazing!! Did not take any formal notes, drank along side an incredible line up and the '01 Insignia held its own against the Big Boys, a bit more refined than most, so had its place in the line up. Have to thank Gary and Diane and all in attendance for such stellar wine drinking experience.... wines included: '01 Sloan, '02 Harlan Estate, 02 Blankiet Paradise Hills, '01 & '02 Shafer Hillside Select, '01 Bond Melbury, '02 Abreu Thorevilos, & '01 Colgin Herb Lamb... what an evening!!
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Just by looking at this wine in the glass with its dark purple (almost black) appearance, you know you’re in for something big and bold! The nose supports this thought as the aromas of dark fruits such as blackberry and blueberry immediately jump out along with secondary notes of earth and mocha. But in true Phelps fashion the powerful character of this vintage is extremely well balanced with a smooth, plush mouthfeel and a finish that seemingly goes on forever. Detailed, complete with a long 40 second finish this wine is a stunner. Near peak but with many years of great drinking ahead. www.advinetures.ca
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awesome. Drinking splendidly. Camphor and dark fruits, blackberry and spice. Floral notes in the finish which is incredibly long and complex. Sweet tannin and great balance. Effortless smooth and exhilarating.
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Brought to friends' house for dinner, followed a 2003 Lafon Rochet. Both wines were very good, the Insignia went very well with the steak.
I enjoyed this even more than I did in December. Notes are similar, with dark cherries and high cacao chocolate. But this seemed smoother and better integrated, really a terrific bottle. Nothing seemed out of place, and no noticeable alcohol. On balance I still think the 2002 is a bit better, but both are very, very good, and the 2001 shined bright this night.
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Decanted about an hour before dinner. Very dark, almost black/red. Reluctant nose of black cherries, dark high cacao content chocolate, other black fruits and a slight but noticeable whiff of alcohol. Smooth on palate, with dark fruit dominating.
A few years ago, I thought the 01 was potentially better than the 02. I've changed my mind, having had both wines multiple times recently. Both are very fine, but I prefer the exuberant fruit of the 02. These might be BDX blends, but they are stil CA wines. I think the 02 is truer to its origins, and just more fun and pleasurable to drink.
Still, splitting hairs, I would never turn down a glass of the 01!
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it started out a little thin, then opened up beautifully. then it was gone, so sad because it was delicious. pop pour and wait an hour and it will be great
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Nose was a bit muted, despite a decant about 45 minutes before dinner. Red and black cherries, leather and some funk on the nose. Not quite as smooth as the 2002 that we have had many times in the past year. I'll probably wait a year or so before I open my next bottle, but this was below expectations.
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Part of 1994/2001 California tasting. Decanter for 2 hours. Very close to the profile of the 1994 just more oak on the nose and palate. Needs more time . Alcohol notable.
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Very nice bottle of wine but not quite the "Wowzer" I remember some years back. Cupboard is now bare as this was my last Insignia. All things must pass.
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This was brought by an unsuspecting guest to a dinner party (gasp). Most didn't know anything about it or the fact that it's rare, expensive, and exquisite. As the lone person to recognize it, I was pleasantly surprised. Well aged and complex.
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Superb bottle. It is rich and round has fantastic complexity. The finish goes on forever. It has another 10 years for sure. My favorite 01 Napa cab, from a vintage I like a lot.
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From a magnum, the wine is plush, polished, rich and packed with chocoalte covered blackberries, plum, licorice and ripe boysenberry fruit. Round and lush, this is delicious!
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Terrific, near perfection for a well aged cali cab. I can see why this fetches $200 in today's aftermarket. Great anniversary bottle of wine! Would do it all over again!..:-)
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2 hrs decanted Middle color dark purple. Amazing nose. Cake batter, Forrest, blueberry, soft floral nose. Really intense maple syrup nose. Black currant, syrup, black currant, slightest hint of alcohol, beautiful how the alcohol blends so well with the flavors of the wine. This is the perfect example for me when a wine is at it's best. The it is just hitting on all cylinders. Great wine. I recommend to drink now.
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This bottle I drank together with THomas and Axel together with Insignia 2001, first the Californian cab was the winner, but it changed, we decanted the HB 2 hours, the nose seems a little bit oxidated but after getting air ripe black currant aromas, typical bx nose pencil, minerality, tobacco, the insignia started very well with high concentration of fruits, tannins mighty but soft, high density. botha 96, but in this case I would prefer the HB (starting 92) still too young, the Cab starting 97 and going down 95 because of the one dimension taste, will live at least 10 more years, unfortunately not decanted
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A pleasant California fruit wine but lacking intrigue and complexity. Yes, dark and dense fruits, smooth and velvety texture, very soft tannins with well balanced acids. So true to what it is meant to be at this age.
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From mag. Super exciting dense and nuanced, yet easy. Inky, loamy, and wiling. More sweet than bitter, with deep, quietly humming intensity and a long, balanced finish where the perfectly integrated vanilla, fruit, spice, and espresso flavors refresh with sweet, tumbling tannins.
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Dinner with Friends and "2001 Cabs": Ripe ruby. Nose of black currants, vanilla, herbs and cooked berries. Wonderful sweetness which is perfectly integrated, highly elegant and balanced. Just an amazing wine to drink over the next 10+ years.
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From a pristinely-cellared bottle kindly provided to our tasting group by J.P., this blend of 89% Cabernet Sauvignon, 8% Petit Verdot and 3% Malbec (73% Estate fruit) flaunts an intense nose of black currants, lavender potpourri, anise, fig and minerals. Full-bodied, round and with big sweet tannins, it offers ripe black fruit and mineral flavors with a minimum of alcoholic heat (13.9%). The flavors build on the middle palate and the smooth finish is lengthy. This 13-year-old Cabernet is still a baby! I guessed that it was a high-end Napa Cab, circa 2009. While certainly very pleasurable now, those with patience will be rewarded. Drink 2017-2025.
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Second Sunday Group: 2001 CA cabs (Anvil Club): Deep garnet color with notes of leather and black fruit. Well-balanced, with flavors of dark fruit dominating the palate. Develops notes of caramel and coffee with air. 92+ pts.
My #4 Group #1, 31 pts
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We did an Insignia 2001, 2003 & 2007 vertical. This one was spectacular. It was about a 50/50 among the eight of us on whether the 01 or 03 was better. The 07 was great but everyone agreed that it needs more time in the cellar before it can match up.
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This is coming into it's own now, medium dark fruit and cassis dominate, some asian spices are, vanilla and toasted oak are also present. Great length and overall balance. Wish I had more of this that was stored as well.
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Decanted 2 hrs Great Bordeaux type nose. Elegant blueberry skins creaminess on the nose. Black jam lots of tannins. Lots of fruit a little alcohol chocolate brownie type nose and flavor. Sharp flavor profile. A hint of paper chemical nose. Smooth cherry Ludens taste. Great example of a California wine with sophistication. Huge fan of this wine.
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Outstanding again - bumping it up a point from a year ago as it was even more impressive. Notes very consistent, full of blueberry, blackberry, espresso, red and black licorice, some veggie components. So complex and well textured. Tastes fantastic now and is in a good drinking window, yet more noticeable tannins than I remember before. No rush on this one.
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Decanted three hours before drinking. Inky purple in color. Molasses / maple syrup in the nose. In the mouth, hints of blueberry, plum and other dark fruit pervade, with little alcohol remaining. So very smooth. A slight peppery flavor at the end and a very reserved finish. Much more mellow that the Masseto tasted immediately preceding it. Wine of the night by a narrow margin.
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Surprisingly opaque garnet color with exuberant black cherry, blackberry, cassis, cedarwood, espresso aromas. On the palate, it's full-bodied and well balanced with silky sweet tannins. It shows relatively youthful ample mouthfilling blackberry, cassis, and espresso flavors. Long finish.
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Decanted at the Ridgewood CC; the cork broke in half while opening - never fear! Faint nose of berry, but on the palate a smooth progression of blackberry, oak, and tannin. Silk in a glass. A great accompaniment to prime rib and Brussel sprouts. Sophisticated and elegant.
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PNP and regretted that decision. Was very closed. looking at other notes and what I tasted, this wine needs significant decanting time and I won't touch another bottle for at least 5 years.
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Drank together with 2003. Though Wine Spectator rating is the same, 2003 has better body and fragrance. 2001 is tired, and passed the best drinking window
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candied fruit nose. full bodied red. firm tannins, balanced by good acidity. very long, mouth watering finish. good structure, but lacks fruit ... a little closed
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The perfect match for Flannery beef grilled rare, with its fat, juicy, ripe, dense layers of rich blackberry puree, licorice, smoke, vanilla, earth and jam characteristics. The wine is intense, yet in balance. Still youthful, Phelps Insignia is one of the best examples of age-worthy California Cabernet Sauvignon. Splash decanted, the wine was produced from a blend of 89% Cabernet Sauvignon, 8% Petit Verdot and 3% Malbec.
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This iteration of Insignia is a blend of 89% Cabernet Sauvignon, 8% Petit Verdot and 3% Malbec (73% Estate fruit). Purchased upon release and cellared in pristine fashion, this particular bottle was double-decanted, allowing four hours in decanter prior to funneling back into the cleaned bottle. It was subsequently enjoyed with friends at an Insignia vertical dinner. The robe remains a youthful-appearing opaque ruby. With an intense nose of cassis, potpourri, anise, fig and minerals, it follows with a full-bodied, round palate. The tannins are substantial but silky-textured, and the alcohol (13.9%) is seamless. Ripe black fruit and mineral flavors dominate the palate and build in the middle. Concluding long and smooth, this is yet another brilliant showing for this still-youthful, gorgeous wine. Well-cellared bottles should get even better! Drink 2017-2025.
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Probably the best wine I've tasted in the past three or four years. Huge, but still beautifully balanced. Assertive nose, plenty of complexity, fine-grained tannins, medium body, and a spectacular finish. Sleek and sophisticated. A classic.
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Double decanted then tasted almost immediately. This is in a really good place today. Deep, rich sweet cassis, cedar, pipe tobacco, leather, hints of cocoa and damp, loamy earth notes. The tannins on the long finish are still quite grippy but they did moderate after a couple of hours of air. While this wine's California heritage is clearly evident, it does lean quite abit toward Bordeaux. Tonight this was quite a treat.
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S&E Wine Society - Napa Night (Blind tasting with MOT Scoring) (Our home): Not as high a rating as I gave this last time. It might have been the order of the wines tonight. Very light on the fruit with the Petit Verdot coming through strongly. Still a strong body with life in it. Complex and drinkable - slowly.
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big silky slightly overripe (for my taste) plum, prune and blueberry; almost seemed as if bottle had been 'cooked', though cork and provenance were fine; good earth and tobacco leaf; oak and tannins are well integrated; good acidity, but not light on its feet; not my fave style at the moment; NR given the atypical tasting.
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wonderfully crafted wines. hit on all levels. Silky smooth finish with no tannin overkill. Balance artfully between & power & elegance. flavors of both blackberry & raspberry with a hint of tobacco are the more prevalent. But wisps of more flirted with the taste buds. JPI rarely disappoints. Drinking well now for sure.
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Fantastic wine that has come together very nicely. Excellent combination of earthy/soil notes and ripe fruit on the nose. The palate is very refreshing, and layered in veggie and blue fruit flavors. Smooth finish. Very refined, and drinking nicely right now... Big fan of this wine.
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WOTN up against serious comp from Oakville. Decanted 3 plus hours Great complexities on this wine and a bunch of layer when you think you are tasting one thing you can dig a little deeper and find hints of more flavors. Love this wine for that. From the start of this wine could not tell Napa. Very Bordeaux character going on.Bit barnyard on the nose, but nice side of barnyard not overpowering. Also mint chocolate and eucalyptus on the nose. Reminded me of a middle aged first growth. Great mixture of black and red rope licorice Mint, black currant, and hints of blueberry flavors. Great long and smooth finish. Very well constructed. Looking forward to trying again as I feel I missed somethings as I was totally surprised by this wine.
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Inventory Reduction Event: A focused, tight and at the same time balanced wine with a strong underlying dark fruit. Still tannic and evolving, this was still the best California wine of the evening. Pretty nose, down playing ubiquitous oaky vanilla. Very good.
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WOW! Deep, rich, ripe fruit aromas of cassis, blackberry, oak, spice and earth - somewhat bordeaux-like in complexity and depth - but with Napa intensity. Medium to full bodied with tremendous concentration and depth, and a super-rich texture. Massive fruits are balanced with an equally big structure of firm, smooth tannins and a big dose of acidity. Still extraordinarily youthful with intense fruit flavors that are still mostly primary. Long, rich, delicious, satisfying finish. This is an incredibly powerful wine that is still extremely youthful and a spectacular example of how great a Napa cab can be. Plenty of fruit and stuffing to last another 20-30 + years. This is going to be even more spectacular and a 98-100 point wine with some more time. 96+ for now.
Uncorked several hours before decanting one hour prior to service. As other tasters have noted this is moving somewhere between the primary fruit stage and the evolved notes which age can offer. For me it is in a great place since the fruit component is so velvety and harmonious and the tannins completely resolved. Creamy, cigar box nose with cocoa, dark chocolate and dark forest berries. The palate was rich yet elegant, ripe yet fresh, endowed with seamless black plums and cherries. Some blind tasters guessed Bordeaux... A stunning wine.
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Decanted for service; a youthful purple core with no bricking. Aromas of very ripe black cherry, with hints of chocolate, blackberry and licorice. Medium to full bodied, jammy dark fruits -- chocolate covered cherry liquor! Not really my style, but outstanding for what it is.
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Pretty red and black fruit on the nose. Palate was nicely balanced. This seemed a bit over done, indeed a little pruiny at times. A bit of heat on the finish.
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BALANCE. Beautiful balance of fruit, tannin, oak, spice, cedar, FRUIT. A wonderful wine with many years left in a cold cellar. dynamite. I wish I could drink wines like this one every F'n day. 94
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BYOB Tasting Menu Meritage (Meritage, St. Paul): I only had a small tast of this, but it was outstanding. I think this was a PNP, and it drank quite youthfully. Gut impression with a minimal examination is 93-94pts.
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Cork intact, but with a little staining to the end. Decanted and drank over 2 hrs. Ruby color with bricking. Musty nose that blew off to expose some sweet oak and dried fruit. Cherry and herb on the palate, silky finish. Fruit faded, though, and not very exciting.
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Consensus favorite among four top flight domestic Cabernets at a Christmas dinner. The most balanced, polished, and sleek of the group, although it didn't lack for oomph. Exactly what I had expected - lots of cassis, mid-weight, fine tannins, perfect balance, and a great finish. Textbook.
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From a magnm bottle, decanted about 1 hour, oak is not as pronnouced as last time, more balanced now, a big wine indeed and more time will likely benefit if you like a more Bordeaux style but if you like napa, drink up.
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Rick's 50th birthday notes and my 10,000th post!; 11/24/2012-11/27/2012 (Chateau Rick): Sweet ripe red fruit on the palate. Nice weight on the mid palate but still very primary as the only two traits you really get are tannins and rich berries. Still a very burly powerful wine, I'm not exactly sure how it'll develop but one person who had it when it first opened, commented that it was too jammy, but it seemed to have changed into a sleeker ripe fruit after a few hours.
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Drank from split (375). Popped and poured. Even from split this wine needs time. Initial wine was shallow and a bit hallow. Picked up weight and structure with time in the glass. Deep color and amazing leggs. Tannins soft, classic cab flavors and aromas - rich, smooth and elegant. This wine if properly stored has 20 years of life. Splits probably reaching peak now and over the next 2 - 4 years.
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Splash decanted right before dinner. A 30 - 60 minute decant might have been better, as this opened up over dinner and last glass was the best. Very dark color. Nice, complex nose of chocolate covered cherries. Rich and smooth. Powerful. noticeable alcohol. I think this might be a touch better than the 2002. Drinking well now but will last for years.
This is a great example of a Cali cab blend, one of my favorites. I wouldn't want to drink wines of this style very often, but with a nice steak this is a fine choice.
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We had this with our family for our 46th wedding anniversay dinner. Tenderloin filets were the main entree. Also had DeBrand's chocolates for dessert. This outstanding wine went great with both.
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From Magnum: Drinking beautifully. Pretty red cherry fruits balanced perfectly by bright acidity and sweet tannins. Velvet texture with long finish. Seamless from start to finish with no hot spots or rought edges. Wine is in a great window and likely holds for 5-10 more years. This was a real crowd pleaser.
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Sunday Brown Bag Tasting: 2001 CA cabs (Mike & Judi's): Dark color. Notes of blackberry jam, blue fruit and herbs followed by red fruit and florals. Very nice balance here, with nice structure supporting lovely red and black fruit flavors on the palate. Long finish.
My #4, Domino's #2 Group #2, 40 pts
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Moderate tannins and smooth - signififcantly smoother than the 07 Artemis. No fruit on the nose. Not stunning but a great wine with a few years of life still.I enjoyed the tannins and silky smoothness. Note how Parker has suddenly given this a 99 rating last year. I see where he is going with this one.
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This was a nice wine but I was expecting more. Nice fruit and the tannins were resolved it just lacked complexity. The 03 Ponte- Canet we had the night before blew it away
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Judgement Day - 2001 Bordeaux vs. 2001 USA Cabernet Blends (Holiday Inn Chicago North Shore - Skokie, IL): Tasted blind. I was pretty surprised by how this performed. Didn't have the elegant character that I feel like a lot of Insignia's can have. The nose seemed a bit candied with a heavy influence from the oak. Its palate was also modern with charcoal, brown sugar, espresso and dark fruit. I correctly pegged this as a Californian wine, but disagreed with the overall group rating it 10th out of 12 wines - the group rated it 3rd overall.
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I had experienced a few less than spectacular Phelps wines recently (but still very good), so opening this from the cellargave me some pause. Opened 3 hours before. tasted and it was delicious. We will see. Parker just took it 99 from 95, but is it worth it. I disagreed with a recent Backus second review, but this was right on. Maybe not 99 but really really good. Great length across the palate, depth, and still the right tannins. Dark fruit was there and back of the throat was amazing. Well done, well done, well done!!!
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It was decanted for at least 6 hours. Very fine bouquet, with vanilla coffee and blueberry. The palate was fantastic. Very smooth and incredibly balanced. Voluptuous. A great wine.
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This bottle was purchased upon release and cellared in pristine fashion. It was double-decanted, allowing two hours in decanter prior to funneling back into the cleaned bottle. The robe is a youthful-appearing opaque ruby. The nose opens during the first two hours to show very intense aromas of cassis, coriander, vanilla and minerals. Full-bodied on the palate, with low acidity, massive sweet tannins, well-integrated alcohol (which is listed as 13.9%) and black fruit-dominated flavors. The middle palate is rock-solid and silky in texture. The finish is long and smooth. This is quintessential Napa juice. It is luscious now, but will undoubtedly get even better. If you have the will power, hold it for another five years before popping the next cork. Drink 1/17-12/25.
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DE Double blind Best Bottle (DE): Tasted double blind among other similarly priced wines of similar age. My blind notes: Appears young in the glass. Closed nose. dark berry fruit and some leather. Palate was bland and relatively uninteresting compared to others on the table. +++ tannins. Again I honestly think this would show better in a few more years. My 7th/9, group 4/9
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Slight seepage. Cork partially saturated but not elevated. Barely drinkable right out of bottle so i let it sit in the glass for a couple hrs and it really transformed. Nose of mocha, espresso, and various dark fruits. Much more weight in the palate with time. Big dark fruits and chocolate notes. No perceptable heat. Very concentrated. Slightly drying but ripe tannins. Very long finish. Enjoy now with min 2hr decant or hold for 5 to 10 yrs.
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I don't get it...I've had this before and loved it...this was too tannic, little fruit and little aroma and questonable balance...either it or I must be in some dumb phase! I hope the remaining bottles are better. Disappointed especially at this price point.
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Popped, poured and consumed over the course of 2 hours. Made in a big, ripe and juicy style -- not really my preference when it comes to Bordeaux styled blends -- but a wonderful wine. Aromas of cassis, black cherry, and licorice with hints of campfire and roasted herbs. Full-bodied, with a firm structure, ripe (but prominent) tannins, a velvety texture, incredible depth, and a long and focused finish.
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from a magnum bottle, intense nose of vanilla, cream and chocolate upon opening and lasted all the way to the end of 3 hours, amazing! Soft tannins with lots of black fruit and nuts, it almost felt like tasting a chocloate cake, we loved it.
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Sunday Brown Bag Tasting (Rich & Dana's): Notes of herbs, chocolate and black currants. Full-bodied with sweet tannins and flavors of blackberry, blue fruit and violets. Ripe dark fruit notes dominate. Loads of dark fruit on the palate; tannins turn a bit chalky on the finish. 93 pts.
My #5 Group #6, 62 pts 1st place votes = 1
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Double decanted in the cellar for 1 hour before heading out to Panzanella in Sherman Oaks. Good bottle, very ripe mid pallet. Still a little closed off. Probably needs a few more years to develop. Will try again next year.
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Opened by Andy Berman at his new house last night. No notes. Had that familiar Insignia power and finesse. Drinking well. Not my favorite vintage of this wine, but very good to excellent.
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decanted 2 hours. Very nice, but still a bit tannic. This wine has the potential to be extraordinary, but needs a bit more time to come together. Suggest decanting at least 4-6 hours.
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WCC 2001 California Cabernet Blind (Provence Restaurant, Albany, NY): [Double decanted at noon.] Long rich vanilla tannic sweet fruit. Quite backward. Lots of potential, but way too young. 93-96 points. Day 3: Still a huge thick wine with gobs of sweet red fruit. Amy likes it and says "Very cherry."
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Decanted for 4 hours before serving. Was very mild, perfectly balanced but definitely took a background to the steak we were eating along with some powerfully flavored sides. Less fireworks and more subtle perfection.
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Incredibly smooth and rich wine. Surprisingly easy to drink for such a big wine. Mocha, black fruits, cassis, and leather dominate the palate. Overall, a great wine.
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2001 California Cabernet Retrospective (South Haven, Michigan): Otis brought this wine to our Cal Cab retrospective. 3rd time I have had this wine going back to 2004. Not decanted. Dark purple color. Probably the tightest and most tannic of the wines in this lineup and could have used some decanted like the Pride. This had some vegetal and herbal nuances on the nose. Notes of cassis, tar and charcoal. Solid tannins. 91-92+ points.
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Still pretty tight. Would recommend decating for at least 2-3 hours if opening now. Still, you could sense lots of interesting layers and fine-grained tannins lurking beneath. Will hold for at least another 3 years before trying the next bottle from this vintage.
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Dark fruit, chocolate and vanilla on the nose. Similar flavor profile with some cassis, mocha and toasty oak notes on the palate. Medium tannins and acid. Smooth mouthfeel but somewhat hollow mid-palate and finished a bit short. Well made wine but not worth the tariff. I also wouldn't hold these too much longer as I don't see it improving dramatically.
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Celebrated my parents 50th anniversary with this nice bottle. Good color and body, soft from the beginning and got even better. Nice berry and other fruit flavors from start to middle ending with a suttle oak finish. The finish was nice, not that long but delicious!
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Hard to assess the color; dark restaurant. Medium intensity nose; notes of black currant, baked black fruit, tobacco, spice box. On the palate, full bodied, low acid, medium-plus tannins, flavor notes that match the nose perfectly, very long finish. This wine is exquisite, perfectly balanced, and has outstanding structure. It will last another fifteen years easily. Drinking well now, but no hurry. I'm going to slow down my consumption--only four bottles left.
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A very enjoyable wine. Really pleasant nose--sweet, fruit and some vanilla. Very well-balanced as usually the case for Insignia--this was our first bottle of the 2001. We thought it not as complex or long-lived as some of the better vintages, but still a very good wine with fruit, some wood/vanilla and soft tannins. Certainly drinking well now, but will hold up for some years.
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Huge acid base BUT. Surprisingly didn't make it for a second day, even when vacuum sealed. A wonderful typical California Cab. Lots of fruit and little nuance
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Still a bit of a bruiser. More in the category of good and interesting than good and delicious. Competed with the steak more than it complemented it. I think there is still strong potential for this wine but I'm going to let the others slumber.
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Final bottle and a beautiful wine. Right out of the bottle this showed some green notes and more acid/glycerin than I'd care for. At two hours in the decanter this had changed dramatically and showed more traditional bordeaux traits. Leather, faint tobacco, cherry on the nose, some creme de cassis; medium- bodied, fine-grained tannins, cherry notes, a little vanilla and oak. I imagine this will peak within a 2-3 years if its not there today; the tannin-structure gives me pause as to its longevity, and its drinking incredibly well with enough decant time.
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Had lots of Insignia's, this one is drinking incredibly well. Some slight tanins left, so could age longer, but is very well balanced with strong fruits. Decanted for 3 hours, would recommend a long decant time. Drank with pork, was marvelous with food
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RICH WINE WITH GREAT COMPLEXITY. JUST KEPT GETTING BETTER, VERY BORDEAUX LIKE, DEEP BERRIES IN THE NOSE WITH HINTS OF EARTHINESS & LEATHER. BLACKBERRIES & BLACKCURRANTS IN THE FLAVOR. LONG FNSH
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Popped and let sit for 2 hours. Dark red in color with a typical Napa cab nose of sweet red fruits. Undistinguished flavors of cherry and currant. Nice balance and a nice wine. For the price I want to be really impressed -
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New Year's Eve party -- WOTN as it should have been vs Showket, Heitz, Brunello Riservas. A dense, complex wine with lush dark fruit, hints of cigar box and tar. Perfectly balanced. Dark, slightly sweet fruit at mid-palate w/ silky mouthfeel and integrated tannins. I love this wine, but what is not to love. I agree with other reviewers that this vintage of Insignia seems more refined and elegant than others.
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Delicious! Dark, brooding black purple color with wonderful cassis and blackberry aromatics. Balance, viscous, good acidity and just the right amount of palate cleansing tannins. A great showing at 9 years old, and just beginning its drinking window. With more complexity, the score will increase.
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Great wine from nose through finish. A year ago I thought this was far too young and tightly wound. Tonight, with ample ample time in the decanter (around two hours), it was perfect. Well-balanced aromatics; lush fruit on the palate; medium to long finish. It still has plenty of years left in it, though. This wine deserves the hype. Highly recommended.
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This wine is drinking very well now. Not as fruity and full bodied as younger cabernets in this price range, but more complex and subtle, with very good finish. I think it will improve over the next couple of years.
