A bit better preserved than my last one. Love the damp earth running underneath the cassis and dusky berry notes. Well integrated and long complex finish.
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Rich, full-bodied, jammy and a lot younger tasting than the year on the label would suggest. But enough about my ex wife! Ha!
Nose: a hint of cedar, mixed with an ever-so-slight note of eucalyptus. Some mushroom-like funkiness and a candied fruit, reminiscent of a well-balanced, aged fine or grand champagne cognac.
Palate: This wine is phenomenal. Cedar, fruit juice, the slightest hint of warm citrus, and definitely notes of tobacco. Am I tasting faint echoes of bubble gum?
Finish: Smooth as silk after it envelopes the palate on the initial entry. Brief, yet memorable, like my first marriage.
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Very dark, opaque red. Dense. Nose of bell pepper, licorice. My husband gets a floral nose with charcoal and toast. Silky smooth mouth feel. Some bell pepper. Very rich flavor. Still has some tannins. I get some metal, stewed vegetables, after 5 hours. We had it open 3 hours before we tired it. It continued to open up all evening. Went great with steak in garlic butter.
1997 Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon Retrospective (Omaha, NE): Presented single-blind; no formal notes. This had a really compelling mix of fruit and non-fruit notes; multifaceted, balanced. Superb structure. Bordeaux-like. Called this “Insignia”. This was my favorite of the flight and the most complete wine in the line-up. Drinking well now and should hold that way well through 2027.
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Opened for the Bordeaux Wine Enthusiasts convention in D.C. 2023. In Magnum. Lovely wine. Full bodied, lots of layers. Floral nose. Dark blackberry notes and long finish of cedar.
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Drank in St. Augustine at The Collage restaurant. Had with Australian lamb chops. Beautiful nose of dark fruits, anise and hints of tobacco. On the tongue, just silky smooth with a long finish. One of my favorite wines of all time.
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Judgement of Eagan (Jason P's, St. Paul, MN): Very dark red/puple color. 30 minutes double decant. Drank a glass plus over 90 minutes. I was hopeful for this, but also worried it might be too much. Well, it wasn't too much, while it simply soared in the glass. Ripe, beautiful, dark fruit of the forest profile, gorgeous, black and purple fruits; blackberry, mulberry, creme de cassis, menthol, tar and graphite on the nose. Wow, just singing. The palate is giving, wonderfully velvety on the palate, full and layered, impressive in the density, yet light on its feet for the intensity; blackberry, prominent black raspberry, boysenberry, rich and layered, menthol, violets, so polished on the tannins and crazy long. This was riveting. I've had so many of the cult Napa cabs by certain winemakers that really come off over the top and seem to have no soul or balance, but this was nothing like that. Complex, balanced, yes, clearly Nape fruit, but everything fit together beautifully. This topped a very good '83 Haut Brion for me and in the group vote 5-3. 96+ to 97pts.
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P: Well integrated fruits with earth, easily glides across the palate. Still tons of fruit but almost too much.
Great integration and quite smooth. I’m sure that if I had this Insignia on its own, it would’ve been great. But having it next to the Haut-Brion, this came off as too much with the abundance of fruit this had.
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Judgement of Eagan Wine Tasting (Jason's House): This wine was pitted against a 1983 Haut Brion....a very tough challenge! The group was divided, but this wine came out on top, barely! For me, it was no contest, even though the Haut Brion was drinking quite well, and of course, has the pedigree! I know when it comes to older bottles, bottle variation can play a major role, but I must say, both this and the Haut Brion came across as pristine bottles. I can honestly say that this was not only the best Insignia I have tasted, but one of the best wines, period, I have tasted!
The nuts and bolts: The nose was equal to the Haut Brion, showing some perfumed notes, earthy notes, old leather, some dark fruit and some spice. On the palate, this showed plenty of dark fruit with silky tannins, and perfect balanced with tertiary notes of earth, leather, tobacco and baking spices with hints of anise, tar and toasty oak. For my palate, this wine is in the zone where the fruit and tertiary flavors share the stage! I can't imagine this wine getting better, or it being better younger...it is in a perfect place right now....I just others have as much luck with their bottles! Solid 97 for me (and 98 is my benchmark for reds) My WOTN!
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Judgement of Eagan (Jason's house): 30 minute decant, drank a small glass over about 1.5 hours. Gushy purpley fruit, baking spice, kind of big (at least next to 1993 Haut Brion, although that wasn't shy either) and slightly modern in style, but these age very well and I think this has at least 5 years before it starts to fall off.