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The fill was into the neck and the cork was sound. A blood red color, with no amber. Rather one dimensional bouquet, yielding aromas of black fruits and oak. Medium-bodied on the palate, with a bit too much wood for my liking; seemed surprisingly angular to me. Perhaps a bad bottle?
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Last bottle. Probably should have opened earlier since it got a lot better after a couple hours when the tannins settled. First sip about completely dried my mouth out but over time it was more integrated. Also had Jack's Masterpiece, which was a very different wine but equally as good in the group's opinion.
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Thoroughly enjoyed in The Greens neighborhood wine cellar progressive dinner. Very elegant and refined. Similar notes to last 2 bottles. Hard to find anything wrong with this wine.
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Very complex wine, lots of casis, dark fruit,chocolate, cigar box, great nose, makes me want to keep smelling it. This wine definitely needs decanting , tannis is well integrated, very silky but can feel its presence, not big tannis as so many ppl said within the community tasing note.
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Could it be that this is at it's peak now? Decanted for a long time (5-6 hr) and really delicious when first drunk with dinner. Big bright large flavors, still plenty of tannins. More flashy than harmonious. The surprise was that by late evening (9-10 hrs after opening), it wasn't nearly as good, and by the next day, it had completely fallen apart. Very different from earlier bottles. So either this is bottle variation, or it's time to start to drink these up.
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Day one - fruit and tannin - good (very good) but not wow - below expectation. 90-92 points. Day two - big difference - opened up much more, much better mouthfeel - great dark fruit cabernet - 93-95 points.
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Wonderful nose that this blend often offers - cranberries, violets, plums ahhh. Silky on the palate and a bit more delicate than recent vintages. Balanced. Plenty of life left. Decanted for an hour and didn't notice the tannins that others comment on as out of balance at all.
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Excellent nose on initial pour, great mix of fruit and wood on the palate, smoooooth. Held together for a couple hours day 1. Day 2, not as good but I'm sticking with a day 1 rating of 94. Very nice wine, several years of life in it.
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Very tight when we opened it. Paired with duck and short ribs for dinner. Paired better with the duck (rich sauce, cherries and thyme polenta). Opened nicely in the glass but didn't seem remarkable. We are glad that we didn't finish the bottle and took it home. Uncorked it the next day for sipping. Rich fruitiness and mouth feel, smooth, no harshness at all. Food might have ruined it. This is one where decanting would have improved it.
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Still very tight and tannic. Nice dark fruit on the mid-palate and great long finish, but not quite the lushness Inisignia usually has. It just needs more time in the bottle.
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'01 Cab faceoff - Insignia vs. Pride Reserve. Right now Pride wins. Decanted Insignia for 30 min., rebottled for ride to restaurant, then reopened and again decanted for another hour+. Insignia was more subtle, revealing less fruit in nose & taste. Smooth, nicely built wine yet still tannic/tight, especially on the finish. This one needs more cellar time.
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Still comes off as a very young wine dark ruby color and loaded with tannis. Has a tight calky nose of incense and black current. Well integrated, and powerful With a long finish.
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Full black color. Big black fruit with extremely grippy tannins & a chalky element. A baby, but I'm not sure the tannins will integrate before the fruit falls out.
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Difficult to score. Good but maybe a bit more menthol than I would have expected. Better than a recent '89 Pichon Baron but not as good as I was hoping for.
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decanted. rather hard and firm tannins that i can't see being tamed by the fruit. i wasn't put off by the wine as a total entity, but for such an iconic napa wine, it doesn't measure up to it's rep.
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From magnum - the Cali hit parade continues. Like a lot of other '01's I have had recently, this bottle was in the zone, completely balanced, great bordeaux nose, cherry and blackberry flavors on palate, not overdone. Better than the '97 the night before, but that bottle probably will probably benefit from more age, whereas the '01 is ready now.
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Wow. This is nice. Huge nose with cedar and dark fruit. Resolving tannins, chocolate and black fruit on the long palate. No flaws and a joy to drink. Not well matched with pulled pork. If you have these it is ok to start tasting.
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The color alone gets the palate warmed up. Dark purple with a lush full sparkle. the nose is equally tantalizing with dark fruit and a hint of tar. The mid-palate fulfills the promise with dark berries, tar, herbs and a touch of earth. Tannis structure is firm and well integrated, but not sweet. The finish is a full 70 seconds and remains fully thick on the mouth. We decanted for 2 hours, and I think we could have gone a third. Wine is fine to drink now, if you own a few bottles, but would wait if you want to hit the peak.
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Has upward potential. Much concentration of crushed black fruits, oak and touches of spices on the nose, full palate of flavors, rich, with chewy tannins. Really delicious to drink tonight, and much promise ahead. A very successful and long lived Insignia.
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(Cult California Cabernet tasting @ Martin Weiner’s) The 2001 Insignia is a great wine. Deep purple color with a nose of vanilla, brown sugar, cinnamon and dark fruits. Plush, round mouth feel. Deep flavors of dark fruit, boysenberry and forest floor. Nice balance between the alcohol and fruit. 30 second finish. Drinking well now and should drink great for another 10 years.
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Double decanted (3 hours) and took to restaurant. Nose was great at rebottling, strong cherry and fruits, but then closed down a bit. Eventually brought out chocolate and red fruits, but this was lighter bodied that I expected. Very good wine, but expected more for the price...
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As expected, a real "lip smacker". Rich nose of dark fruit dominated by blackberry with some cassis, licorice, minerals and oak. Very rich and plush but with good structure and firm, drying tannins. Tremendous richness, concentration and complexity of flavors - everything is big, but also very nicely balanced. This wine is all about power right now, and while very drinkable, it is not yet completely seamless and the tannins are not yet fully resolved. I think it has plenty of fruit to stand up to the tannins, and believe improvement is likely with some additional bottle time.
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FAbulous insignia that has a lot of life ahead of it. Strong notes of cassis, spice box, cocoa dusted and toasty oak. Nice structure in the mouth with a mouth filling finish thats very long. Grippy tannins show up on the end of the finish. Very intoxicating nose, I just kept sniffing and sniffing this wine. Had as a complement to steak au poivre and wild mushroom saute. Au poivre isn't the best pairning for this wine, but it was for the belly. 95 for me with some room for improvement, 97 for my wife. Hard to argue with either score. This wine was opened and let to breath on its own for 3 hours, then poured through a vinturi and consumed over another 3 hours.
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Still a very young wine. Huge red fruit nose with a firm acidic spike on opening. Gave bottle about an hour of air time and this beauty just sang. Red fruits with some chocolate and still subtle oak. Tannins were so round and lush and just a pleasure to drink. Finish was endless and this beauty still has a real long life ahead of it.
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Terrific magnum was thoroughly enjoyed with Noel and Sue in town. Decanted for 60-90 minutes. Classic Napa Cab on the nose with pure, refined black currants, blackberry, cedar/cigar box, a little oak, vanilla, and some nice spices. Ultra smooth, silky, full bodied palate had tons of fruit and fine tannins. Finished lingered 45 seconds...
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Drank this in a vertical with the 2002 Insignia 100 point wine of the year, both were outstanding, 2001 not as complex as the 2002, but not that noticable. Outstanding bottle of wine, Napa's best offering I believe.
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"Anniversary" Weekend at Rob & Lisa's; 5/29/2009-6/1/2009 (Scott's Valley, CA): Nose was distinctly Insignia in it's fullness, showing vanilla, blackberry, cassis, freshly tilled dirt, chocolate and a bit of mint. The taste showed pretty tightly wound for a good portion of this bottle with charred earth, anise, plum, cassis and vanilla flavors. Tannins are still quite fat and chewy, and really need a good 5 more years to begin to resolve. Overall this is a fantastic wine, but it needs quite a bit more time in the bottle to come together. I think I am a little jaded after having the 97, which was one of those cathartic wine experiences that will be near impossible to ever match up to.
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Very fragrant nose of creme de cassis, mocha, and burnt sugar. Intense flavors of black currant and toasty oak. Unbelievable balance and finesse. Low acid transitions into a smooth finish. Tannins seem to be integrated at this point which makes me wonder if this wine is at it's peak. An amazing finish that leaves the currant/mocha flavors lingering for at least a minute. This is what a high end Napa Cab blend should be.....lives up to the name.
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Dark. Powerfully fragrant, almost pungent with mocha, cassis and valrhona. Earth and a briary note are added on the palate, which is large scaled yet still more feminine than masculine, likely ample alcohol but hidden by all the fruit and low acid feel.
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Consumed in a vertical tasting with the 2002 Insignia, paired with buffalo ribeye in a somewhat spicy seasoning. The 2001 was complex with a lot of subtle and varied flavor notes, but minimal remaining tannins, and probably at the peak of its suitability for consumption for my palate. In contrast, the 2002 still had strong tannins with the potential for continued aging. Both were outstanding wines, but the 2001 had enough subtlety that I would have enjoyed it more by itself than paired with a seasoned steak, while the 2002 stood up quite nicely to the hint of cayenne.
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Great wine, very dark and needed some time to open up. Lots of cherries on the nose, wood. Very heavy. still high alcohol but showed good fruits, sweet finish
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Very attractive nose, redolent of black fruits, cedar and earth. Full to medium bodied, with very ripe and unobtrusive tannins. This went very well with food. This is an elegant, although rich wine.
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Very dark purple with a red rim; Creme de cassis aromas and flavors with a touch of oaky spiciness and a stunningly long finish. Very balanced with pure fruit and a wonderful velvety texture. This tasted very similar to the 1997 and was seriously good wine. Decanted about 30 minutes prior to dinner with improvement for the next two hours. Drink or hold.
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Tasted for Cuchita Hernandez , el 21 Feb 2009, cumpleaños de Claudio, lo celebramos en (contumasia) con Lilia Sanchez y sus hermanas, lo acompañamos con un filete de res al horno de leña y luego unos quesos con sus respectivas mermeladas, excelente vino, hacîa mucho tiempo que no me tomada algo asî. Tiene un aroma exquisito y un color rubî oscuro que me fascina.
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Decanted 3+ hours. Fairly restrained nose, bright red fruits and a touch of menthol. Wonderfully balanced on the palate. Red currant, chocolate, and a little fig. Soooo good. This is fantastic now, but as Insignia almost always does, it will get better towards 10+ years.
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It's been a while since I've had an Insignia, almost forgot how much I like this wine. drinking very nicely now after about an hour or so decant. A wonderful Meritage wine with a nose of brown sugar, plums and vanilla oak. Lovely smooth palate of plum, chocolate, currants and fine grained tannins that envelope the long finish. Reminds me a little of the 97. I wish I had a few more of these to enjoy over the next 5-10 years.
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Wine is at it's prime, nice Meritage blend that has softened tremendously since my first. As a large producer, it's hard to believe this wine holds to the quality level it does, avg. 18k cases a year. Chocolate starting to really push through.
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Nose following initial pour showed some heat-> Decanted 3 hours, then fabulous rich layered nose of caramel, cassis, vanilla. Medium weight with seamless integration of fruit & tannin which formed a solid foundation, great structure for the long haul. A cllass act. 94
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Excellent wine!!! I bought this 4 years ago with some birthday cash and saved it for my 51st with my wife. Our first Insignia and the last of many 2001 California Cab based wines we enjoyed over the years and as they say "save the best for last". Rich deep color with the thinnest legs on a glass of wine we had ever seen. On the nose black fruits with a touch of hazelnut that was very interesting in a wine. Also some floral notes and hint of rich loam. On the palate a smooth, lingering, seductive finish without any harshness so I think this bottle was at the peak. A pedigree and even more impressive considering the volume of their production. Will save the 99 Insignia for 1 more year.
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Decanted for 2 hrs. Nice dark fruit, currant, cherry nose. More of the same up front but not as decadent as some of the other JPI vintages. Very smooth with medium long finish. I believe this vintage could be losing its edge and should not be held too much longer.
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I GET IT!!! I understand the buzz of Insignia!! I can't describe it because I drank it last month but smooth, delicious, balanced. Ready to drink now!! The best wine I have ever tasted. Try it, it is worth every cent!!! I will be looking for more!! I can't wait to try the 2002. How ever will I be patient?!
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The restaurant was way too hot, the food was bad this wine was a victim but still was lovely. Don't eat at Spindleshanks at Lake Tahoe, do drink this wine.
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This is still very young but is delicious already. Tanins are still there even on day two but the dark fruit is still bursting through with no signs of oxidation.
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With the exception of obviously bad vintages overall, I personally only notice very subtle differences between different vintages of Insignia. Some are just a little more fruit forward, some are a little more restrained and some with a little more of a tannic backbone. This bottle was great in all the ways that Insignia is great and no single characteristic really stood out above the rest. Everything was in harmony. Very lush and rich all around. An absolutely excellent wine but is it better then the 99? I am not sure that it is or maybe the 99 is just a little more open and evolved and that made it show a little better. I was surprised at the blend, with 89% Cabernet Sauvignon and just a splash of Petit Verdot and Malbec. No Cab Franc or Merlot in this one.
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Dark purple color in the glass, clear hue throughout. Tight nose giving way to notes of brown sugar, plums, currants and violets. Flavors of currants, plums, berries and a bit of pepper on the medium to long finish. Medium acidity, firm tannins, full bodied. I'd recommend holding. Despite the nose being slightly tight I'd say this is one of the better bottles of the 2001 Insignia I've had to date. It might be coming around a bit.
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Opened to celebrate our last Sunday dinner in CA...was initially very closed and had a slightly off smell (was obviously sleeping). Opened after a couple hours in the decanter with dark fruit and subtle oak. Mild upfront fruit with a strong midsection and the lingering finish of cedar, oak, and dark fruits we have come to love from JP. Drinking well now but still has a long life ahead.
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Part of 2000 , 2001 , 2002 mini vertical , my wine of the night , started out quite tight but opened up into a great wine with a finish that went on & on . Has the backbone to stand up for a while but cut thru a slab of prime rib w/ ease . very tasty
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black currant, stewed plum, vanilla, smoky, black grape skin -- very dark, heavy body and concentration, almost too much so, like drinking an extracted cab sauv/cab franc concentrate.
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Ive had a couple corked Insignias in a row so I had to try this one to break my streak. this did the trick. Decanted for an hour while we drank another bottle but the nose was of black cherries and cola. Still very big with a firm acidity. Mouthfeel turned soft with more air giving way to the cola maoch dark cherry flavors. Long wonderful finish this is drinking beautifully now but still has plenty of time left.
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Tasted April 3, 2008. Opened and decanted 2 hours before serving over the next hour. Dark garnet color in the glass, vibrant and attractive hue. Nose of black currants, stewed plums, smoke and white pepper. Flavors of black berries, black cherries and tart berries on the finish. Medium to high acidity, firm tannins, full body. I'd recommend holding for another 5 years myself for what it's worth.
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Huge and impressive. The wine is drinkable now. It took quite a bit of time to open up in the decanter, but it obviously has many, many years left in it. Tannins are still quite evident, but not objectionable. Exquisitely balanced. Rich mouth feel. Notes of berries, dark red fruits, leather. Incredible finish.
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Decanted 2 hours. Not the great experience that I had 6 months ago. Fruit and flavor was lacking. Is time catching up to the 01 already? Nowhere near the weight and smoky chocolate of the 04.
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Deep aromas of blueberries and leather when first opened. However, the flavor profile was a bit lacking. Expected much more fruit. Seemed a bit thin, but still well balanced.
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From .375: Decanted 2 hours, consumed over the following 4 hours. Nice red fruit on the nose. Well-integrated blackberry flavors, with tobacco, some faint oak and an alcohol burn. Towards the end of the 4 hour drinking window the alcohol had virtually disappeared, and the wine became far better-balanced. This was tasted alongside a .375 of the 2001 Montelena Estate, and was a better wine overall, with more complexity and a noticeable CaliCab profile, where the Monty was a little "flatter" and more bordeaux-like.
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Grand Jury Chicagoan - 2001 Cab Merlot (Restaurant Michael): Rich fruit-forward aromas of chocolate covered cherries and vanilla leap from the glass. It seems very Foley-esque on the effusive nose. Palate has forward rich fruits with big tannins that are coming through and offering balance. Clear group favorite in the flight, with consensus that this was California. Many thought it was the Pride Reserve. This was the #2 WOTN for the group. In my top 5 for sure. 95 – 97 points
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This wine was consumed with Thanksgiving dinner and was decanted for over 3 hours before it was drunk. WOW, what a change. The last time I tried this I almost gave away my last 2 bottles. It was closed down and almost like red water. What a difference a little bottle age can do! Big black fruits, really fine integrated tannins, a lingering taste of almost a minute or more. Just an awesome example of a great Californis Cabernet blend.
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Terrific magnum enjoy by all at the Doherty's 25th anniversary dinner with grilled filet mignon. Fantastic refined nose of cigar box/cedar, black currants, and some spice. Silky smooth on the palate with perfectly integrated tannins with tons of blackberry fruit, caramel and vanilla. Superb 30+ second finish. Seems to be drinking very well now, but should continue to age for several years.
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A very rich wine at this point loaded with spicy, plummy fruit. Quite large-scaled but definitely not over the top and it holds its alcohol well. The tannins are big but smooth and the wine possesses great grip and balance despite its size. A gorgeous Insignia in the making from by far the best Napa vintage of the new century. Should be perfect in another 2-3 years. 93+
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Opened a bottle today -- it's been a year since the last tasting and o what a difference a year makes. can really pick up the vanilla scent and the tannins had also mellowed. still has a load of fruit and probably a few more years to go to fully evolve but this wine drinks well right now. MmMmm.
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One of the top wines I have ever had! This was the WOTN for me among 3 other blockbusters, not to mention one of the best meals of my life at Blackbird. '99 Fisher Wedding, '04 Buccella, and '03 Lewis Cellars. The balance of this wine was almost perfect, and the oak has integrated so well without overpowering the fruit. The finish was as smooth as gelato from Florence on a hot day and as soft as the Venison we had that night. Can't wait to drink more Insignia!
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Opened, decanted & consumed over two hour period. Medium ruby color just beginning to show appropriate hints of fading at the rim. Nice somewhat muted aromas of dark currant & cedar. The acid tannin balance makes for great food pairing. Initially this was quite tight & showed only hints of dark berries & some oak on the palate. Great mouth feel during the entire time and while it did open up after 1hr to reveal more dark cherry & blackberry flavors, never seemed to evolve or expand it's profile. Still young and plenty of years ahead but not displaying the level of complexity typical of previous vintages at this stage of evolution.
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Surprisingly ripe, supple, rounded, and full of fruit for this wine given the vintage and the relatively young age. Cedar and fruit on the nose. A bit of vanilla on the attack, followed by blackberry, kirsch, hints of licorice. Soft, velvety mouthfeel. Tannins seem almost too soft and well-integrated for the age, but it did not keep this from being incredibly tasty. Given the evolution, I'd say to consume this over the next 3-4 years.
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Probally the best wine I've had in my short drinking career. Drank for dinner with GOLV, dinner consisted of grilled rib-eye, grilled corn, and parmesan rosemary twice baked potaotes. Decanted about 45 minutes.
Very well made with typical California Cab aromas of blackberry, vanilla, cedar complimented by hints of chocolate and a little meatyness. Integrated flavors abound with smooth tannins and wonderful balance throughout the mid-palate all the way through a minute plus finish. This wine is perfect right now.
The butteryness of the rib-eye and Insignia was one of the best food pairings I've ever had.
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Decanted for about an hour, per recommendations of other CT reviewers. Nose was rich and perfumed: boysenberry syrup was the first thing that hit me, and at different points in the evening I got caramel, blackberry, and oak.
The feel of this wine in the mouth was wonderful, and to me is one of the things that shows its pedigree. Perfectly integrated tannins--while this may have a lot of life left, I don't see that it will get any better than it is now. It is great.
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Opened and decanted for dinner at Social Hollywood. Aromas of dried cherries and cranberries, cocoa powder, black truffles, and just hint of cedar. On the palate, this wine starts off very silky with dark cherry, loamy earth, and herbs. The judicious use of oak has been fully integrated. With food -- I had the Filet Mignon with Lobster Bordelaise -- the acidity kicks in and helps to cut through the richness of the dish. Although the finish was initially on the short side, it did actually seem to become more protracted with time in the glass. By the end of the meal, about 2+ hours later, the wine was still very vibrant and textured and was showing absolutely no sign of fading. Although it is drinking very well right now, and has shed nearly all of its baby fat, it is still IMO very much a youngster. I will probably wait another year before even thinking about opening another one. 92-93 points. P.S. LB was much less impressed with this wine, but then again, she's a tough cookie when it comes to cab-based wines. I guess that's what happens when you are weaned on Shafer HSS.
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This never really opened up into any special. Second bottle with same notes. I can find the same enjoyment out of a $30 cab. Maybe in a dumb stage. Drank with Heather and Mark with Rib Eye Roast.
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Drank at Peter Lugers over 2 hours...Deep, rich purple with a fruit forward lush Insignia presentation...Drinking very well for an 01 right now, still might/should improve with more bottle age...Smooth and primary with a long finish
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Been about a year since I had one. Great wine. Rich and deep. Decanted for one hour and followed for another 2. I thought at about 2.5 hours it actually tightened up and showed more espresso type oak notes. Next bottle, I'll stick to an hour decant and serve. Intense cassis with a minor blue and blackberry role. Has some chocolate covered espresso beans as well. Supple smooth rich low acid mouthfeel. A big wine, but luxurious. 96 pts.
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Valentine's Magnum Massacre (Triomphe, NYC): Very nice. Rich, but somewhat restrained. Sweet tannins. Strawberry with a coffee core. Nice complexity. Somewhat high toned A-
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great bottle ,decant for at least an hour and enjoy. loads of cassis and sweet chocolate on the nose. dark fruit and chocolate.This has 20 more years of solid drinking.
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Pinot Envy had a bottle of this opened at her home when we visited last weekend. It had been open for a few days. Dark inky red color. A smokey nose. Dry tannins. Little fruit. Over all the wine seemed tired and oxidized from being open so long. No score.
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This wine was paired with a standing rib roast, garlic mashed potatoes, and saute bok choy. The wine was decanted for 4 - 5 hours. A solid cabernet with good complexity and flavor. The tannins were still quite present but were beginning to soften with the decanting. Unfortunately, this bottle was over shadowed by a 2001 Dunn H.M.
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Beautiful inky black, deep and rich with not even a hint of fading at the rim. The nose is pure creme de cassis; an utterly delicious combination of currant, spice, vanilla and other scents greets your nose long before it is close to the glass. Still young and primary, this wine coats my palate with berries and vanilla in a thick, rich layer. Tannin and acidity present and in need of a bit more integration. The finish goes on and on! This wine will only get better with time. Would love to re-visit this beuaty in 5 or 10 years. Could be as good as the '97. www.advinetures.ca
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Christmas dinner at Ron and Christina's. Pretty flat experience. Not a lot of fruit. A bit thin, compared to other Insignia I have had in the past, especially the 1994 and 1997. Hopefully this will get better with age.
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Very nice Insignia with some real potential. Well balanced but still too young. It did improve over a couple of hours but I will wait at least another year before I try again. Rich fruit with classic dark berry flavor. Accessible now but should improve from here.
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Amazing. Black chery, blackberry, annis, mint, graphite, vanilla, possibly a little garlic or white pepper. Extremely well-blananced in every way and fantastically crafted balance between fruit and bouquet. Velvety tannins. A wine everyone can enjoy, and perhaps my new 'ideal' cabernet.
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Had as part of a birthday dinner with friends next to an 03 David Arthur Elevation. Stunning wine. Very concentrated, nose of cassis and oak. Wonderful on the palate. This is an incredibly well-balanced wine with a very long finish.
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Great bottle of wine, took some time to open up (decanted 2 hours). Still very tight. Very rich with intensity of fruit, but restrained. I had this next to the 2002 and the 2002 had much more open personality. Both wines had incredible purity of fruit, classic Insignia silkiness. The 2002 had the 2001 by a nose.
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Tasted October 14, 2006 at win’s 40th birthday party. Served blind in a Riedel restaurant series Bordeaux wine glass. Bag labeled as “Mustang”. Purple color in the glass, clear hue throughout. Nose of violets, incense and a touch of balsalmic (maybe from the previous wine?). Flavors of blackberries, currants and maybe some licorice? Medium acidity, firm tannins and medium body. Seems young. Hold. No guess on the wine.
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Dinner with Steve Sigmund and Jeff Samuelson (Insignia and Pavie): Popped and poured. Definitely should have been decanted in advance. The color is an opaque red trending towards purple with no lightening at the rim. The dominant smell is dark fruit. You could name other aromas with some coaxing, but really they are dominated by the fruit at this point. On the palate this is concentrated -- almost syrupy -- giving more sweet dark fruit and a touch of vanilla. This is still very tannic, but finishes nicely with good concentrated fruit. Has all the raw materials to develop into a special bottle of wine, but needs a few more years at least.
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Dinner @ Restaurant Alma. Popped and poured; tasted side-by-side with a 94 Insignia and 98 Pavie. This was my bottle, and I probably should have decanted it several hours beforehand. There is a great core of black fruit here, but the dominant impression was of sweet brown sugar. Closed down immediately after pouring and never really opened back up. The mouthfeel is very supple, and there is a lot of tannin on the finish. Excellent wine that clearly needs more time to integrate.
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Opened my first of 6 '01s and it's easy to see what the fuss is about. Completely delicious on the first day and even better on the second. The nose and flavor profile of this wine have been very nicely described by other CTs but what is special about this wine, and so many other great ones, is the way it feels in the mouth; the combination of great concentration with a velvety or glycerin-like texture. Just makes you want to drink more. Appeals to pros and novices alike. If you have more than one, it's definitely time to start drinking them.
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Tasted June 21, 2006 at LaSalle Grill in South Bend, IN. Purchased from the restaurant wine list for $240.00 a bottle. Opened and decanted about 1 hour before serving in a Cabernet Sauvignon glass. Also glass decanted during this same period. Attractive purple color in the glass, clear hue throughout. Nose of dark fruits such as currants and plums along with some nice chocolate notes. Palate was still a little tight giving way to some notes of black cherries and black berries. Rounded tannins with fresh acidity. Medium to full bodied. Opened too soon. I’d recommend holding another year or two before trying again. Downgrading my previous score of 94 points to 93 points. Based in the advance price from the winery of $90.00 a bottle (I also have this wine in the cellar) I’d say the value is still recommended but I must admit I’m beginning to waffle at that price point.
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This still has years to go but is like a classic already. At first a little hot but within 30 minutes everthing seems in balance. A joy to drink and to have a few more for the future. You don't have to swirl or even get you nose close to the glass to get the beautiful aroma.
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Cab Lovers of NYC Insignia Vertical (Zoe): Tightly wound beast, this is wonderfully put together and could eventually be the best of the lot. Densely packed fruit (plum, blackberry, sour cherry) with notes of cedar, leather and mint. Great balance-powerful but elegant. Long finish. It should be cellared now to let the tannins resolve but this is a great wine. Tied for WOTF.
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Decanted 2 hrs prior to dinner. Nice black fruits on the nose, with clove and other spices, with the fruit continuing on the palate. Very fine tanins early in the drinking period, but they dissipated about an hour into dinner. Smooth and refined. Not sure its worth the pricetag, but very enjoyable.
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Decanted for about 3 hours. Deep garnet color. Plum, cedar, blackberry, cherry and mint aromas. A powerful wine for sure, but there's an elegance to this wine as well. Plush and rich, with abundant dark fruit flavors lasting throughout the long finish. Plenty of structure, but more than enough fruit to balance this out.
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It was around 85 degrees outside where we were tasting it at the winery. We had already tasted more than 20 wines at that morning and this one still stood out. I would guess (the conditions were not at all ok to get a grip on scoring) definitely over 90 points.
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Delicious, pales only in comparison to the 2002. Velvety tannin structure, complex layers of blackberry, rhubarb, white pepper, and vanilla oak. Long finish. Well done. many years of legs left.
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Insignia is always a solid bottle. As much as I always like them, I find them just short of extraordinary. Tons of dark fruit. Plums, blackberry, a touch of vanilla, and an undertone of licorice which stayed with it all night. Drinking very well right now. Will definitely age nicely.
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Decanted 45 min. Had this at Ruth's Chris with the Porterhouse, medium. Simply awesome! Liquid velvet texture, clean full port-like flavors but not too sweet. The 2001 and 2002 Insignias are quite a pair!
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Wonderful. Paired well with grilled pork tenderloin. Incredible, complex blend of flavors. Better than the Flora Springs Trilogy, which was excellent, but is it worth 3x's the price?
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2001 California Cabernet tasting (Montelena, Insignia, Pride, Paloma, Neal, etc.) (San Marcos, Texas): As fate would have it, this was the last wine in the flight and what an ending it provided! Deep dark ruby with an intense nose of roasted coffee, yummy blackberries and spice. This wine was soooo good, with layers upon layers of flavors, filling the mid palate with fruitful intensity. This wine is so balanced and in harmony with the alcohol, tannin, fruit and acidity all in check. Full bodied, low acid wine has very ripe tannin and a long, intense finish made this my, and most tasters', choice for wine of the night! I correctly guessed it was the Insignia.
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[burgers] last taste in Oct was great but more closed down then 2 previous encounters will hold the remaining for >1 year, but if only 1 would hold til 2009
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Hmmm...cedar, vanilla, oak and licorice jump from the glass. Concentrated, but not entirely focused...I might even say a little disjointed. Sweet and ripe, full bodied, but tannic. Right from the bottle I first thought Right Bank, but that changed quickly. Cocoa powder and again oak. This has the makings of an excellent wine, but the oak needs to integrate and the tannin needs to soften. Still enjoyable today, but not mindblowing. Give it plenty of time...at least 7 years.
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Deep black cherry and cassis Cabernet notes. Weighty and pure, with good balance throughout and classically structured grainy tannins. Some minty notes. Noticeable chocolate oak and a youthful astringency on the finish.
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Had with Dad. Tannins were ever present, but still had a smooth finish. Good fruit, but not a ton--hints of black currant (I still think that the 1997 was a bit more complex). Suggest giving it only 10-30 minutes of time before consuming.
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2001 Cults (Plus some extras) from Delyap & Tommy 'O (Vancouver): Boy I enjoyed this wine. Pure cassis cabernet nose. A little sous bois. Smooth mouthfeel. A touch of green pepper. Nice wine...no, excellent wine. Bordeaux-like. Could there be some cabernet franc in this? The group rated this 7th out of 13.
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Phelps Insignia Vertical 15+ Years: Vertical tasting. Not my favorite vs. others in the group. Lots of good fruit but this was the one vintage that came across as somewhat manipulated to me, and came across as a bit oaky, which (to me) his what seemed to be wonderful fruit with great acidity. I think this just needs time for the oak to integrate so I hope to try again 2010 or later - i think there's something I will find very exciting.
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It's been a wicked few weeks at the office and today my boss stepped down. I called my wife and had her uncork a bottle of 01 Insignia to have it ready to drink when I got home. Lots of black cherry and dark fruit flavor packed in this wine. Subdued notes of chocolate and black licorice. Really accessible, round tannins on the palate...Drinking super well right now....
More than posting a tasting note, I wanted to say thanks to this board. Over the last few weeks when the days at the office have been long, challenging and uncertain, turning to wine and the love of my family, reading the posts on this bb and focusing on my collection has been a great distraction from the bitter reality of the real world.
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It's been a wicked few weeks at the office and today my boss stepped down. I called my wife and had her uncork a bottle of 01 Insignia to have it ready to drink when I got home. Lots of black cherry and dark fruit flavor packed in this wine. Subdued notes of chocolate and black licorice. Really accessible, round tannins on the palate...Drinking super well right now....
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With decanting for longer, might have been a 95/96. Well balanced wine with blueberries and dark fruit offset byfirm tannins. Strong dose of cassis along with integrated oak.
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Tasted at the Gross's party. Thoroughly enjoyed this wine. Wonderful nose, creamy, full-bodied. Big California Cab at its best and a great value for the price. Repurchase.
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375 Bottle. Decanted for 90mins. Deep coloring, soft but expressive aromas of ripe black fruits, maybe some coffee. Thinner than expected but drinking extraordinarily well at the moment, particularly as the decant time lingers on. Watery-blackberry flavors dont' seem "over the top" and structure is extremely well-balanced. Granted it's a split, but it has me wondering if this will age as long as most say. Continue to follow over the coming 2 years.
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Its funny, every time i've had this wine it gets that much better. Yet, not unlike most treasures, I can't keep my hands off it. This wine is sweet, dense and concentrated, has about as much stuffing as i've seen, yet offers such immediate gratification. Blackberry, tons of milk chocolate, eucalyptus, almost confectionary, this is about as sexy a cab one can find in my opinion. Creamy expresso and sultry vanilla give way to a lengthy finish. Just awesome.
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[LBK: steak, portos, tomatoes] Initially felt tight and extracted. The nose was great with ripe, lush fruit, smoke and some mint; smelled like Napa; on the palate, menthol, smoke, and tannins. Over 3 hours, settled down with cassis, smoke, mint, minerals, and big tannins. By the 5 hour mark, the tannins and menthol qualities felt more in balance. Overall though it lacks balance, it may be better than the ’97. Look forward to sampling over the next 5-7 years.
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Wow this wine is young. It needs a lot of time. If you want to drink it now, decant it for at least 1 hour and it's better after 2. Great Aromas of Cherry and chocolate. Wine finishes long with a strong oak and heavy tannin. I'll give it another 5 years before I try again.
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It was really closed when it was poured since the bottle was not decanted. I let it sit in my glass for about 45 minutes while I tried the other wines being poured. It opened a little more but not much. I'm sure the richness and complexity of this wine will come out with time. Rather tannic and closed now. Medium to full bodied. I believe this wine will end up being superior to either the 1999 or 2000 Insignia's. It is on par with the 1991 Insignia but not as good as the 1997. 92-93+ points.
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Farmington Wine Class - 2001 California Cab Tasting. Now this is what I'm looking for in a California cab! Saturated inky black color. Deep, compelling nose, full of sappy dark fruit, cassis, coffee, mint, and cedar. Brooding and tight, but still expressive, and should just get better with time. A bit closed right now on the palate, but deep, with loads of dark fruit, chocolate, and blueberry syrup. Impeccable balance, and a long, long finish. Ths wine improved even as it sat in the glass. I'm not sure how much it's going to evolve, but it should certainly improve with age as it opens up and becomes more accessible. Not cheap, but still well worth buying.
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Definite nose of cassis, dark berry and earth. I got the nose, plus a mouthful of Malbec flavor. Complex blend, but softly tannic. Not clear it will develop over time. Less overall similar to the 97 and 99 vintages. 01 Darioush tasted at the same time by our group was the clear winner. More tannic, depth and complexity.
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Concentrated, currant/cassis, vanilla, smoke, chestnut and chocolate nose. Full and firm with good fruit and dense tannins; long, smoky currant finish. 14.1 % abv
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Tom brought this for us to enjoy, as it is not yet released. The nose shows caramel, vanilla, oak, and blackberries. Hopefully with time the oak will soften and let the fruit shine. The palate is fairly soft with a velvety mouthfeel. Overall it is softer than the 99 but in perfect balance.
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Seattle Tasting Group does 22 years of Phelps Insignia (Bellevue, WA, USA): Oh my God! The cassis, mineral and earth here are amazing. There is so much depth to the nose. On the palate this is vibrant and structured, very complex and expressive for such a young wine, surprisingly approachable. This is going to be a legend, perhaps the finest Insignia ever.
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3/10/2024 - AllRed wrote: 96 Points
Finishing up the last third of the bottle leftover from last night’s tasting. Currant, plum, mocha, chocolate, lavender and cassis notes. Seamless across the palate, filling out with dark plummy fruit, rose water, anise and herb flavors. Gorgeous.
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3/9/2024 - AllRed wrote: 96 Points
Small Tasting & Dinner with Friends: Blind. Dark color. Plum, blackberry, chocolate and mocha aromas. Full-bodied and nicely integrated, with flavors of blue and black fruit, coffee, plum and chocolate. Notes of saddle leather and sage emerge with air. Velvety texture. Lengthy finish. Gorgeous, and showing nowhere near old as it really is.
This was double decanted off its sediment three hours before the flight was poured. An absolutely pristine bottle, cellared since release, the cork wasn't even stained to 1/8". Improved throughout the remainder of the evening.
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2/18/2024 - Handy1 wrote: 96 Points
Similar to last bottle cassis and some dark fruit. Still drinking great
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1/1/2024 - sastewart wrote: 95 Points
NYE dinner with friends. Similar to my last note in 2022. Purchased on release and stored at 55 degrees. Opened 3 hours ahead. Beautiful nose of cassis, a touch of cedar and flowers. Very plush and silky, but with just enough tannins to maintain freshness. Medium plus bodied with plenty of dark, ripe fruit and a great finish. On a nice drinking plateau but this was slightly softer than a bottle consumed 18 months ago. My last bottle - Probably no upside from here. 95 points
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12/31/2023 - g-man wrote: 96 Points
Wow! This is really at its' epogee now. Tanins are mild while the fruit really shines. Not overblown and really balanced. Hints of blackberry with slight euchalyptus notes. This ranks as one of my favorite Insignias. Only 2 bottles left and will probabably finish them in 7 to 8 years.
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11/28/2023 - Capt Cutlass Likes this wine: 96 Points
It's been over a year since I last tasted this and it did not disappoint! Powerful nose and dense in colour and texture. Great depth of flavour; evolved leather notes with dark cherries and other berries. Smooth as silk. A real beauty which is in a perfect place now and looks good to go for a few more years if you want more tertiary flavours to match the dark fruit. I am going for drink by 2027..
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11/22/2023 - BernieMSY Likes this wine: 96 Points
Decanted for 90 minutes prior to tasting.
Very dark purple color; roasted meat nose.
Dark and integrated. Some black fruit remains, complemented with tones of mocha, mint and eucalyptus. There’s still a bit of tannic structure, indicating that this wine can easily develop for another decade or more. It’s terrific at present, and I believe it is just hitting its maturational stride. Let us know what you think.
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11/18/2023 - RBaird wrote:
Thanksgiving in St. John Nov 2023
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11/10/2023 - Handy1 wrote: 97 Points
Wow delicious. Pop n poured and took about an hour to open up. Nice cassis, aged cab with mellow tannins. Really in a good spot. Dont think more aging needed but can last some years
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11/8/2023 - lesz wrote: 92 Points
still young. part of vertical tasting
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11/6/2023 - jmoore431 Likes this wine: 93 Points
93+
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11/6/2023 - bryon m Likes this wine: 92 Points
Color and body was in excellent condition. Due it is age, lacked some of the complexity it had 10 years ago. Still drinking nicely! Soft mouth feel dark fruits and berries start to end.
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10/21/2023 - Jonathan T Likes this wine: 97 Points
When I first tasted this 12 years ago, my impression was that this was the greatest Insignia I've ever had. This bottle not only reaffirms that, but it's even better than before. What is striking now is how the tannins have resolved into a velvety texture that engulfs the palate. No signs of decline and barely any hints of secondary notes. My last bottle, but if I did have more, I would have no concerns about cellaring this in another decade.
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9/8/2023 - RichEB1 wrote: 91 Points
Purchased on release. This is drinking really well.....but it lacked a bit of the 'wow factor' that I was expecting. Red fruits, cassis, and a herbal component on the finish. Perfectly integrated and ready to go, but I don't see it going downhill anytime soon. This bottle was good but not great, and I would probably drink the rest of mine over the next 5 years if I had anymore so as to still catch some of the fruit.
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7/17/2023 - galewskj wrote: 93 Points
Luis goes to Kenwood (The Kenwood): Hopefully I"DRATHER... will mention the bottle treatment, because this one seemed more primary than a bottle a year ago. A pairing of this and the 2011 Tignanello may have done the Insignia a disservice, as the Tignanello seemed so lively, while the Insignia was very rich, dark and almost dessert-like. Rich bold fruit.
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7/14/2023 - I'd Rather Be Drinking Wine Likes this wine: 95 Points
Prep: Opened the bottle at 2:00 and poured into a decanter. Placed decanter in the wine cellar for an hour, then back in the bottle and loosely corked. Removed cork at the restaurant at 5:00 and slo-O for another two hours before consuming.
Tasting note: Wowsa! This wine really improved since the last bottle. In a very nice place for my palate, striking that balance, which I love, between fruit and tertiary flavors. Nose was quite appealing with potpourri, cherry bark, leather and earth dominating. The palate showed layers of dark and red fruit, mixed with tobacco, earth, leather and graphite. The tannins were ultra smooth and there was still enough acidity to keep the fruit going strong. Add a medium-long finish and you have a pretty amazing older Napa wine! I wish I had a few more bottles, but absolutely no regret opening now.
Thanks to Odedis for their review on CT, which convinced me to pop this open! Easy 95 for me, and I feel that is pretty conservative! My WOTN, and not just saying that because it was my bottle! I had high expectations, and this bottle still managed to exceed them!
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7/11/2023 - Odedis.Wine.reviews Likes this wine: 96 Points
Here is a fabulous 99 point wine by Robert Parker.
Dark ruby in color with a short reddish rim.
Great nose of blueberries, blackberries, black currants, plums, cooked cherries, cedar, earth, vanilla, Mediterranean spices, espresso, cola, light herbs, chocolates, tobacco and black pepper.
Full bodied, smooth and elegant, with medium acidity and long legs.
Dry and fruity on the palate with blackberries, black cherries, figs, cedar, chocolates, vanilla, licorice, spices, tobacco, herbs, light earth, cola and peppercorn.
Long finish with round tannins and tangy cherries.
This is a gorgeous Cabernet Sauvignon based Bordeaux blend from Napa Valley.
Showing nice balance and a great mouthfeel. Round and rich. Elegant and smooth.
This 22 year old still has a lot of power in it, and will continue to age nicely in the next 5 to 10 years.
Good right out of the bottle, and better after 2 hours of airtime.
So soft and powerful, with a great nose. This is a gorgeous wine right now.
A blend of 89% Cabernet Sauvignon, 8% Petit Verdot and 3% Malbec. Aged in all new French oak barrels for 24 months.
13.9% alcohol by volume.
96 points.
$250.
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5/14/2023 - Verb Likes this wine: 96 Points
dark red with garnet rim - black fruit nose with some complex aromas (graphite, red peonies) - big full round mouth of sweet fruit (black cherries, plumbs) - excellent fruit-tannin balance, low acidity - long 20-30 sec finish - a great CA cab that is continuing to evolve in the mouth, and beginning to develop some complexity in the nose as well
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5/14/2023 - G_H wrote: 97 Points
Another stunning showing. Incredibly young, deep, cool, dark fruit. Dense, rich and ver my long. At the same time elegant and balanced. Wow!
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5/1/2023 - CoastCabCritic Likes this wine: 96 Points
Wine was in a great place and had cruised in a cold cellar for two decades. Fruit still in place, and showing some age. The wine was very well balanced. Drink now and enjoy.
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4/14/2023 - Romz Likes this wine: 93 Points
230323 - impromptu dinner withthe usual Vino heads in MYS
Another aged American giant sourced by Joe. Super privileged that my first Insignia is a 22 year old bot. This is initially muted and dumb which restrained to take a sip. The bitter & gritty tannins took almost 2 hours of aeration & swirling in the glass to open up. Sweet cassis, licorice, jammy fruit notes, mocha & hint of smoke. Multi layered & great intensity with elegantly polished finish.
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4/5/2023 - TroyP Likes this wine: 95 Points
Absolutely ready. Birthday dinner with prime ribeyes. Excellent wine from opening to empty. Not decanted. Bottle coated with fine tannins. Didn't fade. Lovely and elegant. Full mouth. Med long finish. Ready now but has some time left.
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3/19/2023 - KenK Likes this wine: 95 Points
Delicious hedonistic dark ripe lush red fruit aromas with silky smooth rich delicious fruit dipped in milk chocolate with no hard edges. A bit warm, but otherwise pure yum. Likely at peak, its almost all about the beautiful fruit here. Thanks ddlm
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3/17/2023 - GFischmann Likes this wine: 94 Points
Great wine!
Still has good balance of acidity, tannins and fruit!!
Drink now
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3/1/2023 - DCHawkeye Likes this wine: 96 Points
One of the red wines opened at a wine dinner at St. Anselm in DC, this was far and away the wine of the night. Just a stunning bottle of Insignia; one that my very Franco-phile palate would have been hard pressed to identify as Napa. In a perfect place right now.
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2/20/2023 - optioninvestor Likes this wine: 95 Points
Spectacular. Fairy tale land - chocolate sprinkled on forest floor, with dark berries poking up from underneath. Mahogany, almost hints of sandalwood. Despite its age, it still has a youth-like structure with present, though rounded tannins and a wonderful acidity that encourages you to play with it in your mouth. Finish is perfect for a 20+ year old wine. If you purchased this shortly after release, it's a perfect testament to the effort of aging a fine wine.
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2/18/2023 - skurtz Likes this wine: 94 Points
This was outstanding, decanted and tucked in right away. Tobacco nose, red and black fruit, milk chocolate, with a hint of sweetness and plenty of mineral to balance. WOTN for me. Paired with braised lamb shank at Tuscany in SLC.
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1/24/2023 - louisl Likes this wine: 95 Points
Wow, this is drinking very well right now, and much younger than a 20+ year old wine. Great rich texture, and dark red fruit and red blood flavors that is so typical of Insignia. The tanins have softened and the palate is soft, but the mature flavors are still subtle. Drinking well right now, but will continue to evolve into a more mature beautiful wine.
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1/17/2023 - BAR1028 wrote:
This was awesome!
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1/14/2023 - amex777n wrote:
Fabulous for our dinner party
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1/14/2023 - ipp Likes this wine: 96 Points
WOW!!! This bottle was the star of a night lined up against a 98 Mouton, 85 Lynch Bages and 97 Lail. The 01 Insignia is drinking like a 4-5 year old, but with rounds edges. Beautiful bouquet, loads of dark ripe fruit ... almost candied. Great, integrated tanning, long finish. WOW ... sorry, already said that.
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1/13/2023 - edjBoca Likes this wine: 95 Points
Birthday Wine !!!
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12/26/2022 - DWStyle Likes this wine: 96 Points
Drank my last bottle with family last night at Christmas dinner. Fabulously rich and velvety wine at its peak. Yum!
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12/23/2022 - lesz Likes this wine: 93 Points
great
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12/22/2022 - dman7 wrote:
No notes other than it was excellent.
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12/16/2022 - BernieMSY Likes this wine: 94 Points
Double decanted for 45 minutes. Deep Ruby color and a touch of mint on the nose. The flavor profile is broad and rich with notes of cocoa mint, and tons of umami. Quite nice. Still performing very well.
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11/12/2022 - DWStyle Likes this wine: 95 Points
Did a Insignia retrospective tasting at JPV
Bought a couple 01’s & a couple 02’ !!!
Tastes of sweet cherries!
Fine bouquet , velvety tannins on mid. Silky on the finish, a delightful aged beauty for sure! Not the bell of the ball any more but she still has poises and elegance.
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10/22/2022 - JS199 wrote: 95 Points
From magnum, provenance was perfect. Very elegant and mature. Ultra smooth mouthfeel with some tannins still available.
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10/19/2022 - KMac1341 Likes this wine: 92 Points
Drank very well. Perfecto
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9/18/2022 - SalN wrote: 92 Points
It was a little muted across the board for me. I prefer the 2002 much better.
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9/16/2022 - GFischmann wrote: 95 Points
Great balance, continuous to have dark fruit, balance acidity and tannins.
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9/16/2022 - sastewart wrote: 95 Points
Opened 3 hours ahead. Beautiful nose of cassis, a touch of cedar and flowers. Plush, but with enough acid and tannins to maintrain freshness. Full bodied with plenty of dark, ripe fruit and a lond finish. This was followed by a 1997 Insignia that was perhaps a touch bigger and richer. Purchased on release and stored at 55 degrees. On a nice drinking plateau. 95 points
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7/8/2022 - The Andrews Likes this wine:
A little weird on opening, but who isn’t after 20 years under a cork? Gentle decant led very quickly to a great wine, a little ripe but then smoothed out and we had typical cab dark fruit and plenty of acid for a delicate balance that held up over the next 4 hours. Our last bottle but we’d be happy to have this again. 95 pts
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7/3/2022 - Capt Cutlass Likes this wine: 97 Points
The last tasting note matched my experience after a one hour carafe. Just want to add that it has come around nicely since my last post in 2013 and is in a perfect drinking window. Obviously a hot year with its creamy, silky texture and prune-like character which works well with the tertiary elements. If it wasn’t for the residual richness It could have been mistaken for a Bordeaux Grand Cru!
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6/25/2022 - BernieMSY wrote: 96 Points
Splash decant.
Deep garnet color with a touch of bricking at the edges. Richly integrated. Sweet Dark fruits undergirded by leather, and other secondary flavors. Good tannic structure, and a long finish. Will go at least another decade.
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6/16/2022 - GlenviewGSW wrote: 91 Points
Probably over the hill as it exhibited some raisiny elements on the nose and finish.
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5/14/2022 - edjBoca Likes this wine: 95 Points
Decanted for 90 minutes and cleaned the bottle...This had dark fruits on the nose and was at peak complex and long finish.....great. I think this is peak drinking for this as the tanin is fully integrated and this has low acid....Enjoy
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4/22/2022 - ifishtoo Likes this wine: 97 Points
Everything you want from a Cali cab. Great bouquet, rich in the mouth with a loooong aftertaste. Wish we had more.......
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2/27/2022 - jviz wrote: 95 Points
Double decanted and served blind. Dark hue with some bricking.
On the nose, really regal, with some rosemary and blue/black fruit potpourri. Well integrated but with excellent depth and concentration and some pencil lead minerals. We thought it might have been a top wine from Graves. Sappy but not so sun-kissed that guessed tended toward old world. We suspected a ripe year, like 98. Anyway, this showed impeccably well and Phelps’ insignias from that era (we’ll say 95-05) have aged almost uniformly well in my opinion.
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2/20/2022 - DCHawkeye Likes this wine: 94 Points
Decanted about an hour before dinner, with rack of lamb. This was actually a very good bottle. My only mistake was pouring this after (rather than before) the 2000 Pavie. This quite possibly deserved a huge score, but the Pavie went to 11.
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2/5/2022 - G_H wrote: 96 Points
Lots of cherry, milk chocolate, a hint of floral notes, creamy, velvety and elegant. This begs to be drunk now, but could go a long time as well..
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1/22/2022 - JAZZ4U Likes this wine: 98 Points
Parker 98 Pts. 89%CS 8%PV 3% Malbec
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1/1/2022 - redhead6971 Likes this wine: 94 Points
Notes very similar from my last notes last year. A tad bit more refined at this point drinking is outstanding time to drink this mother up maybe hold one for another five years for fun.
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12/29/2021 - Bhavnish Likes this wine:
Bottle had sediments however enjoyed after decanting !
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12/28/2021 - BrendanMcS wrote: 97 Points
Big juicy nose with lots of strawberry, cherry, and raspberry. Palate was much different from the nose. Little fruit but lots of Earthiness. Moist soil, tobacco, violet. Really well balanced with smooth tannins. Long finish and delicious. Decanted just enough to get the broken cork out and drank within 30 minutes. Excellent!
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12/28/2021 - BernieMSY Likes this wine: 95 Points
60 minute decant.
Extremely dark garnet color, just a touch of bricking at the edges. White pepper nose.
Deeply integrated flavors; no sharp edges. Exotic dark fruit. Spice, tea, mint and leather. Delicious.
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11/20/2021 - Rgentile wrote: 93 Points
Mature and ready. Black fruits dominate with more cassis and pencil shavings. Good acidity and gritty tannins but integrated. Fun wine to taste and drink though the evening. In a flight with 00’ Abreu and 09 Herb Lamb. This came in 3rd for me but it was in some stellar company.
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11/6/2021 - herbtcat Likes this wine: 91 Points
It's all in there, but starting to fade. Drink it now.