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I agree with some of the other remarks, I think it's starting to fade. That said it was totally enjoyable. It has vibrant fruit but leaning towards balsamic. The acidity is there to help it along and still goes well with a ribeye steak. It's smooth with a nice finish. I wouldn't wait a whole lot longer to drink. If I had more I would be drinking them this year or next
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Last bottle of case😪😪 no decant, PNP. Silky tannins, red fruits, leather and light tobacco. Excellent balan e and smooth finish. Oh how I wish I had a couple more..outstanding
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1997 - great vintage. I decided to not decant which I believe was the right choice. Consumed without food.
Initial aromas of port but kept evolving over time. Very intriguing and interesting experience. Brown on the edges. Smooth tannins, deeps flavors of figs, plums and raisins. After a while, some earthy flavors came out. The fruit is still present and a bit of freshness on the finish was a pleasant surprise given the boldness and age on this one.
Good balance for a Napa Cab. Would definitely like to drink another one although I wouldn't wait too much if I had any bottle left.
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Much better than the previous bottle. Brown only at the edge, garnet throughout. Silky smooth, clean, mature California Cabernet showing great balance with earthy flavors, subtle cherry. A delight to drink.
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Brown throughout. Tastes like a port initially. Past it’s prime. An aroma of Madeira blows off with a few minutes in the glass. Full bodied and rich, a smooth mouthfeel, but the fruit is falling away. It is now in a fully mature state. Enjoy your magnums and drink up the 750s. 90 points.
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Today would have been my father’s 80th birthday. Pulled this bottle from his cellar for a quiet memorial dinner. There has been a conventional belief that 1997 was the vintage where Napa went to the dark side. After sampling numerous 1997s over the last few months I have to disagree with that. 1997 was an excellent vintage that set in motion changes that were made in attempts to emulate it, and that’s where things went wrong. 1998-2000 were not years for big and balanced. Attempts to achieve that led to the blueberry milkshake excesses of the early to mid 2000s. This wine had excellent balance, with still prominent black fruit, as well as silky palate presence and emerging tobacco and earthy notes. There was sufficient structure for balance, but it was easily ignored, like a good referee - necessary but unobtrusive. My mom and I both loved the wine, though it would have been better shared by three.
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Seriously? Dose anyone really need to write a review open this? Enough said. All around Insignia perfection. I do wonder how the newer wines will do under the new ownership.
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from magnum, in a perfect spot. the hard edges are softened into a velvety, beautiful, complex mouthful....blackberry, dark cherry, Asian spices, earth, and licorice. very clean
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Phenomenal bottle that has traveled across six homes since purchase on release. Drinking great right now. I don't see any reason to believe it will further improve from here, but it probably has another 5 years before real decline. Great time to enjoy it if you haven't already.
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My wife and I had a bottle three years ago. We said it was the best bottle of wine either of us had ever had. We drank this bottle this weekend. It has the color in the glass of a 10 year old. The nose screams 25 year old. We drank over the course of three hours, from the bottle. The first glass was as good as the last. Never faded one bit. If there is better wine out there, I can't imagine it. This is the first bottle of wine I've ever given a 100 point score (and I've only ever rated a dozen over 95 points). I can see it lasting for years to come, but again, it's so good now. Why wait? Also, the cork was impeccable and looked like it was in a two year old bottle. Bottle was stored in climate controlled cellar since it was available to the market.
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Definitely not at peak. I would say there is still 5-10 years left. Great deep garnet color. Not a lot of legs. Silky tannins. Still had the fresh fruit of a younger wine but the back notes suggest an older mature wine. May have lost some of the Cab spice. But a very fruit forward and powerful wine.
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When first opened, the wine had aromas and flavors of olives, smoke, and meat. Indeed, if tasted blind, I would have mistaken it for a Rhone! After being opened for an hour, the wine put on weight and developed much more of a cabernet characteristic. In my opinion, the wine has not peaked yet. It is still dark in color with little legs, and still has a good amount of tannin, acid, and fruit. Secondary characteristics were not prominent. At this stage, I'm not convinced that the wine will ever merit its perfect 100-point Parker score.
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OK, had this a while back and was unimpressed. Way earthy and very questionable. Popped and decanted and v'd as cork did not come out well! This wine as so good it was quite remarkable. Silky is about all I can say and an hour in fruit expressed itself nicely along with smooth and silkiness. A+. Drink now.