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10/3/2021 - csimm wrote: 94 Points
Given that there are already 471 tasting notes on this particular wine, I'll compartmentalize this, now #472, tasting note:
1. In a beautiful drinking window right now.
2. Freshness that glides smoothly and maintains persistence through the rolling finish.
3. Medium-bodied overall.
4. Rounded dark earthy berry, leather, and black rocky soil notes.
5. Integrated elements/flavors - classically restrained but still giving in depth and controlled ripeness.
6. Does not pair well with caviar and potato chips......
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9/25/2021 - sfwinelover1 Likes this wine: 95 Points
My greatest day of wine (over)consumption. Ever. (Aaron and Tiffany's pad): Dfc's primary contribution to the wine orgy was particularly on point, as I found him on CT after almost 20 years of being out of touch by his TN for the '96, which I just bought a mag of. On the nose and palate, the full range of perfectly ripe blue-black fruit, minerality, dark florals, leather, tobacco with just a touch of graphite and gravel on the back end giving it a welcome backbone. Classic Napa purple, medium bodied, medium legs. Completely integrated and silky acidity and tannins, no heat (perfect 13.9% abv, IMO). VG complexity, good persistence and intensity. A big thanks to my former law partner for bringing this subtle, elegant, perfectly balanced and aged wine, and with his CdP, along with A_M's AdV and sherry, giving my Astralis company as the pre-teens contributions. Great on its own and an excellent companion to the bouef, as it would be to more straightforward and bloody red meat dishes. This wine is in a perfect drinking window, and while the complete and seamless integration of the structure suggests it is closer to the end than the start of that window, it may well be one of those wines like the '90 Montrose (it does, IMO, skew far more Bordeaux than modern Napa, as opposed to other vintages of this bottling I've had, which, if not exactly rivaling Mike Smith, are more in the middle) which hits a really good point and stays there forever. And ever. About the worst thing about I can say about this lovely bottle is that it whispered on an afternoon and evening when lots of other wines were shouting, so I think some of its pleasures weren't enjoyed quite as much as they might have been if consumed in a less crowded field. But I was thrilled to have had it, and would love to have it in front of me anytime. 95+
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9/25/2021 - norsktorsk Likes this wine: 95 Points
Drinking right on fruit, mid palate and finish
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9/12/2021 - davudvl Likes this wine: 94 Points
Drank at Davenport for our 23rd Ann. Amazing! Beautiful floral bouquet. Smooth tannins. The whole family loved it.
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7/18/2021 - Animalmom2 Likes this wine:
4th bottle out of a case, always fruity and fine from the get go.
No need to decant, but changes in the glass over time.
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7/16/2021 - hkbob Likes this wine: 95 Points
Opaque purple. Essence of cassis with saddle leather, fresh pipe tobacco, mesquite charcoal and Asian spice. Full through the mid-palate with rich, sweet dark berries and an interesting mineral tone. My only qualm was this was a bit drying on the back-end. Still, a fantastic bottle.
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7/14/2021 - bubbachumps wrote: 95 Points
A lot of life left in this wine. Some bricking, with notes of rich cassis, leather and red fruits on the nose. Silky smooth and integrated on the palate. Just an outstanding vintage of insignia that's holding up incredibly well.
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5/21/2021 - gymnastpro Likes this wine: 96 Points
This bottle was stored perfectly and tasted as if it had only been 5 years old! No formal notes but was superb with filet mignon.
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5/14/2021 - Grinner wrote: 97 Points
Hedonism and Refinement at 60!; 5/14/2021-5/15/2021 (Joe and Kyla's Bar and Grill): My WOTN. This used to be an "Iron Fist in a Velvet Glove" type wine, but the tannins have settled / integrated. This leaves a velvety wine with flavors of black currant, blackberry liqueur, black plum, and mocha. Hints of mint and oak on the long smooth finish. I keep scoring it higher every 6 years! Now-2026.
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5/14/2021 - jkwoodward Likes this wine: 97 Points
Lyon 2021 Birthday Bash; 5/14/2021-5/15/2021 (Bear Creek Woodward/Lyon Den): This bottle was spot on. Coffee and dark fruit, with cassis at the forefront. Good structure for 20 year old Napa blend. Tannins were soft, with a loooong finish, which made it my WOTN. I don't think it could have drank better at a different point in its evolution, just differently.
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5/5/2021 - jsmorris707 Likes this wine: 95 Points
Similar to prior note after double decanting for 1 hour, deep ruby, no bricking, dark cherry, med/ tannins, long finish; outstanding, but this bottle seemed younger & was not as opulent as usual, drink or hold
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4/11/2021 - g-man Likes this wine: 95 Points
This is really coming into it's own. Mature and ready to drink with no hard edges. Note is from memory but I still feel this is a more classically styled Insignia compared to the 02'. it's not as flamboyant with more structure and I frankly prefer it to the 02'. I stopped buying Insignia after the 02' vintage when the pricing really took off. One of the reasons Insignia was so appealing was it's quality vs, price. Even at $100/btl it was well worth it. At closer to $200 there are a lot of other options to challenge it.
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2/28/2021 - JDB's Cellar Likes this wine: 91 Points
Surprisingly different from the 2000 bottles I drank recently.
The taste seems much lighter, for lack of a better word, with more obvious hints of mineral flavors vs. the 2000.
Much less sediment in the neck vs the 2000.
I’ll update this post with more details on aromas and flavors when I open the 2nd bottle in a few days.
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2/7/2021 - BernieMSY Likes this wine: 94 Points
Deep purple color, currant and plum nose. Nicely integrated, deeply layered. Blackberry fruit, leather saddle, tobacco, roast meat. Softened tannins, but they are still discernible. Lingering finish. This wine is excellent and it is holding up well.
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1/31/2021 - jlgnml Likes this wine: 94 Points
Solid wine, good cab flavor, good depth on the palate with a good finish. Drink.
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1/24/2021 - awever Likes this wine: 95 Points
Napa in Perfektion, Frucht, Power, Eleganz, großer Stoff, der Cabernet steht nicht im Vordergrund
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1/17/2021 - wineshaman wrote: 92 Points
Decanted 2 hours, cellared since 2005, nose was a bit muted, with faint hints of currants cassis, the palate was quite rich, concentrated and smooth with plum, dark cherry, a good dose of chocolate. This bottle was fully integrated but to be honest I was expecting more, none the less this was a delicious bottle that paired well with the beef tenderloin and multiple root veggies.
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12/31/2020 - DCHawkeye Likes this wine: 96 Points
One of 3 reds for the New Year's Eve festivities with a small group of friends, along with an '05 Bouchard Le Corton and an '03 Montrose.
The Corton was opened prior to dinner, while the Insignia and Montrose were both decanted. Both the Montrose and Insignia were outstanding, but at least tonight, the Insignia was the (slightly) better wine. While that may have been a function of the youthfulness and slower evolution of the Montrose, the Insignia was stellar. While a committed Francophile, I'm looking forward to my last two bottles of the '01 Insignia.
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12/26/2020 - DougLee wrote: 92 Points
Decanted for 90 minutes. Opaque dark garnet. Nose of intense violets, cassis, red plum, currant, pencil lead. Densely-packed, velvety layers of black currant, plum, earth, leather, and graphite. Moderate acidity and still-serious tannin. Longer finish of plum, earth, and sweet grip. Felt weighty and just a bit lacking in nuance. I’d say it’s still early in this wine’s career.
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12/24/2020 - redhead6971 wrote: 94 Points
Anton’s Wine Tasting Notes
Winery: Joseph Phelps Insignia
Varietal:89% Cabernet Sauvignon, 8% Petit Verdot and 3% Malbec from 73% estate & 27% grower vineyards: 33% Banca Dorada Vineyard (Rutherford), 15% Las Rocas Vineyard and 10% Barboza Vineyard (Stags Leap), 15% Home Ranch Vineyard (St. Helena) and 27% Coombsville, St. Helena and Napa growers.
Area/Appellation: Napa Valley
Vintage: 2001. Price: $259 From Anton’s Vintage Wine Inventory
Color: Opaque, dark ruby, purple
Legs: medium
Nose: nose is very faint but i picked up Blackberries, currants, cassis,
Palate:succulent blackberries, currant, tobacco and coffee, earth
Finish: fairly drying, with cedar, tobacco leaf, coffee,
Comments: 2.5 hour decant with some minor rusticity this is drinking really well, aged Insignia has always intrigued me lots of secondary characteristics showing up now and is becoming intriguing.
Pairing Suggestions: ribeye, venison, roast duck, the usual suspects,
Score in terms of Vintage: 93
Score for the Wine: 94
Value for the Money:Excellent
Date Tasted: 12/19/2020
Tasted by:ACK
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11/21/2020 - canan wrote: 93 Points
BYO Xmas (Admiralgade): Classic and just great. Wonderful performance!
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10/30/2020 - gteran76 Likes this wine: 95 Points
The fruit amd oak are desapearing leaving the stage ready for the earthy notes to shine. Hard to guess Napa Cab, it has some terroir style like it were a Barolo, and the nose it a bit French. Very pleasant experience.
Did not decant it, opened 6 hours prior to dinner.
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10/24/2020 - Verb Likes this wine: 94 Points
dark red with garnet rim - restrained nose of black fruit with only hints of complex aromas (graphite, peonies) - big full round mouth of black cherries and plumbs - good fruit-tannin balance, but low acidity - long 15-20 sec finish - a great CA cab that is continuing to evolve in the mouth, though not so much in the nose (yet) - a very interesting comparison with the 2000 Tertre Roteboeuf tasted at the same time: the Insignia had much more intense fruit, but a far less interesting nose and less structure as a result of lower acidity - no question this is the bigger richer wine, but less elegant at this time than an equivalently aged Bordeaux - preference is a matter of one's taste
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8/27/2020 - Vinos tino wrote:
Por actualización de inventario
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7/13/2020 - eadsaaron Likes this wine: 94 Points
Smooth but not as complex as the '04. Still lots of fruit but not much tobacco or herbs. Slight mint, graphite.
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6/29/2020 - cephomer Likes this wine: 94 Points
Drank at The Greens with the Kleins. Full bodied, lots of sediment, and a mouthful of some great juice. Slightly earthy but rich and sexy, this wine remains likely my fave red Cali wine. Lots of blackberries and black cherries here, tobacco and coffee notes, along with some chocolate, soft tannins, great length and wonderful complexity. Lovely wine!
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6/28/2020 - Animalmom2 wrote:
Drank after 1 hour decant. Very long finish and still tannic, although resolved. Elegant fruit that is complex with some pleasant bitter notes. Dark cherry perhaps. There is such a difference between good and bad Napa
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6/24/2020 - Verb Likes this wine: 95 Points
beautifully balanced with abundant rich black fruit - full body, long 30 second finish - very drinkable now, but has many more years to evolve additional complexity
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5/17/2020 - galewskj wrote: 93 Points
Served single blind, I confused this with a 1996 Monte Bello. The wine seemed very integrated, tasty, and did not have much tertiary components. A great wine, but maybe this needs a few more years.
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5/14/2020 - rocknroller wrote: 94 Points
Single Blind Old Napa Virtual Tasting (Home): Very dark red color with a 5-6 mm transitional margin. PNP, poured into vessels and capped 2 hours prior to pouring into glasses. Drank 2 glasses single blind over 3 hours. This was my second favorite wine of the night. I was divided on whether this was the '01 Insignia or the '96 Martha's. Unfortunately at one point earlier on I thought I noted some eucalyptus on the nose which steered me to thinking this was the '96 Martha's. Stupidly, I ignored the other clues that should have been the preponderance of evidence, so to speak, especially since I never got the eucalyptus again. Regardless, this was drinking great. This also develops a lovely perfumed nose with cassis and other dark fruits, very earth, boysenberry, violets and dust. The palate is full bodied, poised, great intensity, very pretty black and blue fruits, fine pencil, earthy, dusty tannins, long finish. This is drinking great now with a long future. My #2 WOTN.
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5/14/2020 - I'd Rather Be Drinking Wine Likes this wine: 93 Points
This was a single blind tasting. Everyone knew the wines, but not the order or which wine was which....the lineup:
1996 Ridge Monte Bello
2011 Myriad Cellars
2001 Joseph Phelps Insignia
1996 Heitz Cellar Cabernet Sauvignon Martha’s Vineyard
2002 Dunn Howell Mountain
2012 Kirkland Signature Series Cabernet Sauvignon
2010 Araujo Estate Sauvignon Blanc Eisele Vineyard
Dunn was opened and decanted to remove sediment, then back in the bottle at 2:30, until 4:45, when it was poured into jar 6 oz for transporting. The rest of the wines were poured in glass jars starting at 4:15. Tasting began at 6:30. All wines were tasted between 6:30 and 8:00. Group's number 1 wine was the 1992 Dunn. Number 2 wine was the 1996 Heitz Martha's Vineyard.
2001 Insignia - Plenty of fruit, well integrated into the wine. The wine is medium - medium full bodied. The color is still dark purple. The nose is perfumed with lavender, blue and black fruit and some earthiness. The palate shows plenty of fruit that is well integrated with hints of cedar, spice and some pencil and leather, finishing with a slight dusting of cocoa. This wine is a pleasure to drink, and I could enjoy a bottle as I watch the world go by. This was tied for number 3 (with the Ridge Monte Bello), but only a point behind the number 1 wine (for me). Any of these wines (except the Kirkland, which wasn't bad) would be awesome wines I could easily consume by myself! This wine, although well-integrated, will likely still improve, and will easily keep for quite a few more years....definately has some upside potential, but I don't think it will disappoint drinking now. I have 1 more bottle and will likely wait 5 years before opening (if I can last that long!). Re-tasted the next morning...still gobs of fruit and more tertiary layers...this wine will definitely improve, and I would recommend a 1-2 bout decant if opening soon. Raising my previous score to 93+...love this wine, hope I live long enough to enjoy more recent vintages!
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5/1/2020 - yasha Likes this wine: 95 Points
took about two hours to open up. great wine
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4/23/2020 - GFischmann Likes this wine: 94 Points
Wonderful balance of tannins a dark fruit. With flavors of vanilla, oak and leather and earth tones!
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4/11/2020 - davudvl Likes this wine: 93 Points
Very smooth with lots of dark fruit and some earth tones. Worth the price paid upon release, but would not pay the current prices.
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3/19/2020 - GFischmann wrote: 95 Points
Well balance with still copious dark fruit! Has scent of leather and earth tones.
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3/15/2020 - norsktorsk wrote: 95 Points
awesome. drinking quite nice.
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2/8/2020 - GranadaPedroAlarcon Likes this wine: 99 Points
This is an absolute amazing Insignia. It is balanced, elegant, and smooth. This is outstanding with cherry and oak tasting and one of my favorite and enjoyable Insignia wines.
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2/2/2020 - La Cave d'Argent Likes this wine: 95 Points
From a bottle purchased upon release and pristinely cellared, this blend of 89% Cabernet Sauvignon, 8% Petit Verdot and 3% Malbec (73% Estate fruit) retains a youthful deep ruby/red robe. After three hours in decanter, it unfolds a bouquet of black currants, lavender potpourri, anise, tobacco, fig and graphite. Full-bodied, low in acidity and with plentiful but supple residual tannins, it delivers flavors mirroring the nose and throws no significant alcoholic heat (13.9%). Plush on the mid-palate and finishing long, this is pure hedonism! Those holding well-cellared bottles should be able to enjoy them throughout the decade. Drink now-2030.
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12/31/2019 - GranadaPedroAlarcon Likes this wine: 97 Points
The 2002 is rated 100 and is a great wine, but I prefer the 2001 which is very smooth and still displays a long lasting aroma. Enjoyed slowly over the new year eves with friends and family.
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12/21/2019 - Nanda wrote: 90 Points
Wine Flock Champagne Gala (Park Ridge CC): Solid but a bit too ripe for my palate. Good structure but it's masked by a wave of sweet, rich fruit.
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12/13/2019 - jsebiri wrote:
Deep purple wine , Green peppers initially although faded a bit after a few hours. Strong spine this wine has, very nice.
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12/7/2019 - BrendanMcS wrote: 97 Points
A nice floral nose that has some violet in there. Really big flavor and mouthfeel initially. Deep, dark flavors. Took a short decant to open up. But absolutely delicious.
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12/3/2019 - spez2 wrote: 97 Points
It was fabulous! I think this wine will still be great for another 5 years
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11/9/2019 - jsmorris707 Likes this wine: 97 Points
From mag last night at the 4th annual Veteran's Day party, double decanted for 2 hrs, deep ruby, no bricking, dark cherry, med. tannins, long finish; outstanding, MC Charlie rated it WOTN, drink or hold
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11/1/2019 - tagarvey wrote:
Not worth it
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9/7/2019 - sgamiz wrote: 98 Points
I drink a 2008 not so long ago and it seem overprice for what it is - not this one - Is really good and don't wait - I don't believe is going to get better. Iodine - Black cherry, well balance!
The wine looks inky colored. The legs are slow. There is light sediment in the bottle. It smells like black currant (cassis), prune and espresso.
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8/15/2019 - thepeng1 wrote: 98 Points
Finally it was ready and it was beautiful
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8/2/2019 - mflesh wrote: 94 Points
Served blind, the fourth of 5 red wines between the 1997 Ornellaia Masseto and a 2002 Blankiet Paradise Hills. I guessed this was an 08/9 Macchiole Italian Merlot, definitely believed it was one of the younger reds on the table, so at least I guessed that! Powerful dried black herbs and fruitcake spice. Really nice medicinal black cherry and blackberry nose. Still rather astringent on the finish for having been opened at 4:30am today. Still a lot of chewy, youthful sweet oak. This one went better with the grilled broccoli and potatoes and did not go as well with the New York strip loin. Definitely good, but this and the 5th wine (a 2002 Blankiet Paradise Hills) were both overshadowed by the first three wines (97 Insignia, 98 Haut Brion and 98 Ornellaia Masseto). From a very good 2001 Napa vintage, this one was good but wasn't a contender for the gold, silver or bronze medal.
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7/24/2019 - rosey Likes this wine: 95 Points
Soft tannins very enjoyable
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7/9/2019 - skurtz Likes this wine: 94 Points
Decanted at Bici, and paired superbly with spare ribs. I thought this wine was bigger and more enjoyable that my previous experience three years ago, but my notes are otherwise consistent. Our WOTN.
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6/16/2019 - GranadaPedroAlarcon Likes this wine: 98 Points
What an amazing wine. Very enjoyable to the last drop
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5/26/2019 - kosdogger Likes this wine: 93 Points
Really enjoyable aged Cali cab blend. Soft tannins and long finish. The nose suggests heavier oak, vanilla but the wine is way softer than it appears. To be critical, a tad sweet revealing Cali over Bordeaux. Not so sure how this will age further so drink up.
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5/26/2019 - Mortgage92 Likes this wine: 94 Points
Almost perfect. An example of what CA can do.
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5/12/2019 - BernieMSY wrote: 97 Points
Dark purple with few signs of bricking. Soft tannins, beautifully integrated. Layered sweet black fruit, roast meat, cedar pencil, tobacco, leather. Long finish. Decanted two hours.
Outstanding!
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4/5/2019 - AllRed wrote: 94 Points
Dinner with Friends (211 Clover Lane, Louisville): Our penultimate bottle, decanted for a short while before service. Deep color with just a hint of bricking. Violet and cassis along with plummy dark fruit. Shows just a little bit of tannin along with flavors of plum, black currant, violet liqueur and a hint of spice box. Long finish. Balanced across the palate. At peak for me, though will clearly hold at this level for a couple of years at least. 94-95 pts.
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3/13/2019 - Mr T wrote:
This wine is in an excellent place with tannin pretty much resolved and still plenty of ripe but balanced fruit....really very nice
94-95
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3/9/2019 - GranadaPedroAlarcon Likes this wine: 97 Points
Great aromas. A truly enjoyable bold and full body wine. very smooth and just got better as we drank it slowly. Decant for about 2 hours.
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1/8/2019 - MagicJuan Likes this wine: 93 Points
Insignia at its best...simply gorgeous wine. Needed decanting
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12/31/2018 - MagicJuan Likes this wine: 93 Points
Excellent, sublime, delicious...right in its peak. Full of dark fruit. Benefited from decanting but not sure it wouldn’t have been fine just with a little time to breathe...cork was deteriorating tho so something to be cautious of. Still has at least a few years before it starts going downhill
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12/31/2018 - Janstan Likes this wine: 93 Points
Anise,herbaceous, spice box, tobacco, blackberry jam. Went well with herb and muster crusted beef tenderloin.
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12/25/2018 - enovino Likes this wine: 94 Points
Full bodied, still rich in color, great fruit remaining with long with purity of flavors and long finish. Definitely has aged characteristics, and perhaps on the decline, but I don't usually have wines this old. So drink them if you have them.
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12/16/2018 - ctmilner Likes this wine: 95 Points
One of those truly amazing wines. Almost perfect on the age.
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12/15/2018 - Zweder wrote: 97 Points
Beautiful and complex bouquet. Juicy and lush, beautiful acidity and round tannin. Enormous length and simply delicious. No more notes…
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10/3/2018 - Kevnzworld wrote: 93 Points
Fruit forward and full bodied with extracted darker stewed fruit.
Flavors of leather and cigar smoke and a lot less sweet than other Insignia’s.
The finish lasts and the spicy eucalyptus notes are nice.
No shortage of tannin and acidity but not as balanced and complex as the 2002
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9/30/2018 - KenK Likes this wine: 93 Points
Drinking very well with good black cherry fruit. Perhaps just a hint of being tired.
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9/27/2018 - grossie Likes this wine: 94 Points
Drunk with Stu. This is beautiful pure Napa cab. It has sweet Phelps insignia fruit a long lead in and a long finish. It is fantastic but perhaps slightly inferior to the sublime 97. Still has years left
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9/20/2018 - jdtonic Likes this wine: 97 Points
Good dense, dark ruby/purple. No bricking, little sediment.
Singing nose of creme de cassis, black plums, raspberry liquer. Some wood—white mocha—saddle leather, and nondescript spice notes hover.
Last tasted 3 years hence, and was impenetrable and tannic. Strikes me now as similar to a 2013 Quintessa or 2012 Ark. Very sweet, sexy and giving, but very young.
(This review will be finished at a later time.)
Ok— took a break to get another case under 250 purr.
Palate gorgeous crême de cassis, sweet plums, some blackberry compôte, smoke, calf leather and violets.
Finishes over 30 seconds. Proof that popular doesn’t suck: Mozart and Insignia.
Not to pick on anyone, but to poo-poo this wine is to poo-poo Yosemite. You ain’t been there (or you are effen INSANE.)
Had with rare+ prime rib at Sundance Palo Alto. A riddiculicious wine, who is a great place. Enjoy.
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8/7/2018 - buckeye76 Likes this wine: 97 Points
Last tasted in 2011 (96), we gave the Insignia an even higher score this time around. Definitely bordeaux like with rich deep fruit in the nose and flavor. Blackberries, black raspberries, black cherries, leather and earthiness in the nose. Blackberries, black raspberries, currants, chocolate, and minerals in the flavor. Perfectly balanced elegant wine with nice structure, great complexity and ending with a long lingering finish. This wine is drinking beautifully now and still has a long life ahead of it. Delicious, and what a great match to a bone-in dry aged ribeye! (Decanted three hours)
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7/14/2018 - dougsmith Likes this wine: 93 Points
Deep ruby color. Complex nose of black cherry and blackberry essence with smoky chorizo and some sweet floral topnotes. Medium to full bodied on the palate with good grip and length, some lingering ripe tannin on the finish. Very pretty wine.
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6/29/2018 - Clogston Likes this wine: 97 Points
Lovely. Silky smooth. Wonderful fruit. Well balanced. Tannins well integrated.
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6/11/2018 - norsktorsk wrote: 93 Points
Smooth and well finished.
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6/9/2018 - Burgundy Al wrote: 89 Points
Hezi's 65th Birthday Celebration (Chevalier Fine Wines - Chicago IL): Small glass, brief note. Ripe black fruit, pronounced new oak and sweet spice. Great fruit, but still a bit toasty to me. Others enjoyed this more.
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6/9/2018 - Nanda wrote: 92 Points
From magnum. Full nose of sweet black cherry and plum with some cedar and bell pepper notes. Still young with polished fruit initially then lots of structure. Pretty firm and in need of time (or a ribeye) to show more charm and approachability.
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5/25/2018 - Fid wrote:
Decanted about 30 minutes. Not a lot of fruit, astringent. Maybe an off bottle.
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5/12/2018 - eschaefer Likes this wine: 96 Points
Flash note. A flash note is one that I distinctly remember the quality/overall rating of a wine but can’t give specifics because the tasting note was not written at time of tasting.
Great wine and I don’t typically love insignia. 2001 is great in Cali Napa. This wine was tasted at trattoria Marcella along side 1994 mondavi reserve. This wine won that race by its nose. Haha pardon the pun.
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4/26/2018 - markcic Likes this wine: 92 Points
My birthday dinner. one of 6 wines consumed. Opened 6 hours before serving. Dark fruit and chocolate on the nose. The palate was dark berries, plums, tobacco, fig and mocha. Finish was smooth.
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4/14/2018 - DougLee wrote: 92 Points
Darker garnet. Full nose of cassis, cedar, black currant, plum pits, and pungent floral notes. Ripe, vivacious fruit on the palate with layers of red currant, plum, and blackberry cut with bits of tobacco and earth. Moderate acidity and filed off tannin. Longer finish of pure red plum fruit, stone, and sweet grip. Still has mainly primary fruit to offer at this stage with complexity seemingly to come. Will ultimately be quite excellent but aging at a glacial pace. From a 375.
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4/1/2018 - normanfekrat wrote: 95 Points
Amazing. Fruits still present on the nose, smooth liquid wet in mouth and an solid dry finish. Just yummy. We loved it.
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3/7/2018 - tom_wine Likes this wine: 95 Points
Showing very well with fine, moderate tannin remaining. Incredible, fragrant nose of dried herbs, blackberries, black currants; rich, dense dark fruit flavors with oak-infused chocolate and vanilla hints.
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1/21/2018 - jsebiri wrote:
Fully ripened wine, mature, deep red fruit nose, well done
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1/6/2018 - budman Likes this wine: 93 Points
Still going strong!!
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12/29/2017 - Winedad53 wrote: 92 Points
Dark and rich ruby and color, this wine has plenty of structure with a core of black currant, mineral and tar. Not the best Insignia has to offer, but drinking well now and over next 2-4 years.
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12/17/2017 - cablover123 Likes this wine: 94 Points
Received in a wine exchange with a friend. Enjoyed with my family as an early Christmas dinner. Decanted for 3 hours. Outstanding with prime rib. Nose of dark fruits and violets. Dark color with beautiful balance on the palate. Medium length on the finish. Black fruits and the oak still came forward. I regret that I do not have more. I would drink in the next 3 years.
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12/16/2017 - soyhead wrote:
tasted blind and my wotn form the kali vs bdx competition. big fruit, but nice structure. it seemed to straddle the line between Bdx and Kali, and thus I guessed it to be a Pavie.
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11/30/2017 - mattiasjansson wrote: 93 Points
Napa Cabs in Boston: Medium red. On the verge on starting to display some tertiary characteristics. Tasted next to the 2002. This is less rich in comparison and tastes notably more mature
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10/23/2017 - WineDr. Likes this wine: 95 Points
This 750ml bottle of 2001 Phelps Insignia was decanted and aerated for an hour. It was then consumed over the next two hours. It had been carefully cellared and, after decanting, was chilled for a few minutes prior to serving.
Deep purple color with no browning whatsoever; moderate sediment; beautiful nose; medium-to-full bodied; tasty, smooth, dark fruit predominates on the palate with nice oak accents and a medium-length finish. This is an excellent wine that could last many more years.
A great wine but, at about $200/bottle, it should be. This is not something the average wine afficionado is likely to enjoy on a regular basis, let alone purchase by the case. Hence, while the "quality" is definitely there, the "value" proposition leaves something to be desired. It would be nice to find a $50/bottle or so cabernet sauvignon (or red blend) that could approach the quality of Insignia year after year at a fraction of the price. That would represent true "value".
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10/15/2017 - Steve C Cooper Likes this wine: 95 Points
Peak...Delightful
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10/8/2017 - shaferguy91 wrote: 95 Points
1 hour decant. Terrific.
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10/8/2017 - Cliff Booth Likes this wine: 93 Points
1 hour decant; beautiful blackberry cobbler nose; well-balanced, rich raspberry and cherry fruit, kirsch, lots of vanilla with an extra looong finish. Interesting that the fruit has not yet transcended the oak - outstanding with Morton's bone-in filet.
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10/7/2017 - DoubleD1969 wrote: 92 Points
The only wine served blind in the evening, decanted in the famous Shebang jug, and tasted after a 1992 Dominus Estate Napanook. Color was a little brighter reddish tint than the Napanook. Nose of crushed black cherries, leather, and forest floor. Palate was medium-bodied but still had more of a tannic bite. Still young with room to improve. I guessed it was a CA cab from the late '90s.
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10/7/2017 - Javachip Likes this wine: 96 Points
DoubleD Fest (Carlsbad, California): Decanted and tasted blind in the venerable Shebang jug. Clear dark inky garnet-blood red. Gorgeous sweet bouquet of blackberries, black cherries, blueberries, cocoa, pen ink, violets, acacia flowers. Similar on the palate, full body, seamless, beautiful structure and balance, powerful but not fatiguing. Most of us correctly guessed this as a Napa Valley cabernet blend between 2000-2009. I guessed 2010 or younger. My #4; group's FIFTH PLACE. To our credit, we voted for this blind wine when there were many big name bottles on the table. Some people commented that the rankings would have been different (i.e., this wine would have ranked higher) if all -- or none! -- had been tasted blind.
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10/7/2017 - BernieMSY wrote: 95 Points
Delicious, deep currant and black fruit flavors. Tannins have softened considerably. Entering its peak drinking window. Enjoy!
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10/6/2017 - KVM wrote:
Very dark. Blackberry and cedar nose. Medium body and very concentrated. There is firm tannin. Delicious and early in its drinking window.
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9/18/2017 - AlphaMikeFoxtrot wrote: 98 Points
Pours a deep ruby. Full bodied with blackberry, black currant, black cherries. Secondary notes of coffee, chocolate, tobacco and cedar wood. Agreeable tannins. Wonderfully long finish. This is fantastic and drinking extremely well right now.
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9/5/2017 - Topper wrote: 95 Points
Drinking better than ever. Lush, full and velvety. Plenty of taste with no hard edges. Definitely in its sweet spot. Sorry this was my last one.
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8/26/2017 - NJwineguy wrote: 95 Points
Excellent.
Decanted for a few hours.
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7/15/2017 - ToddR911 Likes this wine: 95 Points
So smooth, perfect complement for birthday steak dinner at Sullivan's!
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7/1/2017 - Chefcar Likes this wine: 98 Points
This was absolutely fabulous! Planned a 2-hour decant before dinner and it turned out to be a 4 hours so it opened up beautifully. Well balanced and smooth, it is drinking beautifully!
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6/4/2017 - AllRed wrote: 93 Points
40th Anniversary Magnum Party; 6/3/2017-6/4/2017 (R&D's): From magnum, leftover from the prior night. Aromas of plummy dark fruit, chocolate, black raspberry and florals. Nicely balanced. Flavors of dark fruit, mocha and lavender with a long finish. Gorgeous.
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6/3/2017 - AllRed wrote: 94 Points
40th Anniversary Magnum Party; 6/3/2017-6/4/2017 (R&D's): From magnum. Wonderful, with notes of dark fruit, spice, tobacco and plum. Soft tannins. Gorgeous on the palate- dark fruit, plum, herb and spice box. Long finish.
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6/1/2017 - WetRock wrote:
I didn't get a chance to sit with this. Even after a hour or two in the decanter it was still dense and wrapped up. I don't remember a lot of tannin but this has a ways to go.
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5/9/2017 - SimonG wrote: 92 Points
Cal Cabs (Chez Bruce, London): Dense full ruby. Gorgeous nose. Plush and dense. Cassis cut through with a wet gravel note. Dense but surprisingly cool attack. Blackcurrant leaf. Again, a slightly minerally edge on the finish when revisiting. ****
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5/9/2017 - Rupert wrote: 92 Points
California Cabernets (Chez Bruce, Wandsworth, London): Ripe, minty nose. Intense. A medicinal tone and a bit of spice. Restrained power and soft grip. Ultimately the most satisfying of this first flight, with its penetrating nose.
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4/24/2017 - gsiwak Likes this wine: 96 Points
Decanted for 2 hours. While it has a lot of classic Insignia markers, it was a little more subtle and reserved. Well balanced, nice sweet tannins, cassis and a little black licorice on the finish.
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4/20/2017 - gschneider wrote: 94 Points
Wine has continued to evolve into a super balanced well integrated cabernet blend. The malbec actually is more present at this stage even though its in the single percentages. Tannins have softened and the resulting blend is harmonious. Just a fine drinking wine. Entire table commented on how well the wine was drinking.
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3/6/2017 - shaferguy91 wrote: 94 Points
1 hour decant. Drinking really well now.
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1/27/2017 - Arcturus wrote: 94 Points
94. 2 hr decant. Nose of blackberry jam, wet coffee grounds and caramel. Softer and more restrained on the palate. The tannins have resolved and the wine has a smooth finish. Still well balanced. Feels like it should ride the plateau for another decade.
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1/17/2017 - tc from santee Likes this wine: 96 Points
My expectations for this bottle did not disappoint. Not since I enjoyed a bottle of Hillside Select have I been more impressed. The 2001 Insignia is a great wine from a great year. Perfectly integrated with notes of Blackberries, Blueberries, leather and graphite. Drink by 2020.
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1/16/2017 - wineismylife wrote: 94 Points
WIML94+
Tasted non blind.
Dark garnet to almost purple looking in the glass, clear looking throughout. Still a fairly huge nose of boysenberry, black raspberry jam and sweet dark plums with a little added floral notes drifting underneath. Rich and full flavors of dried plums, raspberries and dark chocolate covered cherries. Medium acidity, medium to firm tannin, full bodied. Drink or hold. I'd lean toward drinking over the next 3-4 years with just a little bit of air time before serving.
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12/26/2016 - Bloms wrote: 92 Points
Christmas dinner prime rib with the Bolic's.
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12/25/2016 - Ibetian wrote: 95 Points
From mag, Christmas Eve dinner. Drinking beautifully now, perfectly integrated. Great with roast beef. At or near peak, , but will last for many more years.
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12/22/2016 - lebo9968@gmail.com Likes this wine: 90 Points
Solid wine, but never showed like I was expecting. Very dark color. Dark fruits on the nose and palate. Some mild tar on the nose. Consumed over 2 days. It never opened up. Not sure if it was closed, needs more time, in a funk, or it just was never the wine I expected.
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12/20/2016 - Choop Likes this wine: 92 Points
Very good. Time to drink. Best early as it flattened out
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10/30/2016 - Bud Kreuzer wrote: 95 Points
Drank well with rib eye steak. Opened nicely over the evening and wonderful when we left a bit to taste the next day. Poised and balanced opened with chocolate and berries and turned to plum as it sat. I wonderful wine still at the top and will not going to get better. Should be consumed now or in the near future.
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9/5/2016 - BernieMSY wrote: 95 Points
Richly flavored and deeply integrated. Shorn of sharp corners, it's silly smooth.
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9/5/2016 - BernieMSY wrote: 95 Points
Outstanding. Rich and integrated. Shorn of hard edges, silky smooth
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9/4/2016 - ahgoodman wrote: 94 Points
Decanted for 4.5 hours before drinking. Pretty closed down when I popped the cork, evolved a lot over the 4 hours and end up drinking beautifully. Coming to an end of peak drinking.
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8/27/2016 - phandel Likes this wine: 97 Points
40th birthday dinner celebration, from magnum (wedding gift 10 years ago from wife!), next to Ridge 2006 Monte Bello: The Insignia was incredibly smooth, with a glorious and long finish. I slightly preferred the MB, as it had a bit more interesting character. Both were stunning.
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8/15/2016 - greekwineaux wrote: 94 Points
Been a while since the last bottle, maybe a decade ago. The nose gives off an earthy leather, with a subtle mint mixer. On the palate, you get a sense that this isn't going to last too much longer, as it is starting to lose the acidic backbone that prevents is from transitioning from elegant to deliciously flabby /flat, but veeery tasty. I'd give this 2-3 years left based on this bottle before exiting it's peak. As bordeaux as a Cali-cab can get, the symbiotic relationship of fruit and alcohol prototypical-just great juice.
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7/7/2016 - beej Likes this wine:
Dead nose, almost a nose of chopped salad.
But the initial palate and richness of the dark fruit comes thru big time!
A good terroir finish.
This producer is overpriced and worth every penny all at the same time.
Go figure.
This wine has years and years of enjoyment to go!!!
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6/26/2016 - Zoomin Z Likes this wine: 96 Points
A wine of the greatest finesse and refinement. Leather, sandalwood, and graphite on the nose. Seamlessly smooth, creamy mouthfeel of warm red and black fruits. Not so much a long finish, but the most gentle glide off the tongue. Tannins silky and fully integrated. This wine is at its peak now, balanced in every way, including the balance of primary to tertiary flavors. For a visit from a great-grandmother of royal blood, this would be my go-to wine...
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6/6/2016 - ToddR911 Likes this wine: 99 Points
Spectacular wine! Smooth as silk. Drinking well now but showing no sign of fading so I'll wait awhile on others in my cellar.
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5/30/2016 - Oldmanzin Likes this wine: 97 Points
Notes of dark fruit caress the palate with well integrated tannins. Everything here is seamless with a wonderful finish. I decanted the wine for 6 hours before dinner. This is just about as good as it gets for a California Cabernet.
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3/3/2016 - Harry Cantrell Likes this wine: 93 Points
Garnet. Drinks like the little brother of Shafer Hillside. Nose of berries and cinnamon, taste similar. Still young, delish.
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2/26/2016 - sbeeks Likes this wine: 94 Points
still showing well.
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1/26/2016 - skurtz Likes this wine: 93 Points
Decanted for 1h at 1862 Restaurant. Just a powerful complex red with extracted red fruit and mineral. Otherwise consistent with my previous note from 2014. Tonight with wagyu sirloin.
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1/22/2016 - GeorgeSW wrote: 95 Points
Dark fruit,soft tannins, very nice
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1/16/2016 - 55degrees wrote: 93 Points
decanted for an hour+
excellent nose of dark fruit compote, delicious still with bright stewed fruits and a touch of cinammon stick. still with 10+years to go but good now. limited notes as it was a birthday party. Solid 93-maybe more.
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1/3/2016 - Neuman wrote: 93 Points
- Crimsom color - beautiful wine. took 2 hours to open up.
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12/25/2015 - tbabes wrote: 95 Points
From magnum; the fill was into the neck and the cork was sound. Decanted and consumed over the course of two hours. Aromas of ripe dark fruits, fennel, and hints of cedar. Medium bodied, with layers of flavor, impressive depth, and a long finish.
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12/19/2015 - CA_collector wrote: 91 Points
Pre-christmas pull from the cellar. Dark purple - good tannins. Not as powerful as other bottles I've had, but a solid wine. Can't remember what I paid, but likely too pricey for the quality.
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12/19/2015 - Grinner wrote: 95 Points
Damn Winos (Ambrosia Restaurant in Eugene): PNP at Ambrosia, this had an immediate presence. Black fruit, oak, mint, and spice on a velvety texture that just goes on and on. The tannins have mellowed significantly, but I do think it'll make 25 years. Great wine!
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12/8/2015 - vinrhino88 Likes this wine: 93 Points
45 minute decant (restaurant). Ruby red, cedar and spices, solid length. A little hot. Went quickly. Not epic as I had hoped, but still very enjoyable.
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11/27/2015 - Big Joe Likes this wine: 94 Points
One of my favorites. Thanksgiving 2015. Very rich. Full bodied is an understatement.
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11/27/2015 - Le Monty wrote:
From mag. Great steak wine from an underrated vintage and before things got out of control at Phelps.
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10/17/2015 - gwkozar Likes this wine: 93 Points
POP. Dark fruit, cocoa, earth, lush, balanced. oh so good. I had to share more of it w Randie than expected: figures!
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9/12/2015 - samalexis wrote: 96 Points
amazing wine, decanted for 90 minutes and had with grilled lamb. a perfect combination. wine has evolved since the last bottle, not sure it is going to get any better, drink up if you still have it!
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9/11/2015 - mcnfarmer wrote:
Safer stein party
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8/29/2015 - jmh st louis Likes this wine: 95 Points
Soft red fruit building to long intense finish.
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8/27/2015 - Ibetian wrote: 94 Points
Another fine bottle, similar to my January note. This is clearly on its drinking plateau, though still some years of fine drinking ahead.
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8/22/2015 - Cabernet4me2 Likes this wine: 94 Points
This was drinking amazing!! Did not take any formal notes, drank along side an incredible line up and the '01 Insignia held its own against the Big Boys, a bit more refined than most, so had its place in the line up. Have to thank Gary and Diane and all in attendance for such stellar wine drinking experience.... wines included: '01 Sloan, '02 Harlan Estate, 02 Blankiet Paradise Hills, '01 & '02 Shafer Hillside Select, '01 Bond Melbury, '02 Abreu Thorevilos, & '01 Colgin Herb Lamb... what an evening!!
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7/26/2015 - 1800kidney wrote: 94 Points
Lovely, very enjoyable..complex with long finish. Long life ahead, enjoy!
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7/3/2015 - yukoner wrote: 91 Points
A bit of a let down....given the reviews. Perhaps a little past it's prime.
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3/16/2015 - lvjohn Likes this wine: 95 Points
Wonderful! Drinking very well with no hint of being too old. Great fruit.
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3/8/2015 - budman Likes this wine: 95 Points
Fantastic... in it's wheelhouse!!!
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2/27/2015 - Eags25 wrote: 82 Points
Possible bottle flaw. This was lacking
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2/23/2015 - jtommo71 Likes this wine: 95 Points
Drinking well
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2/2/2015 - Stirling Likes this wine: 97 Points
Just by looking at this wine in the glass with its dark purple (almost black) appearance, you know you’re in for something big and bold! The nose supports this thought as the aromas of dark fruits such as blackberry and blueberry immediately jump out along with secondary notes of earth and mocha. But in true Phelps fashion the powerful character of this vintage is extremely well balanced with a smooth, plush mouthfeel and a finish that seemingly goes on forever. Detailed, complete with a long 40 second finish this wine is a stunner. Near peak but with many years of great drinking ahead. www.advinetures.ca
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2/1/2015 - REWindsor Likes this wine: 99 Points
awesome. Drinking splendidly. Camphor and dark fruits, blackberry and spice. Floral notes in the finish which is incredibly long and complex. Sweet tannin and great balance. Effortless smooth and exhilarating.
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1/28/2015 - Ibetian wrote: 94 Points
Brought to friends' house for dinner, followed a 2003 Lafon Rochet. Both wines were very good, the Insignia went very well with the steak.
I enjoyed this even more than I did in December. Notes are similar, with dark cherries and high cacao chocolate. But this seemed smoother and better integrated, really a terrific bottle. Nothing seemed out of place, and no noticeable alcohol. On balance I still think the 2002 is a bit better, but both are very, very good, and the 2001 shined bright this night.
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1/25/2015 - budman Likes this wine: 93 Points
Nowhere near going over the hill. Fantastic!!!
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1/11/2015 - Mike V wrote: 91 Points
Was much better in 2008-2009
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12/27/2014 - Ibetian wrote: 92 Points
Decanted about an hour before dinner. Very dark, almost black/red. Reluctant nose of black cherries, dark high cacao content chocolate, other black fruits and a slight but noticeable whiff of alcohol. Smooth on palate, with dark fruit dominating.
A few years ago, I thought the 01 was potentially better than the 02. I've changed my mind, having had both wines multiple times recently. Both are very fine, but I prefer the exuberant fruit of the 02. These might be BDX blends, but they are stil CA wines. I think the 02 is truer to its origins, and just more fun and pleasurable to drink.
Still, splitting hairs, I would never turn down a glass of the 01!
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12/25/2014 - ahgoodman Likes this wine: 94 Points
Ensconced in micro velvet. Great dark fruit. Popped and poured, but opened real nice over the next few hours.
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12/19/2014 - madalyn Likes this wine: 95 Points
it started out a little thin, then opened up beautifully. then it was gone, so sad because it was delicious. pop pour and wait an hour and it will be great
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12/7/2014 - Ibetian wrote: 91 Points
Nose was a bit muted, despite a decant about 45 minutes before dinner. Red and black cherries, leather and some funk on the nose. Not quite as smooth as the 2002 that we have had many times in the past year. I'll probably wait a year or so before I open my next bottle, but this was below expectations.
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12/7/2014 - Justinwine wrote: 93 Points
Love it though kept waiting for lushness and more complex flavors.
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12/4/2014 - Milos wrote: 93 Points
Part of 1994/2001 California tasting. Decanter for 2 hours. Very close to the profile of the 1994 just more oak on the nose and palate. Needs more time . Alcohol notable.
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11/20/2014 - kenv Likes this wine: 97 Points
WCC 2001 California Cabernet Blind (Home of Chef Andy Plummer, East Greenbush, NY): [Double-decanted at 6pm.] Hands down WOTN for me. Big ripe complex nose. Rich long and complex in the mouth. A stunning, wow wine. Great length. Still very young, but the richness has such harmony to it. A great wine.
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11/19/2014 - fredman wrote: 92 Points
Very nice bottle of wine but not quite the "Wowzer" I remember some years back. Cupboard is now bare as this was my last Insignia. All things must pass.
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10/18/2014 - Mpkosty wrote:
With Maria and her family
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9/24/2014 - Aparritz Likes this wine: 95 Points
This was brought by an unsuspecting guest to a dinner party (gasp). Most didn't know anything about it or the fact that it's rare, expensive, and exquisite. As the lone person to recognize it, I was pleasantly surprised. Well aged and complex.
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9/7/2014 - Brett wrote: 95 Points
Loved it!
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8/28/2014 - grossie wrote: 95 Points
Superb bottle. It is rich and round has fantastic complexity. The finish goes on forever. It has another 10 years for sure. My favorite 01 Napa cab, from a vintage I like a lot.
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8/21/2014 - jsebiri wrote: 93 Points
Very good , big wine , more than a cab blend.....berries, red fruit.......would not say it was a great wine though
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8/18/2014 - Jeff Leve wrote: 96 Points
From a magnum, the wine is plush, polished, rich and packed with chocoalte covered blackberries, plum, licorice and ripe boysenberry fruit. Round and lush, this is delicious!
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8/17/2014 - 1961Vintage Likes this wine: 96 Points
Terrific, near perfection for a well aged cali cab. I can see why this fetches $200 in today's aftermarket.
Great anniversary bottle of wine! Would do it all over again!..:-)
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8/15/2014 - ArizonaWineGuy wrote: 92 Points
Tremendous concentration, great complexity, and not showing its age in the least. I give it another 25 years of life, if not more.
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8/13/2014 - RickyT12 Likes this wine: 96 Points
2 hrs decanted
Middle color dark purple.
Amazing nose. Cake batter, Forrest, blueberry, soft floral nose. Really intense maple syrup nose. Black currant, syrup, black currant, slightest hint of alcohol, beautiful how the alcohol blends so well with the flavors of the wine. This is the perfect example for me when a wine is at it's best. The it is just hitting on all cylinders. Great wine. I recommend to drink now.
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7/18/2014 - arniec Likes this wine: 92 Points
Has lost a lot of fruit. Still a bit tannic on the finish. Disappointing tonight.
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7/12/2014 - aquacongas Likes this wine: 95 Points
This bottle I drank together with THomas and Axel together with Insignia 2001, first the Californian cab was the winner, but it changed, we decanted the HB 2 hours, the nose seems a little bit oxidated but after getting air ripe black currant aromas, typical bx nose pencil, minerality, tobacco, the insignia started very well with high concentration of fruits, tannins mighty but soft, high density. botha 96, but in this case I would prefer the HB (starting 92) still too young, the Cab starting 97 and going down 95 because of the one dimension taste, will live at least 10 more years, unfortunately not decanted
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7/11/2014 - creno Likes this wine: 91 Points
A pleasant California fruit wine but lacking intrigue and complexity. Yes, dark and dense fruits, smooth and velvety texture, very soft tannins with well balanced acids. So true to what it is meant to be at this age.
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7/5/2014 - Rollerball wrote: 95 Points
From mag. Super exciting dense and nuanced, yet easy. Inky, loamy, and wiling. More sweet than bitter, with deep, quietly humming intensity and a long, balanced finish where the perfectly integrated vanilla, fruit, spice, and espresso flavors refresh with sweet, tumbling tannins.
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7/2/2014 - bablues wrote: 97 Points
Judgement of Chicago (Nomi): Tasted blind. Nose was amazing with classic dark fruits. The taste was bright, clean, very balanced and amazing.
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7/2/2014 - Wine_lvr Likes this wine: 96 Points
Dinner with Friends and "2001 Cabs": Ripe ruby. Nose of black currants, vanilla, herbs and cooked berries. Wonderful sweetness which is perfectly integrated, highly elegant and balanced. Just an amazing wine to drink over the next 10+ years.
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6/29/2014 - shaferguy91 wrote: 93 Points
Still a baby. Needed some decant time.
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6/27/2014 - La Cave d'Argent Likes this wine: 95 Points
From a pristinely-cellared bottle kindly provided to our tasting group by J.P., this blend of 89% Cabernet Sauvignon, 8% Petit Verdot and 3% Malbec (73% Estate fruit) flaunts an intense nose of black currants, lavender potpourri, anise, fig and minerals. Full-bodied, round and with big sweet tannins, it offers ripe black fruit and mineral flavors with a minimum of alcoholic heat (13.9%). The flavors build on the middle palate and the smooth finish is lengthy. This 13-year-old Cabernet is still a baby! I guessed that it was a high-end Napa Cab, circa 2009. While certainly very pleasurable now, those with patience will be rewarded. Drink 2017-2025.
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6/8/2014 - AllRed wrote: 92 Points
Second Sunday Group: 2001 CA cabs (Anvil Club): Deep garnet color with notes of leather and black fruit. Well-balanced, with flavors of dark fruit dominating the palate. Develops notes of caramel and coffee with air. 92+ pts.
My #4
Group #1, 31 pts
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5/31/2014 - BernieMSY wrote: 95 Points
Really good juice. Dark, satisfying, holds your interest. Each sip demands another.
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5/30/2014 - Bauman Likes this wine: 94 Points
Excellent nose. Smooth finish. Great wine.
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5/10/2014 - zenithon wrote: 95 Points
We did an Insignia 2001, 2003 & 2007 vertical. This one was spectacular. It was about a 50/50 among the eight of us on whether the 01 or 03 was better. The 07 was great but everyone agreed that it needs more time in the cellar before it can match up.
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5/4/2014 - chablist Likes this wine: 98 Points
Fuck me good, worth every penny
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3/27/2014 - pakabear Likes this wine: 95 Points
This is coming into it's own now, medium dark fruit and cassis dominate, some asian spices are, vanilla and toasted oak are also present. Great length and overall balance. Wish I had more of this that was stored as well.
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3/23/2014 - RickyT12 Likes this wine: 96 Points
Decanted 2 hrs
Great Bordeaux type nose. Elegant blueberry skins creaminess on the nose. Black jam lots of tannins. Lots of fruit a little alcohol chocolate brownie type nose and flavor. Sharp flavor profile. A hint of paper chemical nose. Smooth cherry Ludens taste. Great example of a California wine with sophistication. Huge fan of this wine.
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3/22/2014 - SonnyChiba wrote: 97 Points
Outstanding again - bumping it up a point from a year ago as it was even more impressive. Notes very consistent, full of blueberry, blackberry, espresso, red and black licorice, some veggie components. So complex and well textured. Tastes fantastic now and is in a good drinking window, yet more noticeable tannins than I remember before. No rush on this one.
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3/21/2014 - Big Bad Voodoo Daddy Likes this wine: 98 Points
Decanted three hours before drinking. Inky purple in color. Molasses / maple syrup in the nose. In the mouth, hints of blueberry, plum and other dark fruit pervade, with little alcohol remaining. So very smooth. A slight peppery flavor at the end and a very reserved finish. Much more mellow that the Masseto tasted immediately preceding it. Wine of the night by a narrow margin.
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2/25/2014 - Martin Redmond Likes this wine: 94 Points
Surprisingly opaque garnet color with exuberant black cherry, blackberry, cassis, cedarwood, espresso aromas. On the palate, it's full-bodied and well balanced with silky sweet tannins. It shows relatively youthful ample mouthfilling blackberry, cassis, and espresso flavors. Long finish.
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2/22/2014 - km5 Likes this wine:
Local food
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2/11/2014 - Chasep wrote: 90 Points
On it's way out the door
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1/22/2014 - skurtz Likes this wine: 93 Points
Decanted at the Ridgewood CC; the cork broke in half while opening - never fear! Faint nose of berry, but on the palate a smooth progression of blackberry, oak, and tannin. Silk in a glass. A great accompaniment to prime rib and Brussel sprouts. Sophisticated and elegant.