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I agree with JSMorris’ review. Needs an hour to open, still massive but well balanced, likely in or near prime with at least a decade left. Lived up to the reputation and professional reviews. Revisit 2025
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1997 Phelps Insignia en Magnum. Deep garnet. Rich nose of plums, tobacco, clove. Taste was mouth filling and long lasting. A major yum for a Cal cab. I rate 97, RMP gives it 100. Tasted at BWE DC convention 2021
Incredible, what a wine: seductive in all aspects with freshness thanks to acids, fruit and tobacco and limited earthiness, all melted together to a silky texture that fills the mouth and leads to a good length. The way to heaven.
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Modern style wine, not terribly complex. Opens bright and fresh on the attack. Exhibits so much full, lush and succulent fruit, which overwhelmed the minerality.
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Cellared since release, perfect cork and fill. Rich, ripe dark berry fruits right out of the gate. Full body, very ripe fruit, lush palate feel, just enough acid and tannin to keep it from being flabby, nice finish. Hasn’t really developed any complexity or evolved much since the last bottle opened in 2008 other than the tannins mellowing and the oak receding. Expect it to hold another decade. Classic ripe Napa cab, went great with burgers at the beach. Excellent-outstanding, but does remind that Napa does not turn into Bordeaux with age.
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Mature flavors: gentle mulberry and blackberry, copious tobacco and mint, and something a bit funky (not brett and not TCA). Good depth and length of flavors. Round and caressing in the mouth, the tannins seemingly having been resolved. It tasted quite like an older Bordeaux, just with a bit more fruit.
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Wish I had a few more. The cork was intact when I opened it, then decanted 2 hours and it was an incredible treat by itself and it paired perfectly with steak. Always wonder how the wine will hold up when held onto this long & this one was great still. Like the recent notes from other celar trackers that have enjoyed this wine & shared. Figured with it being Insignia & the ratings from the “pro’s” it was going to be a perfect one to hold onto. Cheers
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still plenty of tannins after 24 years. Smooth, deep and satisfying. The drinking window indicated that this should have been consumed by 2020, but this properly stored bottle had at least ten years left.
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This wine is at its peak. This is a full body cabernet that is elegant and smooth from the moment you open the bottle. This was for a special occasion and this wine added positively to the special day experience.
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Dark and red to the rim despite age. Sweetness and great length with balanced dark fruits. No obvious tannic bite but structured. Lovely wine drinking great. Decanted for 3 hours.
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Very good. Subdued on first open taste, used a cup for deglaziing NY steak fond in searing pan for sauce. Was better after poured and aired 30 minutes later.
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Subdued nose when first opened. Dark and rich on the palate. Much more open 2 days after opening, with added complexity in both aromas and flavors. Still quite youthful. Perfect balance. Rich but supple. Reminiscent of some first growth bordeaux's we have tasted. Try again in 2 -3 years. Consider decanting.
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served 50 minutes after decanting. Definitely showed more green pepper, there was still sweet fruit underneath. Very smooth and elegant now, pretty ripe on the palate but not quite stewed prunes. Definitely lots of sweetness on the palate. Opened up really nicely 2 hours later.
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Fantastic - still quite vibrant and young with terrific depth of fruit and layered complexity. Drinking like a wine that was much younger And managed to hold its own against excellent Napa wines that were 10+ years younger.
Decanted and poured. Cork disintegrated, but wine does not seem to have been impacted. Color is black cherry with a yellow edge. Nose is black fruit, tobacco, pepper. Palate is a robust blend of black fruit, cherries, limestone, vanilla, and an interesting hot/spicy aspect on the mid-tongue (other reviewers noted eucalyptus, I think that's close to what I'm experiencing, perhaps mint). Full bodied, and the spicy element almost has a numbing effect, but in a pleasant way. I suspect this could age nicely for a while longer, but also feels like now may have been the time. Koalas should love this.
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Double decanted, with minimal sediment, good dark ruby coloring and no browning. Had with filet of beef and the soft sweet fruit and complex flavors and long finish topped the ‘84 Grange. Very ready to go, but will hold up for another 10 years with proper storage.
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So this has always been one of my favorite wines, but not on this occasion. Probably a flawed bottle. Not undrinkable, and certainly not corked, but certainly a little oxidized. The taste was better than the port like smell. Purchased in 2000, and stored in a temperature controlled cellar ever since. My experience with Insignia is that the bottles age for many many decades with no problem, but occasionally you get a bottle like this that breaks the norm. I would give it 90 points reluctantly, but no more. Very sad.