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1/19/2014 - Brett wrote: 96 Points
Just fantastic .... Did have a problem getting the cork out. Lots of life left!
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1/18/2014 - samalexis Likes this wine: 95 Points
Exquisite!!
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1/14/2014 - Floyd77 Likes this wine: 95 Points
incredible
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12/21/2013 - shutto1992@gmail.com wrote:
PNP and regretted that decision. Was very closed. looking at other notes and what I tasted, this wine needs significant decanting time and I won't touch another bottle for at least 5 years.
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12/18/2013 - vsc7969 wrote: 86 Points
Drank together with 2003. Though Wine Spectator rating is the same, 2003 has better body and fragrance. 2001 is tired, and passed the best drinking window
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12/10/2013 - ipp Likes this wine: 92 Points
candied fruit nose. full bodied red. firm tannins, balanced by good acidity. very long, mouth watering finish. good structure, but lacks fruit ... a little closed
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11/28/2013 - Jeff Leve wrote: 96 Points
The perfect match for Flannery beef grilled rare, with its fat, juicy, ripe, dense layers of rich blackberry puree, licorice, smoke, vanilla, earth and jam characteristics. The wine is intense, yet in balance. Still youthful, Phelps Insignia is one of the best examples of age-worthy California Cabernet Sauvignon. Splash decanted, the wine was produced from a blend of 89% Cabernet Sauvignon, 8% Petit Verdot and 3% Malbec.
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11/21/2013 - La Cave d'Argent Likes this wine: 95 Points
This iteration of Insignia is a blend of 89% Cabernet Sauvignon, 8% Petit Verdot and 3% Malbec (73% Estate fruit). Purchased upon release and cellared in pristine fashion, this particular bottle was double-decanted, allowing four hours in decanter prior to funneling back into the cleaned bottle. It was subsequently enjoyed with friends at an Insignia vertical dinner. The robe remains a youthful-appearing opaque ruby. With an intense nose of cassis, potpourri, anise, fig and minerals, it follows with a full-bodied, round palate. The tannins are substantial but silky-textured, and the alcohol (13.9%) is seamless. Ripe black fruit and mineral flavors dominate the palate and build in the middle. Concluding long and smooth, this is yet another brilliant showing for this still-youthful, gorgeous wine. Well-cellared bottles should get even better! Drink 2017-2025.
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11/19/2013 - Agreenblatt wrote: 93 Points
Consistent with past notes. Decanted for 2 hours this time which was more enjoyable. Drank with porterhouse.
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10/27/2013 - Chriskrueger wrote: 94 Points
Birthday bottle of 375
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10/12/2013 - Night Train Likes this wine: 96 Points
Probably the best wine I've tasted in the past three or four years. Huge, but still beautifully balanced. Assertive nose, plenty of complexity, fine-grained tannins, medium body, and a spectacular finish. Sleek and sophisticated. A classic.
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10/12/2013 - mmcdds Likes this wine: 95 Points
Double decanted then tasted almost immediately. This is in a really good place today. Deep, rich sweet cassis, cedar, pipe tobacco, leather, hints of cocoa and damp, loamy earth notes. The tannins on the long finish are still quite grippy but they did moderate after a couple of hours of air. While this wine's California heritage is clearly evident, it does lean quite abit toward Bordeaux. Tonight this was quite a treat.
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9/20/2013 - cab blends wrote: 93 Points
S&E Wine Society - Napa Night (Blind tasting with MOT Scoring) (Our home): Not as high a rating as I gave this last time. It might have been the order of the wines tonight. Very light on the fruit with the Petit Verdot coming through strongly. Still a strong body with life in it. Complex and drinkable - slowly.
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9/15/2013 - Agreenblatt wrote: 92 Points
This is in its sweet spot. I let this decant for 3.5 hours which ended up being a bit too long.
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8/31/2013 - wabi47 wrote:
big silky slightly overripe (for my taste) plum, prune and blueberry; almost seemed as if bottle had been 'cooked', though cork and provenance were fine; good earth and tobacco leaf; oak and tannins are well integrated; good acidity, but not light on its feet; not my fave style at the moment; NR given the atypical tasting.
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8/22/2013 - RS60 wrote:
Date unknown.
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7/21/2013 - TheFoodieTraveler wrote: 95 Points
Beautiful wine - perfect right now. Well integrated soft tannins, fruit forward
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7/17/2013 - Philly-O wrote: 94 Points
wonderfully crafted wines. hit on all levels. Silky smooth finish with no tannin overkill. Balance artfully between & power & elegance. flavors of both blackberry & raspberry with a hint of tobacco are the more prevalent. But wisps of more flirted with the taste buds. JPI rarely disappoints. Drinking well now for sure.
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6/1/2013 - SonnyChiba wrote: 96 Points
Fantastic wine that has come together very nicely. Excellent combination of earthy/soil notes and ripe fruit on the nose. The palate is very refreshing, and layered in veggie and blue fruit flavors. Smooth finish. Very refined, and drinking nicely right now... Big fan of this wine.
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5/31/2013 - RickyT12 Likes this wine: 96 Points
WOTN up against serious comp from Oakville. Decanted 3 plus hours
Great complexities on this wine and a bunch of layer when you think you are tasting one thing you can dig a little deeper and find hints of more flavors. Love this wine for that. From the start of this wine could not tell Napa. Very Bordeaux character going on.Bit barnyard on the nose, but nice side of barnyard not overpowering. Also mint chocolate and eucalyptus on the nose. Reminded me of a middle aged first growth. Great mixture of black and red rope licorice Mint, black currant, and hints of blueberry flavors. Great long and smooth finish. Very well constructed. Looking forward to trying again as I feel I missed somethings as I was totally surprised by this wine.
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5/23/2013 - swapdoc Likes this wine:
Inventory Reduction Event: A focused, tight and at the same time balanced wine with a strong underlying dark fruit. Still tannic and evolving, this was still the best California wine of the evening. Pretty nose, down playing ubiquitous oaky vanilla. Very good.
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5/14/2013 - rickspicks wrote: 96 Points
WOW! Deep, rich, ripe fruit aromas of cassis, blackberry, oak, spice and earth - somewhat bordeaux-like in complexity and depth - but with Napa intensity. Medium to full bodied with tremendous concentration and depth, and a super-rich texture. Massive fruits are balanced with an equally big structure of firm, smooth tannins and a big dose of acidity. Still extraordinarily youthful with intense fruit flavors that are still mostly primary. Long, rich, delicious, satisfying finish. This is an incredibly powerful wine that is still extremely youthful and a spectacular example of how great a Napa cab can be. Plenty of fruit and stuffing to last another 20-30 + years. This is going to be even more spectacular and a 98-100 point wine with some more time. 96+ for now.
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4/27/2013 - Capt Cutlass Likes this wine: 95 Points
Uncorked several hours before decanting one hour prior to service. As other tasters have noted this is moving somewhere between the primary fruit stage and the evolved notes which age can offer. For me it is in a great place since the fruit component is so velvety and harmonious and the tannins completely resolved. Creamy, cigar box nose with cocoa, dark chocolate and dark forest berries. The palate was rich yet elegant, ripe yet fresh, endowed with seamless black plums and cherries. Some blind tasters guessed Bordeaux... A stunning wine.
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4/19/2013 - tbabes wrote: 95 Points
Decanted for service; a youthful purple core with no bricking. Aromas of very ripe black cherry, with hints of chocolate, blackberry and licorice. Medium to full bodied, jammy dark fruits -- chocolate covered cherry liquor! Not really my style, but outstanding for what it is.
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4/18/2013 - johnh1001 wrote: 88 Points
Pretty red and black fruit on the nose. Palate was nicely balanced. This seemed a bit over done, indeed a little pruiny at times. A bit of heat on the finish.
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3/27/2013 - otisabdul Likes this wine: 93 Points
Just starting to enter its prime drinking window.
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2/22/2013 - acheng wrote: 90 Points
Reticent nose of dark fruit, expresso and touch of herbaceous. Balance with fine acidity and tannin. Still young perhaps.
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2/22/2013 - phillyboyP wrote: 94 Points
BALANCE. Beautiful balance of fruit, tannin, oak, spice, cedar, FRUIT. A wonderful wine with many years left in a cold cellar. dynamite. I wish I could drink wines like this one every F'n day. 94
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2/20/2013 - rocknroller wrote:
BYOB Tasting Menu Meritage (Meritage, St. Paul): I only had a small tast of this, but it was outstanding. I think this was a PNP, and it drank quite youthfully. Gut impression with a minimal examination is 93-94pts.
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2/9/2013 - Dabolts wrote: 95 Points
Amazing wine. Decanted for two hours. Earth and fruit on the nose, integrated tannins and a smooth fruity finish
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1/8/2013 - KeithSurg wrote: 88 Points
Cork intact, but with a little staining to the end. Decanted and drank over 2 hrs. Ruby color with bricking. Musty nose that blew off to expose some sweet oak and dried fruit. Cherry and herb on the palate, silky finish. Fruit faded, though, and not very exciting.
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12/25/2012 - Night Train Likes this wine: 94 Points
Consensus favorite among four top flight domestic Cabernets at a Christmas dinner. The most balanced, polished, and sleek of the group, although it didn't lack for oomph. Exactly what I had expected - lots of cassis, mid-weight, fine tannins, perfect balance, and a great finish. Textbook.
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12/25/2012 - Pluecht wrote: 94 Points
Stunning. Wonderful wine, full body, enjoy now or cellar.
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12/19/2012 - DHNguyen Likes this wine: 93 Points
Takes an hour to open up.
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12/11/2012 - danielk168 wrote: 93 Points
From a magnm bottle, decanted about 1 hour, oak is not as pronnouced as last time, more balanced now, a big wine indeed and more time will likely benefit if you like a more Bordeaux style but if you like napa, drink up.
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11/27/2012 - clayfu wrote:
Rick's 50th birthday notes and my 10,000th post!; 11/24/2012-11/27/2012 (Chateau Rick): Sweet ripe red fruit on the palate. Nice weight on the mid palate but still very primary as the only two traits you really get are tannins and rich berries. Still a very burly powerful wine, I'm not exactly sure how it'll develop but one person who had it when it first opened, commented that it was too jammy, but it seemed to have changed into a sleeker ripe fruit after a few hours.
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11/24/2012 - danielk168 wrote: 92 Points
decanted about one hour, very good now but oaka bit overpowering now, abit more time would probably give it balance.
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11/11/2012 - shine wrote: 94 Points
Still has some primary fruit but developing secondary characteristics. Give it another few years.
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11/6/2012 - Vinobruin wrote: 93 Points
Drank from split (375). Popped and poured. Even from split this wine needs time. Initial wine was shallow and a bit hallow. Picked up weight and structure with time in the glass. Deep color and amazing leggs. Tannins soft, classic cab flavors and aromas - rich, smooth and elegant. This wine if properly stored has 20 years of life. Splits probably reaching peak now and over the next 2 - 4 years.
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11/4/2012 - Ibetian wrote: 93 Points
Splash decanted right before dinner. A 30 - 60 minute decant might have been better, as this opened up over dinner and last glass was the best. Very dark color. Nice, complex nose of chocolate covered cherries. Rich and smooth. Powerful. noticeable alcohol. I think this might be a touch better than the 2002. Drinking well now but will last for years.
This is a great example of a Cali cab blend, one of my favorites. I wouldn't want to drink wines of this style very often, but with a nice steak this is a fine choice.
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10/6/2012 - IWineAlot wrote: 92 Points
CT Offline WI Take 2: Judgement of Madison(Paris) Tasting & BYOB Dinner (Madison, WI): Very dark purple in color.
Huge jammy nose with baking spice, vanilla extract covered berries.
Palate echoes the nose. Big burly tannins. Some detectable heat on the backend.
SS 92pts.
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10/6/2012 - petitblanc wrote: 91 Points
CT Wisconsin Offline 2; 10/5/2012-10/6/2012 (Madison, WI): Vanilla and black cherry nose. Very ripe, but the alcohol is still in fair balance and this is an enjoyable enough wine for the style.
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9/22/2012 - Wineandcheesehead wrote:
Amazing. Drank with charlie c
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8/3/2012 - jbehrendt wrote: 92 Points
We had this with our family for our 46th wedding anniversay dinner. Tenderloin filets were the main entree. Also had DeBrand's chocolates for dessert. This outstanding wine went great with both.
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7/29/2012 - ToddR911 wrote: 92 Points
Love the blackberries, very well balanced. Needed some time to open up, even better on day 2.
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7/12/2012 - KenK wrote: 97 Points
From Magnum: Drinking beautifully. Pretty red cherry fruits balanced perfectly by bright acidity and sweet tannins. Velvet texture with long finish. Seamless from start to finish with no hot spots or rought edges. Wine is in a great window and likely holds for 5-10 more years. This was a real crowd pleaser.
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7/8/2012 - AllRed wrote: 92 Points
Sunday Brown Bag Tasting: 2001 CA cabs (Mike & Judi's): Dark color. Notes of blackberry jam, blue fruit and herbs followed by red fruit and florals. Very nice balance here, with nice structure supporting lovely red and black fruit flavors on the palate. Long finish.
My #4, Domino's #2
Group #2, 40 pts
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5/28/2012 - cab blends wrote: 95 Points
Moderate tannins and smooth - signififcantly smoother than the 07 Artemis. No fruit on the nose. Not stunning but a great wine with a few years of life still.I enjoyed the tannins and silky smoothness. Note how Parker has suddenly given this a 99 rating last year. I see where he is going with this one.
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5/19/2012 - MarkMich wrote: 92 Points
This was a nice wine but I was expecting more. Nice fruit and the tannins were resolved it just lacked complexity. The 03 Ponte- Canet we had the night before blew it away
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5/15/2012 - thelostverse wrote: 92 Points
Brought to Vie by xhoser. Very fruit forward nose, with notes of black fruits, chocolate and tobacco.
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5/6/2012 - tooch wrote: 86 Points
Judgement Day - 2001 Bordeaux vs. 2001 USA Cabernet Blends (Holiday Inn Chicago North Shore - Skokie, IL): Tasted blind. I was pretty surprised by how this performed. Didn't have the elegant character that I feel like a lot of Insignia's can have. The nose seemed a bit candied with a heavy influence from the oak. Its palate was also modern with charcoal, brown sugar, espresso and dark fruit. I correctly pegged this as a Californian wine, but disagreed with the overall group rating it 10th out of 12 wines - the group rated it 3rd overall.
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4/19/2012 - psusfca wrote: 97 Points
I had experienced a few less than spectacular Phelps wines recently (but still very good), so opening this from the cellargave me some pause. Opened 3 hours before. tasted and it was delicious. We will see. Parker just took it 99 from 95, but is it worth it. I disagreed with a recent Backus second review, but this was right on. Maybe not 99 but really really good. Great length across the palate, depth, and still the right tannins. Dark fruit was there and back of the throat was amazing. Well done, well done, well done!!!
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3/10/2012 - jfpwine Likes this wine: 95 Points
It was decanted for at least 6 hours. Very fine bouquet, with vanilla coffee and blueberry. The palate was fantastic. Very smooth and incredibly balanced. Voluptuous. A great wine.
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2/7/2012 - Brett wrote: 95 Points
Great wine.
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2/5/2012 - La Cave d'Argent wrote: 95 Points
This bottle was purchased upon release and cellared in pristine fashion. It was double-decanted, allowing two hours in decanter prior to funneling back into the cleaned bottle. The robe is a youthful-appearing opaque ruby. The nose opens during the first two hours to show very intense aromas of cassis, coriander, vanilla and minerals. Full-bodied on the palate, with low acidity, massive sweet tannins, well-integrated alcohol (which is listed as 13.9%) and black fruit-dominated flavors. The middle palate is rock-solid and silky in texture. The finish is long and smooth. This is quintessential Napa juice. It is luscious now, but will undoubtedly get even better. If you have the will power, hold it for another five years before popping the next cork. Drink 1/17-12/25.
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1/27/2012 - jinks wrote: 91 Points
DE Double blind Best Bottle (DE): Tasted double blind among other similarly priced wines of similar age.
My blind notes:
Appears young in the glass. Closed nose. dark berry fruit and some leather.
Palate was bland and relatively uninteresting compared to others on the table. +++ tannins.
Again I honestly think this would show better in a few more years.
My 7th/9, group 4/9
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1/23/2012 - ecola Likes this wine: 89 Points
Dark cherry, vanilla, cassis. Typical for a Cali cab based wine. Very good.
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1/22/2012 - DarinC wrote: 95 Points
Slight seepage. Cork partially saturated but not elevated. Barely drinkable right out of bottle so i let it sit in the glass for a couple hrs and it really transformed. Nose of mocha, espresso, and various dark fruits. Much more weight in the palate with time. Big dark fruits and chocolate notes. No perceptable heat. Very concentrated. Slightly drying but ripe tannins. Very long finish. Enjoy now with min 2hr decant or hold for 5 to 10 yrs.
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1/7/2012 - RussK wrote: 92 Points
RUSSK At Peter's Hlwd Wine Society 2001 CA Cab Tasting, most of them were still a bit young. My 3rd Place WOTN. Silky and some earth.
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1/2/2012 - Double D wrote: 89 Points
I don't get it...I've had this before and loved it...this was too tannic, little fruit and little aroma and questonable balance...either it or I must be in some dumb phase!
I hope the remaining bottles are better. Disappointed especially at this price point.
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12/29/2011 - gwpski wrote: 94 Points
Served with a standing rib roast. Very smooth but still has room to mature. Not as strong a nose as some other vintages of this wine
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12/25/2011 - tbabes wrote: 95 Points
Popped, poured and consumed over the course of 2 hours. Made in a big, ripe and juicy style -- not really my preference when it comes to Bordeaux styled blends -- but a wonderful wine. Aromas of cassis, black cherry, and licorice with hints of campfire and roasted herbs. Full-bodied, with a firm structure, ripe (but prominent) tannins, a velvety texture, incredible depth, and a long and focused finish.
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12/23/2011 - awise45 wrote: 93 Points
Very interesting and full without being overpowering; long finish. Hints of vanilla and chocolate along with lots of berry
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12/23/2011 - awise45 wrote: 93 Points
Very interesting and full without being overpowering; long finish. Hints of vanilla and chocolate along with lots of berry.
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12/11/2011 - danielk168 wrote: 93 Points
from a magnum bottle, intense nose of vanilla, cream and chocolate upon opening and lasted all the way to the end of 3 hours, amazing! Soft tannins with lots of black fruit and nuts, it almost felt like tasting a chocloate cake, we loved it.
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11/13/2011 - AllRed wrote: 93 Points
Sunday Brown Bag Tasting (Rich & Dana's): Notes of herbs, chocolate and black currants. Full-bodied with sweet tannins and flavors of blackberry, blue fruit and violets. Ripe dark fruit notes dominate. Loads of dark fruit on the palate; tannins turn a bit chalky on the finish. 93 pts.
My #5
Group #6, 62 pts
1st place votes = 1
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11/12/2011 - paffy wrote: 94 Points
Double decanted in the cellar for 1 hour before heading out to Panzanella in Sherman Oaks.
Good bottle, very ripe mid pallet. Still a little closed off. Probably needs a few more years to develop. Will try again next year.
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10/12/2011 - Brett wrote: flawed
The cork was slightly damaged. The wine was still OK, but way past prime. I'm not sure this is a good example of this wine.
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10/1/2011 - Wink wrote: 90 Points
Opened by Andy Berman at his new house last night. No notes. Had that familiar Insignia power and finesse. Drinking well. Not my favorite vintage of this wine, but very good to excellent.
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9/29/2011 - cabber wrote: 95 Points
decanted 2 hours. Very nice, but still a bit tannic. This wine has the potential to be extraordinary, but needs a bit more time to come together. Suggest decanting at least 4-6 hours.
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9/15/2011 - kenv Likes this wine: 94 Points
WCC 2001 California Cabernet Blind (Provence Restaurant, Albany, NY): [Double decanted at noon.] Long rich vanilla tannic sweet fruit. Quite backward. Lots of potential, but way too young. 93-96 points.
Day 3: Still a huge thick wine with gobs of sweet red fruit. Amy likes it and says "Very cherry."
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9/11/2011 - jonwill wrote: 93 Points
Decanted for 4 hours before serving. Was very mild, perfectly balanced but definitely took a background to the steak we were eating along with some powerfully flavored sides. Less fireworks and more subtle perfection.
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9/1/2011 - abnye27 wrote: 93 Points
Incredibly smooth and rich wine. Surprisingly easy to drink for such a big wine. Mocha, black fruits, cassis, and leather dominate the palate. Overall, a great wine.
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8/13/2011 - Brett wrote: 93 Points
Fantastic wine!
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8/4/2011 - Vino Me wrote: 92 Points
2001 California Cabernet Retrospective (South Haven, Michigan): Otis brought this wine to our Cal Cab retrospective. 3rd time I have had this wine going back to 2004. Not decanted. Dark purple color. Probably the tightest and most tannic of the wines in this lineup and could have used some decanted like the Pride. This had some vegetal and herbal nuances on the nose. Notes of cassis, tar and charcoal. Solid tannins. 91-92+ points.
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7/30/2011 - otisabdul wrote: 91 Points
Still pretty tight. Would recommend decating for at least 2-3 hours if opening now. Still, you could sense lots of interesting layers and fine-grained tannins lurking beneath. Will hold for at least another 3 years before trying the next bottle from this vintage.
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7/30/2011 - Rich S wrote: 91 Points
Dark fruit, chocolate and vanilla on the nose. Similar flavor profile with some cassis, mocha and toasty oak notes on the palate. Medium tannins and acid. Smooth mouthfeel but somewhat hollow mid-palate and finished a bit short. Well made wine but not worth the tariff. I also wouldn't hold these too much longer as I don't see it improving dramatically.
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7/10/2011 - bryon m wrote: 92 Points
Celebrated my parents 50th anniversary with this nice bottle. Good color and body, soft from the beginning and got even better. Nice berry and other fruit flavors from start to middle ending with a suttle oak finish. The finish was nice, not that long but delicious!
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7/5/2011 - jonphillips wrote: 93 Points
A very nice California Cab ... not overly hedonistic, but nothing that gets you going intellectually.
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6/23/2011 - James B wrote: 94 Points
Hard to assess the color; dark restaurant. Medium intensity nose; notes of black currant, baked black fruit, tobacco, spice box. On the palate, full bodied, low acid, medium-plus tannins, flavor notes that match the nose perfectly, very long finish. This wine is exquisite, perfectly balanced, and has outstanding structure. It will last another fifteen years easily. Drinking well now, but no hurry. I'm going to slow down my consumption--only four bottles left.
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6/4/2011 - Wonder wrote: 91 Points
this was good took a while to open up. thank you joseph.
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6/2/2011 - amred wrote: 92 Points
A very enjoyable wine. Really pleasant nose--sweet, fruit and some vanilla. Very well-balanced as usually the case for Insignia--this was our first bottle of the 2001. We thought it not as complex or long-lived as some of the better vintages, but still a very good wine with fruit, some wood/vanilla and soft tannins. Certainly drinking well now, but will hold up for some years.
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5/29/2011 - lukethedrifter1 wrote:
Huge acid base BUT. Surprisingly didn't make it for a second day, even when vacuum sealed. A wonderful typical California Cab. Lots of fruit and little nuance
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5/24/2011 - Topper wrote: 92 Points
Still a bit of a bruiser. More in the category of good and interesting than good and delicious. Competed with the steak more than it complemented it. I think there is still strong potential for this wine but I'm going to let the others slumber.
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5/20/2011 - davidandrose wrote: 94 Points
Final bottle and a beautiful wine. Right out of the bottle this showed some green notes and more acid/glycerin than I'd care for. At two hours in the decanter this had changed dramatically and showed more traditional bordeaux traits. Leather, faint tobacco, cherry on the nose, some creme de cassis; medium- bodied, fine-grained tannins, cherry notes, a little vanilla and oak. I imagine this will peak within a 2-3 years if its not there today; the tannin-structure gives me pause as to its longevity, and its drinking incredibly well with enough decant time.
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5/15/2011 - stevenkassrk@gmail.com wrote: 95 Points
Drank at my son's graduation. Opened 3 hours before. Was delIcious. Soft tannins. Well balanced. A perfect complement to a great night.
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5/8/2011 - zenithon wrote: 95 Points
It gets better every time we open a bottle. Nearly a perfect wine. Balanced soft tannins with cherry, chocolate and oak. Wonderful.
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4/30/2011 - psmith wrote:
Very red. Some fruit liqueur that's well tempered from where it was on release. Balanced, with fine tannins. Medium bodied. Nice.
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4/25/2011 - cfitzy67 wrote: 94 Points
Had lots of Insignia's, this one is drinking incredibly well. Some slight tanins left, so could age longer, but is very well balanced with strong fruits. Decanted for 3 hours, would recommend a long decant time. Drank with pork, was marvelous with food
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4/18/2011 - jlgnml wrote:
Flickinger Wines Ten Years After Tasting: 2001 USA Cabernets and Blends (Their store in Wilmette, IL): full flavor on palate, full of airneess, good balance on the alchohol, more evolving, Ranked 10, group 8
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4/16/2011 - the godfather wrote:
Absolutely rockin kick ass juice
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3/13/2011 - buckeye76 wrote: 96 Points
RICH WINE WITH GREAT COMPLEXITY. JUST KEPT GETTING BETTER, VERY BORDEAUX LIKE, DEEP BERRIES IN THE NOSE WITH HINTS OF EARTHINESS & LEATHER. BLACKBERRIES & BLACKCURRANTS IN THE FLAVOR. LONG FNSH
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3/13/2011 - Chriskrueger wrote: 91 Points
Had this in a split - was very good though nothing that really blew me away.
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3/11/2011 - rwstorer wrote: 92 Points
Popped and let sit for 2 hours. Dark red in color with a typical Napa cab nose of sweet red fruits. Undistinguished flavors of cherry and currant. Nice balance and a nice wine. For the price I want to be really impressed -
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1/1/2011 - Bobo N wrote: 95 Points
New Year's Eve party -- WOTN as it should have been vs Showket, Heitz, Brunello Riservas. A dense, complex wine with lush dark fruit, hints of cigar box and tar. Perfectly balanced. Dark, slightly sweet fruit at mid-palate w/ silky mouthfeel and integrated tannins. I love this wine, but what is not to love. I agree with other reviewers that this vintage of Insignia seems more refined and elegant than others.
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12/31/2010 - LokiTM Likes this wine: 94 Points
The last bottle from the first full case of wine I ever bought. Drinking really well. Vinturi into a decanter for an hour. Very complex and balanced.
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12/17/2010 - ginfizz wrote: 95 Points
Delicious! Dark, brooding black purple color with wonderful cassis and blackberry aromatics. Balance, viscous, good acidity and just the right amount of palate cleansing tannins. A great showing at 9 years old, and just beginning its drinking window. With more complexity, the score will increase.
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12/11/2010 - James B wrote: 95 Points
Great wine from nose through finish. A year ago I thought this was far too young and tightly wound. Tonight, with ample ample time in the decanter (around two hours), it was perfect. Well-balanced aromatics; lush fruit on the palate; medium to long finish. It still has plenty of years left in it, though. This wine deserves the hype. Highly recommended.
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11/26/2010 - vpoms wrote: 92 Points
This wine is drinking very well now. Not as fruity and full bodied as younger cabernets in this price range, but more complex and subtle, with very good finish. I think it will improve over the next couple of years.
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10/14/2010 - tbabes wrote: 88 Points
The fill was into the neck and the cork was sound. A blood red color, with no amber. Rather one dimensional bouquet, yielding aromas of black fruits and oak. Medium-bodied on the palate, with a bit too much wood for my liking; seemed surprisingly angular to me. Perhaps a bad bottle?
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9/18/2010 - BinVA wrote: 93 Points
Last bottle. Probably should have opened earlier since it got a lot better after a couple hours when the tannins settled. First sip about completely dried my mouth out but over time it was more integrated. Also had Jack's Masterpiece, which was a very different wine but equally as good in the group's opinion.
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9/5/2010 - bmarshall wrote: 94 Points
Thoroughly enjoyed in The Greens neighborhood wine cellar progressive dinner. Very elegant and refined. Similar notes to last 2 bottles. Hard to find anything wrong with this wine.
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8/29/2010 - Kellious wrote: 93 Points
Very complex wine, lots of casis, dark fruit,chocolate, cigar box, great nose, makes me want to keep smelling it. This wine definitely needs decanting , tannis is well integrated, very silky but can feel its presence, not big tannis as so many ppl said within the community tasing note.
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8/8/2010 - Topper wrote: 92 Points
Could it be that this is at it's peak now? Decanted for a long time (5-6 hr) and really delicious when first drunk with dinner. Big bright large flavors, still plenty of tannins. More flashy than harmonious. The surprise was that by late evening (9-10 hrs after opening), it wasn't nearly as good, and by the next day, it had completely fallen apart. Very different from earlier bottles. So either this is bottle variation, or it's time to start to drink these up.
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7/19/2010 - Dale451 wrote: 92 Points
Day one - fruit and tannin - good (very good) but not wow - below expectation. 90-92 points.
Day two - big difference - opened up much more, much better mouthfeel - great dark fruit cabernet - 93-95 points.
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7/11/2010 - the godfather wrote:
not quite where the 2002 is
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6/28/2010 - Alwolf wrote: 90 Points
Not over the top. Well aged and very smooth. Not great, but certainly a treat
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6/16/2010 - jmguidi wrote: 93 Points
good but young... needs a long decant
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6/4/2010 - iamandyc wrote: 94 Points
Wonderful nose that this blend often offers - cranberries, violets, plums ahhh. Silky on the palate and a bit more delicate than recent vintages. Balanced. Plenty of life left. Decanted for an hour and didn't notice the tannins that others comment on as out of balance at all.
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6/3/2010 - BinVA wrote: 94 Points
Excellent nose on initial pour, great mix of fruit and wood on the palate, smoooooth. Held together for a couple hours day 1. Day 2, not as good but I'm sticking with a day 1 rating of 94. Very nice wine, several years of life in it.
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5/23/2010 - RJandGB wrote: 93 Points
Very tight when we opened it. Paired with duck and short ribs for dinner. Paired better with the duck (rich sauce, cherries and thyme polenta). Opened nicely in the glass but didn't seem remarkable. We are glad that we didn't finish the bottle and took it home. Uncorked it the next day for sipping. Rich fruitiness and mouth feel, smooth, no harshness at all. Food might have ruined it. This is one where decanting would have improved it.
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4/8/2010 - anonymoose12345 wrote: 93 Points
So young yet so good.
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4/5/2010 - louisl wrote: 93 Points
Still very tight and tannic. Nice dark fruit on the mid-palate and great long finish, but not quite the lushness Inisignia usually has. It just needs more time in the bottle.
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3/27/2010 - patwjr wrote: 93 Points
'01 Cab faceoff - Insignia vs. Pride Reserve. Right now Pride wins. Decanted Insignia for 30 min., rebottled for ride to restaurant, then reopened and again decanted for another hour+. Insignia was more subtle, revealing less fruit in nose & taste. Smooth, nicely built wine yet still tannic/tight, especially on the finish. This one needs more cellar time.
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3/7/2010 - Jaybird76 wrote: 94 Points
Still comes off as a very young wine dark ruby color and loaded with tannis. Has a tight calky nose of incense and black current. Well integrated, and powerful With a long finish.
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1/31/2010 - jonysan Likes this wine: 93 Points
A luscious, elegant wine.
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1/30/2010 - Brett wrote: 93 Points
Great wine as always.
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1/29/2010 - Beaune wrote: 85 Points
The 2001 in Magnum drank very nicely. Tannins much less harsh then in the young 2006 I tried last week. Good structure, nice wine in magnum
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1/26/2010 - ed-d wrote: 88 Points
Full black color. Big black fruit with extremely grippy tannins & a chalky element. A baby, but I'm not sure the tannins will integrate before the fruit falls out.
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1/9/2010 - pikemasterflash wrote:
Difficult to score. Good but maybe a bit more menthol than I would have expected. Better than a recent '89 Pichon Baron but not as good as I was hoping for.
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12/28/2009 - budman wrote: 94 Points
Drinking extremely well. Even better than the 95 I had a few day's ago at my brother's.
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12/25/2009 - jeff nowak wrote: 90 Points
decanted. rather hard and firm tannins that i can't see being tamed by the fruit. i wasn't put off by the wine as a total entity, but for such an iconic napa wine, it doesn't measure up to it's rep.
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12/25/2009 - kgh wrote: 95 Points
Luscious fruit right up front on the palate, with wonderful soft mouthfeel and soft, supple tannins. Definitely near its peak right now.
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12/24/2009 - JJL wrote: 95 Points
From magnum - the Cali hit parade continues. Like a lot of other '01's I have had recently, this bottle was in the zone, completely balanced, great bordeaux nose, cherry and blackberry flavors on palate, not overdone. Better than the '97 the night before, but that bottle probably will probably benefit from more age, whereas the '01 is ready now.
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12/19/2009 - Vin Rouge wrote: 96 Points
A fantastic wine! Beautiful full bodied berry flavors and nice smooth finish. What a treat!
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12/18/2009 - Mike V wrote: 94 Points
Wow. This is nice. Huge nose with cedar and dark fruit. Resolving tannins, chocolate and black fruit on the long palate. No flaws and a joy to drink. Not well matched with pulled pork. If you have these it is ok to start tasting.
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11/29/2009 - huntly wrote: 95 Points
The color alone gets the palate warmed up. Dark purple with a lush full sparkle. the nose is equally tantalizing with dark fruit and a hint of tar. The mid-palate fulfills the promise with dark berries, tar, herbs and a touch of earth. Tannis structure is firm and well integrated, but not sweet. The finish is a full 70 seconds and remains fully thick on the mouth. We decanted for 2 hours, and I think we could have gone a third. Wine is fine to drink now, if you own a few bottles, but would wait if you want to hit the peak.
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11/17/2009 - Grinner wrote: 94 Points
Very "young" wine with excellent fruit and grip. Blackberry, cassis, mint, oak, raspberry, spice..goes on and on. Lots of time.
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11/11/2009 - cparkhurst wrote:
This wine is way too young. I decanted 2 hours and still it was tight. Very inky
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10/15/2009 - ginfizz wrote: 95 Points
Has upward potential. Much concentration of crushed black fruits, oak and touches of spices on the nose, full palate of flavors, rich, with chewy tannins. Really delicious to drink tonight, and much promise ahead. A very successful and long lived Insignia.
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9/25/2009 - rthun wrote: 95 Points
(Cult California Cabernet tasting @ Martin Weiner’s) The 2001 Insignia is a great wine. Deep purple color with a nose of vanilla, brown sugar, cinnamon and dark fruits. Plush, round mouth feel. Deep flavors of dark fruit, boysenberry and forest floor. Nice balance between the alcohol and fruit. 30 second finish. Drinking well now and should drink great for another 10 years.
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9/20/2009 - EileenB wrote: 93 Points
Double decanted (3 hours) and took to restaurant. Nose was great at rebottling, strong cherry and fruits, but then closed down a bit. Eventually brought out chocolate and red fruits, but this was lighter bodied that I expected. Very good wine, but expected more for the price...
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9/13/2009 - jeffm_fla wrote: 92 Points
Very nice wine. Great nose and really nice flavors. A little weak on the finish. I love Insignia and this one doesn't disappoint.
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9/8/2009 - CMCLR wrote: 91 Points
Millie likes it more than I do. Not enough body or fruit.
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7/22/2009 - rickspicks wrote: 94 Points
As expected, a real "lip smacker". Rich nose of dark fruit dominated by blackberry with some cassis, licorice, minerals and oak. Very rich and plush but with good structure and firm, drying tannins. Tremendous richness, concentration and complexity of flavors - everything is big, but also very nicely balanced. This wine is all about power right now, and while very drinkable, it is not yet completely seamless and the tannins are not yet fully resolved. I think it has plenty of fruit to stand up to the tannins, and believe improvement is likely with some additional bottle time.
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7/12/2009 - bubbachumps wrote: 95 Points
FAbulous insignia that has a lot of life ahead of it. Strong notes of cassis, spice box, cocoa dusted and toasty oak. Nice structure in the mouth with a mouth filling finish thats very long. Grippy tannins show up on the end of the finish. Very intoxicating nose, I just kept sniffing and sniffing this wine. Had as a complement to steak au poivre and wild mushroom saute. Au poivre isn't the best pairning for this wine, but it was for the belly. 95 for me with some room for improvement, 97 for my wife. Hard to argue with either score. This wine was opened and let to breath on its own for 3 hours, then poured through a vinturi and consumed over another 3 hours.
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7/7/2009 - WineForRob wrote: 95 Points
Still a very young wine. Huge red fruit nose with a firm acidic spike on opening. Gave bottle about an hour of air time and this beauty just sang. Red fruits with some chocolate and still subtle oak. Tannins were so round and lush and just a pleasure to drink. Finish was endless and this beauty still has a real long life ahead of it.
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6/27/2009 - bmarshall wrote: 94 Points
Terrific magnum was thoroughly enjoyed with Noel and Sue in town. Decanted for 60-90 minutes. Classic Napa Cab on the nose with pure, refined black currants, blackberry, cedar/cigar box, a little oak, vanilla, and some nice spices. Ultra smooth, silky, full bodied palate had tons of fruit and fine tannins. Finished lingered 45 seconds...
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6/15/2009 - Eck wrote: 94 Points
Drank this in a vertical with the 2002 Insignia 100 point wine of the year, both were outstanding, 2001 not as complex as the 2002, but not that noticable. Outstanding bottle of wine, Napa's best offering I believe.
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6/13/2009 - spaciello wrote: 96 Points
The best bottle of wine I have ever had and I,ve had a lot of good ones!!!
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5/30/2009 - jhannah27 wrote: 92 Points
"Anniversary" Weekend at Rob & Lisa's; 5/29/2009-6/1/2009 (Scott's Valley, CA): Nose was distinctly Insignia in it's fullness, showing vanilla, blackberry, cassis, freshly tilled dirt, chocolate and a bit of mint. The taste showed pretty tightly wound for a good portion of this bottle with charred earth, anise, plum, cassis and vanilla flavors. Tannins are still quite fat and chewy, and really need a good 5 more years to begin to resolve. Overall this is a fantastic wine, but it needs quite a bit more time in the bottle to come together. I think I am a little jaded after having the 97, which was one of those cathartic wine experiences that will be near impossible to ever match up to.
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5/26/2009 - pete s. wrote: 95 Points
Very fragrant nose of creme de cassis, mocha, and burnt sugar. Intense flavors of black currant and toasty oak. Unbelievable balance and finesse. Low acid transitions into a smooth finish. Tannins seem to be integrated at this point which makes me wonder if this wine is at it's peak. An amazing finish that leaves the currant/mocha flavors lingering for at least a minute. This is what a high end Napa Cab blend should be.....lives up to the name.
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5/15/2009 - JScott wrote: 92 Points
Dark. Powerfully fragrant, almost pungent with mocha, cassis and valrhona. Earth and a briary note are added on the palate, which is large scaled yet still more feminine than masculine, likely ample alcohol but hidden by all the fruit and low acid feel.
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5/9/2009 - Philly-O wrote: 95 Points
Power & grace so arfully done.
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4/26/2009 - lovedoktor wrote: 90 Points
Consumed in a vertical tasting with the 2002 Insignia, paired with buffalo ribeye in a somewhat spicy seasoning. The 2001 was complex with a lot of subtle and varied flavor notes, but minimal remaining tannins, and probably at the peak of its suitability for consumption for my palate. In contrast, the 2002 still had strong tannins with the potential for continued aging. Both were outstanding wines, but the 2001 had enough subtlety that I would have enjoyed it more by itself than paired with a seasoned steak, while the 2002 stood up quite nicely to the hint of cayenne.
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4/9/2009 - sonakul_t wrote: 94 Points
Great wine, very dark and needed some time to open up. Lots of cherries on the nose, wood. Very heavy. still high alcohol but showed good fruits, sweet finish
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3/31/2009 - Brett wrote: 92 Points
Great wine. I did not decant and it needed it.
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3/20/2009 - hcampana wrote: 91 Points
Very attractive nose, redolent of black fruits, cedar and earth. Full to medium bodied, with very ripe and unobtrusive tannins. This went very well with food. This is an elegant, although rich wine.
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3/9/2009 - Winetex wrote: 94 Points
Very dark purple with a red rim; Creme de cassis aromas and flavors with a touch of oaky spiciness and a stunningly long finish. Very balanced with pure fruit and a wonderful velvety texture. This tasted very similar to the 1997 and was seriously good wine. Decanted about 30 minutes prior to dinner with improvement for the next two hours. Drink or hold.
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2/21/2009 - Cuchita hernandez wrote: 95 Points
Tasted for Cuchita Hernandez , el 21 Feb 2009, cumpleaños de Claudio, lo celebramos en (contumasia) con Lilia Sanchez y sus hermanas, lo acompañamos con un filete de res al horno de leña y luego unos quesos con sus respectivas mermeladas, excelente vino, hacîa mucho tiempo que no me tomada algo asî. Tiene un aroma exquisito y un color rubî oscuro que me fascina.
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2/20/2009 - bigdogflow wrote: 93 Points
Popped and poured. Huge dark fruit nose with a velvety taste of blackberry and a hint of tobacco. Wonderful!!!
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2/14/2009 - EatWine wrote: 94 Points
Decanted 3+ hours. Fairly restrained nose, bright red fruits and a touch of menthol. Wonderfully balanced on the palate. Red currant, chocolate, and a little fig. Soooo good. This is fantastic now, but as Insignia almost always does, it will get better towards 10+ years.
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2/14/2009 - texaswino wrote: 95 Points
It's been a while since I've had an Insignia, almost forgot how much I like this wine. drinking very nicely now after about an hour or so decant. A wonderful Meritage wine with a nose of brown sugar, plums and vanilla oak. Lovely smooth palate of plum, chocolate, currants and fine grained tannins that envelope the long finish. Reminds me a little of the 97. I wish I had a few more of these to enjoy over the next 5-10 years.
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2/13/2009 - dmoritz wrote: 94 Points
Lots of Recent Tastings Notes, Valentines Day, etc - SQN, Maybach, Insignia, Delas, Clape, more; 1/31/2009-2/15/2009: Dinner at home with Flannery strip. Drinking really nicely now at 8 years old. Very polished wine. Tannins have resolved quite a bit. Cassis, vanilla, and some spice on the nose. Solid wine at the moment.
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2/11/2009 - vasnobs wrote:
Wine is at it's prime, nice Meritage blend that has softened tremendously since my first. As a large producer, it's hard to believe this wine holds to the quality level it does, avg. 18k cases a year. Chocolate starting to really push through.
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1/31/2009 - Arcturus wrote: 94 Points
Nose following initial pour showed some heat-> Decanted 3 hours, then fabulous rich layered nose of caramel, cassis, vanilla. Medium weight with seamless integration of fruit & tannin which formed a solid foundation, great structure for the long haul. A cllass act. 94
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1/1/2009 - jivey wrote: 92 Points
New Years 09 - Nice complex nose of currents, cedar, plum and tabbaco. Very nice balance and nice finish.
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12/13/2008 - the godfather wrote: 92 Points
too much oak here for me, I hope it subsides
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11/8/2008 - Arch57 wrote: 94 Points
Excellent wine!!! I bought this 4 years ago with some birthday cash and saved it for my 51st with my wife. Our first Insignia and the last of many 2001 California Cab based wines we enjoyed over the years and as they say "save the best for last". Rich deep color with the thinnest legs on a glass of wine we had ever seen. On the nose black fruits with a touch of hazelnut that was very interesting in a wine. Also some floral notes and hint of rich loam. On the palate a smooth, lingering, seductive finish without any harshness so I think this bottle was at the peak. A pedigree and even more impressive considering the volume of their production. Will save the 99 Insignia for 1 more year.
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11/2/2008 - bflood wrote: 90 Points
Decanted for 2 hrs. Nice dark fruit, currant, cherry nose. More of the same up front but not as decadent as some of the other JPI vintages. Very smooth with medium long finish. I believe this vintage could be losing its edge and should not be held too much longer.
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10/25/2008 - bigdogflow wrote:
Cab Night at the Flowers' House (San Antonio, TX): Very dark color. Big dark fruit nose. Fantastic taste and a very smooth finish. Drinking this wine was like liquid silk. Fantastic! 92-94.
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9/19/2008 - Wino73 wrote:
I GET IT!!! I understand the buzz of Insignia!! I can't describe it because I drank it last month but smooth, delicious, balanced. Ready to drink now!! The best wine I have ever tasted. Try it, it is worth every cent!!! I will be looking for more!! I can't wait to try the 2002. How ever will I be patient?!
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9/1/2008 - sosgoodjhu wrote: 96 Points
huge fruit, pure silk on the palate.
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8/30/2008 - the godfather wrote: 92 Points
super structured, definitely not as good 2002, needs 10 years
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8/30/2008 - JOsgood wrote: 93 Points
The nose was a big WOW and the palate was pure fruit with some tightness on the finish. Still incredible and hedonistic.
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8/6/2008 - Mike V wrote: 92 Points
The restaurant was way too hot, the food was bad this wine was a victim but still was lovely. Don't eat at Spindleshanks at Lake Tahoe, do drink this wine.
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8/2/2008 - g-man wrote: 93 Points
This is still very young but is delicious already. Tanins are still there even on day two but the dark fruit is still bursting through with no signs of oxidation.
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8/2/2008 - Eck wrote: 94 Points
This stuff lives up to the hype. It is wonderful.
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7/16/2008 - Rob MacKay wrote: 93 Points
With the exception of obviously bad vintages overall, I personally only notice very subtle differences between different vintages of Insignia. Some are just a little more fruit forward, some are a little more restrained and some with a little more of a tannic backbone. This bottle was great in all the ways that Insignia is great and no single characteristic really stood out above the rest. Everything was in harmony. Very lush and rich all around. An absolutely excellent wine but is it better then the 99? I am not sure that it is or maybe the 99 is just a little more open and evolved and that made it show a little better. I was surprised at the blend, with 89% Cabernet Sauvignon and just a splash of Petit Verdot and Malbec. No Cab Franc or Merlot in this one.
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7/6/2008 - wineismylife wrote: 94 Points
WIML94
Tasted July 6, 2008 at an offline.
Dark purple color in the glass, clear hue throughout. Tight nose giving way to notes of brown sugar, plums, currants and violets. Flavors of currants, plums, berries and a bit of pepper on the medium to long finish. Medium acidity, firm tannins, full bodied. I'd recommend holding. Despite the nose being slightly tight I'd say this is one of the better bottles of the 2001 Insignia I've had to date. It might be coming around a bit.
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6/1/2008 - jonwill wrote: 93 Points
Opened to celebrate our last Sunday dinner in CA...was initially very closed and had a slightly off smell (was obviously sleeping). Opened after a couple hours in the decanter with dark fruit and subtle oak. Mild upfront fruit with a strong midsection and the lingering finish of cedar, oak, and dark fruits we have come to love from JP. Drinking well now but still has a long life ahead.
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5/25/2008 - JDB wrote: 93 Points
Part of 2000 , 2001 , 2002 mini vertical , my wine of the night , started out quite tight but opened up into a great wine with a finish that went on & on . Has the backbone to stand up for a while but cut thru a slab of prime rib w/ ease . very tasty
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5/25/2008 - Serge Birbrair wrote:
Haven't had this one in a while. Still young, not much secondaries to speak of, let this one sleep for a while. Leads 2002 by a very wide mile.
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5/12/2008 - rloomis wrote: 87 Points
black currant, stewed plum, vanilla, smoky, black grape skin -- very dark, heavy body and concentration, almost too much so, like drinking an extracted cab sauv/cab franc concentrate.
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4/7/2008 - WineForRob wrote: 94 Points
Ive had a couple corked Insignias in a row so I had to try this one to break my streak. this did the trick. Decanted for an hour while we drank another bottle but the nose was of black cherries and cola. Still very big with a firm acidity. Mouthfeel turned soft with more air giving way to the cola maoch dark cherry flavors. Long wonderful finish this is drinking beautifully now but still has plenty of time left.
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4/3/2008 - wineismylife wrote: 91 Points
WIML91-93?
Tasted April 3, 2008. Opened and decanted 2 hours before serving over the next hour. Dark garnet color in the glass, vibrant and attractive hue. Nose of black currants, stewed plums, smoke and white pepper. Flavors of black berries, black cherries and tart berries on the finish. Medium to high acidity, firm tannins, full body. I'd recommend holding for another 5 years myself for what it's worth.
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3/4/2008 - James B wrote: 94 Points
Huge and impressive. The wine is drinkable now. It took quite a bit of time to open up in the decanter, but it obviously has many, many years left in it. Tannins are still quite evident, but not objectionable. Exquisitely balanced. Rich mouth feel. Notes of berries, dark red fruits, leather. Incredible finish.
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3/1/2008 - Phin wrote: 93 Points
Decanted 2 hours. Not the great experience that I had 6 months ago. Fruit and flavor was lacking. Is time catching up to the 01 already? Nowhere near the weight and smoky chocolate of the 04.
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2/15/2008 - mangell wrote: 90 Points
Deep aromas of blueberries and leather when first opened. However, the flavor profile was a bit lacking. Expected much more fruit. Seemed a bit thin, but still well balanced.
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1/1/2008 - DLT wrote: flawed
Not a corked odor or taste, but totally dead.
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12/25/2007 - PeterH wrote: 94 Points
Really good bottle of Calif cabernet. Good with steak...
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12/25/2007 - davidandrose wrote: 93 Points
From .375: Decanted 2 hours, consumed over the following 4 hours. Nice red fruit on the nose. Well-integrated blackberry flavors, with tobacco, some faint oak and an alcohol burn. Towards the end of the 4 hour drinking window the alcohol had virtually disappeared, and the wine became far better-balanced. This was tasted alongside a .375 of the 2001 Montelena Estate, and was a better wine overall, with more complexity and a noticeable CaliCab profile, where the Monty was a little "flatter" and more bordeaux-like.
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12/25/2007 - JJA wrote: 92 Points
A nice wine, but no contest against the 2001 Serpico Dei Feudi Di San Gregorio which we had on the same night.
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12/17/2007 - Nanda wrote: 96 Points
Grand Jury Chicagoan - 2001 Cab Merlot (Restaurant Michael): Rich fruit-forward aromas of chocolate covered cherries and vanilla leap from the glass. It seems very Foley-esque on the effusive nose. Palate has forward rich fruits with big tannins that are coming through and offering balance. Clear group favorite in the flight, with consensus that this was California. Many thought it was the Pride Reserve. This was the #2 WOTN for the group. In my top 5 for sure. 95 – 97 points
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11/23/2007 - drycab wrote: 96 Points
This wine was consumed with Thanksgiving dinner and was decanted for over 3 hours before it was drunk.
WOW, what a change. The last time I tried this I almost gave away my last 2 bottles. It was closed down and almost like red water. What a difference a little bottle age can do! Big black fruits, really fine integrated tannins, a lingering taste of almost a minute or more. Just an awesome example of a great Californis Cabernet blend.
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11/17/2007 - wineismylife wrote: 93 Points
WIML93
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10/13/2007 - Dave Dalluge wrote: 92 Points
Thirty Years of Phelps Insignia (1974 through 2004): A husky nose featuring dark fruit and oak. The taste is syrupy with concentrated fruit, oak and vanilla. Needs lot of time.
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10/13/2007 - Siggy wrote:
Insignia Vertical Tasting 1974-2004 (WA Frost, St. Paul): Brooding black fruit, coffee/espresso, and soy. Hugely concentrated and intense. Sweet. Very backward and primal. Seems incredibly promising.
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10/8/2007 - bmarshall wrote: 94 Points
Terrific magnum enjoy by all at the Doherty's 25th anniversary dinner with grilled filet mignon. Fantastic refined nose of cigar box/cedar, black currants, and some spice. Silky smooth on the palate with perfectly integrated tannins with tons of blackberry fruit, caramel and vanilla. Superb 30+ second finish. Seems to be drinking very well now, but should continue to age for several years.
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10/1/2007 - dream wrote: 93 Points
A very rich wine at this point loaded with spicy, plummy fruit. Quite large-scaled but definitely not over the top and it holds its alcohol well. The tannins are big but smooth and the wine possesses great grip and balance despite its size. A gorgeous Insignia in the making from by far the best Napa vintage of the new century. Should be perfect in another 2-3 years. 93+
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9/24/2007 - juggernt wrote: 94 Points
Wonderful. What a cab should be. Dark fruit, espresso and chocolate. Great mouthfeel.