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Just a hint of brirkiness. CT says its near its end - not even close. One of the best bottles from my collection, opened for a big anniversary - it was worth the occasion. Big Napa fruit and character. For 23 years old, its in fine shape.
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Perhaps this bottle was not as well kept as my last couple. It was incredibly green (I would have thought for sure there was some cab franc). This wine was fully drinkable, not particularly closed, but not as good as the others I’ve had. You know the saying... after 20 years, there are no good wines...
But, I had the chance to revisit the bottle, which had been vacuum sealed and put in the fridge. We poured it into the decanter and let it come up to temp. The day made a noticeable difference for the better. Still green and savory, but the bell pepper notes had unwound a bit and intermingled with blackberry compote. Relatively fresh tasting in its middle age and remains a wine of large proportion. This was far more savory than other bottles I’ve tasted from but at least I can say it was fully sound.
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Pre 4th flanksteak dinner. Wine was superb in all respects. Match with meal, color, nose, fruit, balance and length. Just an outstanding cab and certainly after my recent disappointment with the 99 and 01/00. In a geeat place now.
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Purple-Garnet w/ Faint Bricking in a Perfect Bottle
As someone who has had this wine half a dozen times from 2005--2020, and this evening in concert with the 2001, let me assure you that while she will probably taste well right through her twilight into the wet leaves on the dirty ground, the lovely 97I is approaching the end of her high plateau, and tasted best tonight between 30-60 minutes after opening. [She will begin her descent at 7:45pm on October 5th of this calendar year.] Decant unnecessary.
(Boulevard, for their part, never fumbled my wine again, and book Table #30 is my counsel there.)
Tertiary notes include stewed cherries, fig newtons, a whiff of marzipan and eucalypt.
Drinking alone on the roof in Los Angeles watching The Fall of New Rome. Drink up---and let's all hang BLM banners on our homes to appease the mob!
My WOTY so far! This was our last bottle and it was the best, WHAT does that say? 5 years ago we had a magnum that was on point, "and I better drink that 750 in the next couple years..." Well, we waited 5 and had it for our daughter's birthday ('97 baby!). Bought on release, with fairly cool storage here in OR. Cork was perfect; I used, but didn't need, the Ah-so. 1 hour in the decanter and I have a hard time describing how great every sip was. Deep dark cassis, black plum, violet, stone, charcoal, mint / herbs. Tannins completely resolved. NOW-2025! You wait, you lose a little more fruit, gain a little of that secondary / tertiary stuff --your choice! 97+ points now and the 23 y/o Dtr liked it! WHAT?!?
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"In Case it's the End of the World" Dinner (L'Envol Restaurant, St. Regis Hotel, Wan Chai, Hong Kong): Not decanted (which was a mistake, especially as it was served towards the end of the dinner). Totally opaque coal-black colour just slightly reddened at the edges. Nose is BLAM! - a 2001 Space Odyssey 'black slab' purity of tightly compressed confit black fruit. Palate is similar coal-black, unfathomably deep and reticent black confit fruit. Beautifully structured but still very tannic and sorely missing the 4-hour minimum prior decant it needs at this stage of its development. Heady but waaay too young. Such a baby - needs another 10 years. Consistent with my previous experiences. I have extended the CellarTracker website drinking window to 2030. Despite saying all that....for me, this is a no-brainer 94 even on this occasion. Thanks so much, Daniel!
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a crumbly cork, an unexpected & rare occurrence for bottles purchased on release from my cellar, strained into decanter; fortunately, sound & delicious in the house style albeit more restrained than the ripe vintages of the early '00's - perhaps entering the downward curve (??); accurate depiction of Insignia, really pleasurable & lasting. a testament to consistency, so good if this is what you're in the mood for.
Excellent with Prime Rib. Stilling going strong but maybe only for another year or two. There is light sediment in the bottle. The body is medium. The wine has polished texture.
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Bottle had been standing for a couple of months. Opened at 57 degrees and let air for approximately 90 minutes in decanter before drinking. This wine is simply gorgeous. Showing no signs of decline; tannins still present on the finish, but now behind a wonderful floral, fruit, and smoke combination that I woke up still tasting the next day.
The 90s are a fantastic drinking California decade full of wine treasures. Prior to COVID a small group of us decided to highlight the 97 and 07 vintages. To say the wines performed phenomenally would be an understatement.
This bottle of 97 Insignia by Joseph Phelps was gorgeous. While this definitely shows big Napa fruit and character, there was still a classic elegance shining through. Effortless with beautifully integrated acidity, tannin, alcohol and perfect levels of extraction without being overly ripe or jammy. The sweet tannins of this inky blue / purple saturated Bordeaux blend coated my mouth like Valrhona chocolate covered Louis Vuitton silk sheets! If only I could open this bottle and sleep in it like a genie!