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9/23/2007 - Asmo wrote: 93 Points
Opened a bottle today -- it's been a year since the last tasting and o what a difference a year makes. can really pick up the vanilla scent and the tannins had also mellowed. still has a load of fruit and probably a few more years to go to fully evolve but this wine drinks well right now. MmMmm.
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9/22/2007 - napaJ6 wrote: 96 Points
One of the top wines I have ever had! This was the WOTN for me among 3 other blockbusters, not to mention one of the best meals of my life at Blackbird. '99 Fisher Wedding, '04 Buccella, and '03 Lewis Cellars. The balance of this wine was almost perfect, and the oak has integrated so well without overpowering the fruit. The finish was as smooth as gelato from Florence on a hot day and as soft as the Venison we had that night. Can't wait to drink more Insignia!
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9/22/2007 - Phin wrote: 95 Points
Decanted 2 hours. Stellar balance on all components. Even and great finish.
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9/16/2007 - cmr wrote: 92 Points
Really nice bottle, everything in balance with great body and structure.
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9/1/2007 - Johann Von Mastiff wrote: 90 Points
A really good bottle of wine but not a great Insignia. It all there, but the wine lacked some pizzaz.
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8/25/2007 - PerfectVintage wrote: 92 Points
Opened, decanted & consumed over two hour period. Medium ruby color just beginning to show appropriate hints of fading at the rim. Nice somewhat muted aromas of dark currant & cedar. The acid tannin balance makes for great food pairing. Initially this was quite tight & showed only hints of dark berries & some oak on the palate. Great mouth feel during the entire time and while it did open up after 1hr to reveal more dark cherry & blackberry flavors, never seemed to evolve or expand it's profile. Still young and plenty of years ahead but not displaying the level of complexity typical of previous vintages at this stage of evolution.
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7/28/2007 - MarkC wrote: 95 Points
Surprisingly ripe, supple, rounded, and full of fruit for this wine given the vintage and the relatively young age. Cedar and fruit on the nose. A bit of vanilla on the attack, followed by blackberry, kirsch, hints of licorice. Soft, velvety mouthfeel. Tannins seem almost too soft and well-integrated for the age, but it did not keep this from being incredibly tasty. Given the evolution, I'd say to consume this over the next 3-4 years.
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7/26/2007 - mattiasjansson wrote: 89 Points
Dinner w/ Roy Piper (Backstreet Wine Salon, Phoenix, AZ): Medium-bodied. Ok - typical Napa cab. Lacking complexity.
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7/14/2007 - skm95t wrote: 95 Points
Probally the best wine I've had in my short drinking career. Drank for dinner with GOLV, dinner consisted of grilled rib-eye, grilled corn, and parmesan rosemary twice baked potaotes. Decanted about 45 minutes.
Very well made with typical California Cab aromas of blackberry, vanilla, cedar complimented by hints of chocolate and a little meatyness. Integrated flavors abound with smooth tannins and wonderful balance throughout the mid-palate all the way through a minute plus finish. This wine is perfect right now.
The butteryness of the rib-eye and Insignia was one of the best food pairings I've ever had.
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7/14/2007 - good old ludwig van wrote: 95 Points
Decanted for about an hour, per recommendations of other CT reviewers. Nose was rich and perfumed: boysenberry syrup was the first thing that hit me, and at different points in the evening I got caramel, blackberry, and oak.
The feel of this wine in the mouth was wonderful, and to me is one of the things that shows its pedigree. Perfectly integrated tannins--while this may have a lot of life left, I don't see that it will get any better than it is now. It is great.
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5/17/2007 - Paul Lin wrote: 93 Points
Opened and decanted for dinner at Social Hollywood. Aromas of dried cherries and cranberries, cocoa powder, black truffles, and just hint of cedar. On the palate, this wine starts off very silky with dark cherry, loamy earth, and herbs. The judicious use of oak has been fully integrated. With food -- I had the Filet Mignon with Lobster Bordelaise -- the acidity kicks in and helps to cut through the richness of the dish. Although the finish was initially on the short side, it did actually seem to become more protracted with time in the glass. By the end of the meal, about 2+ hours later, the wine was still very vibrant and textured and was showing absolutely no sign of fading. Although it is drinking very well right now, and has shed nearly all of its baby fat, it is still IMO very much a youngster. I will probably wait another year before even thinking about opening another one. 92-93 points. P.S. LB was much less impressed with this wine, but then again, she's a tough cookie when it comes to cab-based wines. I guess that's what happens when you are weaned on Shafer HSS.
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4/28/2007 - the godfather wrote: 92 Points
Beautiful Color. Nice sweet oak and berry on the nose, but th oak was showing way too much in the mouth.
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4/16/2007 - SteveHoch wrote: 97 Points
This bottle was beautiful. Outstanding fruit, great balance a young puppy that has plenty of life. Got better and better in the glass.
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4/14/2007 - Brett wrote: 95 Points
Bottle number three from this case. Simply great!
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4/6/2007 - Alekos wrote: 90 Points
A textbook Cab. Very smooth and buttery, perfectly balanced. Lots of cloves, blackberries and oak. Delicious.
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4/1/2007 - vintage72 wrote: 90 Points
This never really opened up into any special. Second bottle with same notes. I can find the same enjoyment out of a $30 cab. Maybe in a dumb stage. Drank with Heather and Mark with Rib Eye Roast.
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3/29/2007 - jmd60611 wrote: 93 Points
Drank at Peter Lugers over 2 hours...Deep, rich purple with a fruit forward lush Insignia presentation...Drinking very well for an 01 right now, still might/should improve with more bottle age...Smooth and primary with a long finish
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3/24/2007 - Hillbilly wrote: 96 Points
Been about a year since I had one. Great wine. Rich and deep. Decanted for one hour and followed for another 2. I thought at about 2.5 hours it actually tightened up and showed more espresso type oak notes. Next bottle, I'll stick to an hour decant and serve. Intense cassis with a minor blue and blackberry role. Has some chocolate covered espresso beans as well. Supple smooth rich low acid mouthfeel. A big wine, but luxurious. 96 pts.
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2/15/2007 - MRichman wrote:
Valentine's Magnum Massacre (Triomphe, NYC): Very nice. Rich, but somewhat restrained. Sweet tannins. Strawberry with a coffee core. Nice complexity. Somewhat high toned
A-
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2/14/2007 - Cellared wrote: 94 Points
great bottle ,decant for at least an hour and enjoy. loads of cassis and sweet chocolate on the nose. dark fruit and chocolate.This has 20 more years of solid drinking.
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2/12/2007 - Vino Me wrote: flawed
Pinot Envy had a bottle of this opened at her home when we visited last weekend. It had been open for a few days. Dark inky red color. A smokey nose. Dry tannins. Little fruit. Over all the wine seemed tired and oxidized from being open so long. No score.
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2/11/2007 - Afrazer wrote: 91 Points
This wine was paired with a standing rib roast, garlic mashed potatoes, and saute bok choy. The wine was decanted for 4 - 5 hours. A solid cabernet with good complexity and flavor. The tannins were still quite present but were beginning to soften with the decanting. Unfortunately, this bottle was over shadowed by a 2001 Dunn H.M.
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12/28/2006 - Stirling wrote: 97 Points
Beautiful inky black, deep and rich with not even a hint of fading at the rim. The nose is pure creme de cassis; an utterly delicious combination of currant, spice, vanilla and other scents greets your nose long before it is close to the glass. Still young and primary, this wine coats my palate with berries and vanilla in a thick, rich layer. Tannin and acidity present and in need of a bit more integration. The finish goes on and on! This wine will only get better with time. Would love to re-visit this beuaty in 5 or 10 years. Could be as good as the '97. www.advinetures.ca
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12/26/2006 - CMCLR wrote: 91 Points
Not as much fruit or structure as I'm used to with Insignia. Very good balance.
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12/25/2006 - sbeeks wrote: 90 Points
Christmas dinner at Ron and Christina's. Pretty flat experience. Not a lot of fruit. A bit thin, compared to other Insignia I have had in the past, especially the 1994 and 1997. Hopefully this will get better with age.
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12/23/2006 - Winetex wrote: flawed
Corked; Purchased from Premier Cru.
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12/23/2006 - burgcamel wrote: 95 Points
Very nice Insignia with some real potential. Well balanced but still too young. It did improve over a couple of hours but I will wait at least another year before I try again. Rich fruit with classic dark berry flavor. Accessible now but should improve from here.
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12/22/2006 - drycab wrote: 90 Points
Improved with open time but just not as intense as the other Insignias I've tasted. Just kind of thin.
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11/27/2006 - mmyette wrote: 91 Points
Very good, not as long nor as complex as the 02 but the softness, balance, and rush of fruit common to insignia is present. An excellent effort.
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11/25/2006 - brianofthevine wrote: 94 Points
Still holding strong with big, bold, and meaty black fruits and firm tannins.
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11/25/2006 - NathanJM wrote: 96 Points
Amazing. Black chery, blackberry, annis, mint, graphite, vanilla, possibly a little garlic or white pepper. Extremely well-blananced in every way and fantastically crafted balance between fruit and bouquet. Velvety tannins. A wine everyone can enjoy, and perhaps my new 'ideal' cabernet.
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11/24/2006 - Brett wrote: 94 Points
My wife and I shared this bottle on Thanksgiving...what a great choice! Just what you would expect from Phelps!
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11/19/2006 - redpine42 wrote: 95 Points
5 year vertical blind tasting. This was the only one I got right. Picked up the silkyness and full body that was a dead giveaway as to what wine.
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11/14/2006 - drcbarroso wrote: 94 Points
Had as part of a birthday dinner with friends next to an 03 David Arthur Elevation. Stunning wine. Very concentrated, nose of cassis and oak. Wonderful on the palate. This is an incredibly well-balanced wine with a very long finish.
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10/30/2006 - bubbachumps wrote: 94 Points
Great bottle of wine, took some time to open up (decanted 2 hours). Still very tight. Very rich with intensity of fruit, but restrained. I had this next to the 2002 and the 2002 had much more open personality. Both wines had incredible purity of fruit, classic Insignia silkiness. The 2002 had the 2001 by a nose.
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10/20/2006 - jrushin wrote: 95 Points
Fantastic! Got better as dinner went on. This is what a $100 bottle of wine should taste like!
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10/14/2006 - wineismylife wrote: 91 Points
win's 40th Birthday Party (win's house in The Colony, TX): WIML91,WA95,WS90
Tasted October 14, 2006 at win’s 40th birthday party. Served blind in a Riedel restaurant series Bordeaux wine glass. Bag labeled as “Mustang”. Purple color in the glass, clear hue throughout. Nose of violets, incense and a touch of balsalmic (maybe from the previous wine?). Flavors of blackberries, currants and maybe some licorice? Medium acidity, firm tannins and medium body. Seems young. Hold. No guess on the wine.
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10/4/2006 - JDB wrote: 93 Points
With plenty of air it is a winner.
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9/20/2006 - Dave Dalluge wrote: 92 Points
Dinner with Steve Sigmund and Jeff Samuelson (Insignia and Pavie): Popped and poured. Definitely should have been decanted in advance. The color is an opaque red trending towards purple with no lightening at the rim. The dominant smell is dark fruit. You could name other aromas with some coaxing, but really they are dominated by the fruit at this point. On the palate this is concentrated -- almost syrupy -- giving more sweet dark fruit and a touch of vanilla. This is still very tannic, but finishes nicely with good concentrated fruit. Has all the raw materials to develop into a special bottle of wine, but needs a few more years at least.
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9/20/2006 - Siggy wrote: 92 Points
Dinner @ Restaurant Alma. Popped and poured; tasted side-by-side with a 94 Insignia and 98 Pavie. This was my bottle, and I probably should have decanted it several hours beforehand. There is a great core of black fruit here, but the dominant impression was of sweet brown sugar. Closed down immediately after pouring and never really opened back up. The mouthfeel is very supple, and there is a lot of tannin on the finish. Excellent wine that clearly needs more time to integrate.
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8/29/2006 - gildedwon wrote: 96 Points
WOW!....Yummie....Opened @ Flemings for dinner. Review by TOPPER hits it on the button. Liquid velvet.
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7/5/2006 - Topper wrote: 96 Points
Opened my first of 6 '01s and it's easy to see what the fuss is about. Completely delicious on the first day and even better on the second. The nose and flavor profile of this wine have been very nicely described by other CTs but what is special about this wine, and so many other great ones, is the way it feels in the mouth; the combination of great concentration with a velvety or glycerin-like texture. Just makes you want to drink more. Appeals to pros and novices alike. If you have more than one, it's definitely time to start drinking them.
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7/4/2006 - zinslurpie wrote: 93 Points
Wow, in a word. Tastes young and tight, with a lot of promise. Won't open next bottle for another year.
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6/28/2006 - Brett wrote: 95 Points
Simply out of this world. This was my first tasting of a case and it did not dissapoint. Wait another year or so for the next tasting.
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6/21/2006 - wineismylife wrote: 93 Points
WIML93,WA95,WS90
Tasted June 21, 2006 at LaSalle Grill in South Bend, IN. Purchased from the restaurant wine list for $240.00 a bottle. Opened and decanted about 1 hour before serving in a Cabernet Sauvignon glass. Also glass decanted during this same period. Attractive purple color in the glass, clear hue throughout. Nose of dark fruits such as currants and plums along with some nice chocolate notes. Palate was still a little tight giving way to some notes of black cherries and black berries. Rounded tannins with fresh acidity. Medium to full bodied. Opened too soon. I’d recommend holding another year or two before trying again. Downgrading my previous score of 94 points to 93 points. Based in the advance price from the winery of $90.00 a bottle (I also have this wine in the cellar) I’d say the value is still recommended but I must admit I’m beginning to waffle at that price point.
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6/10/2006 - Double D wrote: 95 Points
This still has years to go but is like a classic already. At first a little hot but within 30 minutes everthing seems in balance. A joy to drink and to have a few more for the future. You don't have to swirl or even get you nose close to the glass to get the beautiful aroma.
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6/8/2006 - Cheryl wrote:
Yes. Smells beautiful. 89 cab, 8 PB, 3 malbec
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6/8/2006 - bsherwin wrote:
Cab Lovers of NYC Insignia Vertical (Zoe): Tightly wound beast, this is wonderfully put together and could eventually be the best of the lot. Densely packed fruit (plum, blackberry, sour cherry) with notes of cedar, leather and mint. Great balance-powerful but elegant. Long finish. It should be cellared now to let the tannins resolve but this is a great wine. Tied for WOTF.
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5/27/2006 - davidandrose wrote: 92 Points
Decanted 2 hrs prior to dinner. Nice black fruits on the nose, with clove and other spices, with the fruit continuing on the palate. Very fine tanins early in the drinking period, but they dissipated about an hour into dinner. Smooth and refined. Not sure its worth the pricetag, but very enjoyable.
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5/22/2006 - jal wrote: 91 Points
Quite vibrant and opulent but structure is a bit lacking.
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5/18/2006 - AllRed wrote: 95 Points
Decanted for about 3 hours. Deep garnet color. Plum, cedar, blackberry, cherry and mint aromas. A powerful wine for sure, but there's an elegance to this wine as well. Plush and rich, with abundant dark fruit flavors lasting throughout the long finish. Plenty of structure, but more than enough fruit to balance this out.
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5/14/2006 - cousteau wrote:
It was around 85 degrees outside where we were tasting it at the winery. We had already tasted more than 20 wines at that morning and this one still stood out. I would guess (the conditions were not at all ok to get a grip on scoring) definitely over 90 points.
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5/13/2006 - DaveArsenault wrote: 93 Points
Wow. Need to save my last one for a few more years or get some more. It's great right now, but thinking it may get even better. Lush.
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5/10/2006 - mmyette wrote: 92 Points
Delicious, pales only in comparison to the 2002. Velvety tannin structure, complex layers of blackberry, rhubarb, white pepper, and vanilla oak. Long finish. Well done. many years of legs left.
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4/28/2006 - DRL01 wrote: 94 Points
Insignia is always a solid bottle. As much as I always like them, I find them just short of extraordinary. Tons of dark fruit. Plums, blackberry, a touch of vanilla, and an undertone of licorice which stayed with it all night. Drinking very well right now. Will definitely age nicely.
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4/26/2006 - Hillbilly wrote: 96 Points
WOW! This drank beautifully. Obviously will benefit from more time, but still offers rich,dense packed pleasure now.
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4/20/2006 - Cilantro wrote: 96 Points
Decanted 45 min. Had this at Ruth's Chris with the Porterhouse, medium. Simply awesome! Liquid velvet texture, clean full port-like flavors but not too sweet. The 2001 and 2002 Insignias are quite a pair!
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4/1/2006 - pwarms wrote: 94 Points
Wonderful. Paired well with grilled pork tenderloin. Incredible, complex blend of flavors. Better than the Flora Springs Trilogy, which was excellent, but is it worth 3x's the price?
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3/24/2006 - hcampana wrote: 95 Points
2001 California Cabernet tasting (Montelena, Insignia, Pride, Paloma, Neal, etc.) (San Marcos, Texas): As fate would have it, this was the last wine in the flight and what an ending it provided! Deep dark ruby with an intense nose of roasted coffee, yummy blackberries and spice. This wine was soooo good, with layers upon layers of flavors, filling the mid palate with fruitful intensity. This wine is so balanced and in harmony with the alcohol, tannin, fruit and acidity all in check. Full bodied, low acid wine has very ripe tannin and a long, intense finish made this my, and most tasters', choice for wine of the night! I correctly guessed it was the Insignia.
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2/19/2006 - amax wrote: 94 Points
A superior wine; lots of dark berries, very smooth. The compliments from other reviewers were well deserved. I wish I had another bottle!
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2/17/2006 - 97mjr wrote:
[burgers] last taste in Oct was great but more closed down then 2 previous encounters will hold the remaining for >1 year, but if only 1 would hold til 2009
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1/22/2006 - Dteng wrote: 92 Points
Hmmm...cedar, vanilla, oak and licorice jump from the glass. Concentrated, but not entirely focused...I might even say a little disjointed. Sweet and ripe, full bodied, but tannic. Right from the bottle I first thought Right Bank, but that changed quickly. Cocoa powder and again oak. This has the makings of an excellent wine, but the oak needs to integrate and the tannin needs to soften. Still enjoyable today, but not mindblowing. Give it plenty of time...at least 7 years.
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1/7/2006 - ml wrote:
Nice, but seems closed down right now. There isn't much of a nose, and it seems more tannic than I would expect. Will see again in perhaps five years.
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1/1/2006 - Cilantro wrote: 95 Points
Wow! Big, bold, but balanced. Great stuff, will last for many more years.
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12/31/2005 - psmith wrote: 91 Points
Deep black cherry and cassis Cabernet notes. Weighty and pure, with good balance throughout and classically structured grainy tannins. Some minty notes. Noticeable chocolate oak and a youthful astringency on the finish.
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12/25/2005 - win wrote: 93 Points
Had with Dad. Tannins were ever present, but still had a smooth finish. Good fruit, but not a ton--hints of black currant (I still think that the 1997 was a bit more complex). Suggest giving it only 10-30 minutes of time before consuming.
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12/18/2005 - fjs wrote: 92 Points
WS 90
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12/15/2005 - Blair Curtis wrote: 95 Points
2001 Cults (Plus some extras) from Delyap & Tommy 'O (Vancouver): Boy I enjoyed this wine. Pure cassis cabernet nose. A little sous bois. Smooth mouthfeel. A touch of green pepper. Nice wine...no, excellent wine. Bordeaux-like. Could there be some cabernet franc in this? The group rated this 7th out of 13.
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12/14/2005 - luko wrote:
Still fairly tight and young. Was just starting to open up by last half glass. Good potential though.
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12/8/2005 - Burgundy Al wrote: 90 Points
Phelps Insignia Vertical 15+ Years: Vertical tasting. Not my favorite vs. others in the group. Lots of good fruit but this was the one vintage that came across as somewhat manipulated to me, and came across as a bit oaky, which (to me) his what seemed to be wonderful fruit with great acidity. I think this just needs time for the oak to integrate so I hope to try again 2010 or later - i think there's something I will find very exciting.
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12/6/2005 - Buyer and cellar wrote: 94 Points
It's been a wicked few weeks at the office and today my boss stepped down. I called my wife and had her uncork a bottle of 01 Insignia to have it ready to drink when I got home. Lots of black cherry and dark fruit flavor packed in this wine. Subdued notes of chocolate and black licorice. Really accessible, round tannins on the palate...Drinking super well right now....
More than posting a tasting note, I wanted to say thanks to this board. Over the last few weeks when the days at the office have been long, challenging and uncertain, turning to wine and the love of my family, reading the posts on this bb and focusing on my collection has been a great distraction from the bitter reality of the real world.
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12/6/2005 - Buyer and cellar wrote: 94 Points
It's been a wicked few weeks at the office and today my boss stepped down. I called my wife and had her uncork a bottle of 01 Insignia to have it ready to drink when I got home. Lots of black cherry and dark fruit flavor packed in this wine. Subdued notes of chocolate and black licorice. Really accessible, round tannins on the palate...Drinking super well right now....
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11/27/2005 - SeaBud wrote: 94 Points
With decanting for longer, might have been a 95/96. Well balanced wine with blueberries and dark fruit offset byfirm tannins. Strong dose of cassis along with integrated oak.
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11/14/2005 - rourkem wrote: 94 Points
Not as good a bottle as the last one. I'm blaming BevMo.
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10/8/2005 - rourkem wrote: 96 Points
Awesome. Got better and better with air.
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8/27/2005 - JJA wrote: 95 Points
Tasted at the Gross's party. Thoroughly enjoyed this wine. Wonderful nose, creamy, full-bodied. Big California Cab at its best and a great value for the price. Repurchase.
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7/2/2005 - davidandrose wrote: 93 Points
375 Bottle. Decanted for 90mins. Deep coloring, soft but expressive aromas of ripe black fruits, maybe some coffee. Thinner than expected but drinking extraordinarily well at the moment, particularly as the decant time lingers on. Watery-blackberry flavors dont' seem "over the top" and structure is extremely well-balanced. Granted it's a split, but it has me wondering if this will age as long as most say. Continue to follow over the coming 2 years.
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6/13/2005 - Koods wrote:
Its funny, every time i've had this wine it gets that much better. Yet, not unlike most treasures, I can't keep my hands off it. This wine is sweet, dense and concentrated, has about as much stuffing as i've seen, yet offers such immediate gratification. Blackberry, tons of milk chocolate, eucalyptus, almost confectionary, this is about as sexy a cab one can find in my opinion. Creamy expresso and sultry vanilla give way to a lengthy finish. Just awesome.
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6/3/2005 - brianofthevine wrote: 93 Points
Big, rich, and creamy with dark fruits, big tannins.
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5/21/2005 - Eric wrote: 93 Points
The Mother of All Cult-Cab Tastings 2001 (TMOACCT) (Seattle, WA): A little green on the nose and nicely tinged with cedar. The palate is oaky but very nice, sweet, round, with a spicy edge.
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3/6/2005 - 97mjr wrote: 92 Points
[LBK: steak, portos, tomatoes] Initially felt tight and extracted. The nose was great with ripe, lush fruit, smoke and some mint; smelled like Napa; on the palate, menthol, smoke, and tannins. Over 3 hours, settled down with cassis, smoke, mint, minerals, and big tannins. By the 5 hour mark, the tannins and menthol qualities felt more in balance. Overall though it lacks balance, it may be better than the ’97. Look forward to sampling over the next 5-7 years.
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2/13/2005 - Davisjl wrote: 89 Points
Wow this wine is young. It needs a lot of time. If you want to drink it now, decant it for at least 1 hour and it's better after 2. Great Aromas of Cherry and chocolate. Wine finishes long with a strong oak and heavy tannin. I'll give it another 5 years before I try again.
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11/8/2004 - Vino Me wrote: 93 Points
It was really closed when it was poured since the bottle was not decanted. I let it sit in my glass for about 45 minutes while I tried the other wines being poured. It opened a little more but not much. I'm sure the richness and complexity of this wine will come out with time. Rather tannic and closed now. Medium to full bodied. I believe this wine will end up being superior to either the 1999 or 2000 Insignia's. It is on par with the 1991 Insignia but not as good as the 1997. 92-93+ points.
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11/1/2004 - winefool wrote: 93 Points
Electric red. Subdued aroma. Rich black fruit with nice balance. 11/04
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10/26/2004 - Spencer wrote: 97 Points
Farmington Wine Class - 2001 California Cab Tasting. Now this is what I'm looking for in a California cab! Saturated inky black color. Deep, compelling nose, full of sappy dark fruit, cassis, coffee, mint, and cedar. Brooding and tight, but still expressive, and should just get better with time. A bit closed right now on the palate, but deep, with loads of dark fruit, chocolate, and blueberry syrup. Impeccable balance, and a long, long finish. Ths wine improved even as it sat in the glass. I'm not sure how much it's going to evolve, but it should certainly improve with age as it opens up and becomes more accessible. Not cheap, but still well worth buying.
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10/26/2004 - NeuroDoc wrote: 92 Points
Definite nose of cassis, dark berry and earth. I got the nose, plus a mouthful of Malbec flavor. Complex blend, but softly tannic. Not clear it will develop over time. Less overall similar to the 97 and 99 vintages. 01 Darioush tasted at the same time by our group was the clear winner. More tannic, depth and complexity.
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5/7/2004 - brianofthevine wrote: 93 Points
Red/black cherry with a dusty earthy core. Long finish, smooth tannins.
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5/4/2004 - Double-A wrote:
Concentrated, currant/cassis, vanilla, smoke, chestnut and chocolate nose. Full and firm with good fruit and dense tannins; long, smoky currant finish. 14.1 % abv
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4/17/2004 - Jason wrote: 94 Points
Tom brought this for us to enjoy, as it is not yet released. The nose shows caramel, vanilla, oak, and blackberries. Hopefully with time the oak will soften and let the fruit shine. The palate is fairly soft with a velvety mouthfeel. Overall it is softer than the 99 but in perfect balance.
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4/17/2004 - Eric wrote: 96 Points
Seattle Tasting Group does 22 years of Phelps Insignia (Bellevue, WA, USA): Oh my God! The cassis, mineral and earth here are amazing. There is so much depth to the nose. On the palate this is vibrant and structured, very complex and expressive for such a young wine, surprisingly approachable. This is going to be a legend, perhaps the finest Insignia ever.
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