Both the nose and palate show notes of blue and purple fruits, violets and a brilliant combination of creme de cassis / cocoa. It is the single best Insignia I’ve had to date...BRAVO!!!
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This drank so well tonight. One magnum, then a 750. Maybe the magnum had a little more richness to it? (So 96 on the 750?). But has come along really well. Color is great, very little (if any) sign of age. But has softened, and there’s almost a smoky taste with the dark berry fruit. Drinking superbly. I actually doubt it gets better, if anything it’s on the bottom of the fifth? But rocks.
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Allowed to breathe in glass 1 hour. Clear deep dark garnet-blood red color. Volatile savory notes at first, with green tobacco, meat juice, black olive tapenade, and soy sauce. After two hours, these subsided to reveal a lovely classic bouquet of blackberries, boysenberries, black and red cherries, black and red currants and their liqueurs; fennel, anise, earthy mushrooms, sage and bay leaf. Similar on the palate, full body, seamless, beautiful balance, polished tannins, lingering finish. Improved steadily with air, held up fine under vacuum stopper in refrigerator for four days, showing best on day two. This particular bottle seems fully mature or perhaps past-prime. Excellent wine but not worth the current auction price.
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Well stored bottles are not at all on the decline. In fact, tertiary aromas are just beginning to come through with leather and pipe tobacco. The fruit still leads, and it could be none other than a Napa Cabernet with cassis, mint, and eucalyptus (you won’t fool anyone into guessing Bordeaux though). The wine is in fantastic shape without any significant decline since I tasted it last year
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Served blind as the first of five red wines. My guess was 15 year old Napa cab and the oldest red wine on the table. This was a 22 year old Napa cab, and was the oldest red wine on the table. Had all the classic aged blackberry notes, tobacco leaf in the middle with a hint of mint. I had the advantage of having a spotlight on my glass, which showed more sediment than any of the other reds. I guessed the producer to be Bond. Very classic expression of what I consider to be a true Napa Cabernet. Delicious. I preferred the second and third wines a little bit more, however those turned out to be a 1998 Chateau Haut Brion and 1997 Ornellaia Masseto......
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Drinking best among many of the 1997s I’ve had the pleasure to enjoy of late. Being a big ripe vintage, my Som buddies tell me these wines will eventually begin to fall apart but no sign of that yet. The color is rich and dark, captivating nose of berries, toasted wood, vanilla/baking spices, leather/coffee will similar follow through and mouthfeel. Napa at its best.
Lovely wine with full body and notes of cherry. Had first with selected cheeses and then with prime filet cut and tomato and mozzarella salad! Was even better match with the steak!
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Double decanted 30 min, med. ruby, black cherry with a touch of tobacco, clearly still CA, soft/med. tannins, long finish; outstanding & near perfect, ready to drink. Had at boys night at my house last night & went beautifully with the veal chop
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Had this on my 60th. Still vibrant dark garnet, showing just a bit of age. Completely tertiary bouquet of old saddle leather, autumn leaves, and cedar. In the mouth this is wonderfully harmonious and smooth as glass, yet at the same time rich and unctuous. Soft cocoa flavor spreads out beautifully across the palate, leading to a long, soft, satisfying finish. At its peak now, no need to wait any longer, I see little upside ahead. 5-13-17-9: 94/100.
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Color: inky purple Nose/palate: mocha, blackberries, currants, dark chocolate, violets, pencil shavings (pretty certain it's the good ole No. 2) Structure: medium acidity, medium+ tannins, full body. Alcohol: 14%
Wow! This is the closest to perfection as I've had in a bottle of wine. Nose is quite giving! Texture is velvety, plush, opulent. Long chocolate laced finish. I'm obsessed with finding more of this.
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Splash decanted. Man this wine is sooo good. Drinking about as good as an Insignia can get. Well rounded, velvety mouth feel. Good fruit, but not overpowering. Blueberry, black currant, hint of tobacco, cedar box. Acid is medium minus. So well integrated.
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The weight and fruit presence at age 21 is astounding. Seamless integration, with secondary notes just beginning to develop. This makes me want to hold my younger bottles for decades.
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Good, but was hoping for more. Still looks and tastes young, however no complexity in the nose or palate. Monolithic with a medium length finish. Totally forgettable.
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Still going strong, each bottle is as good or better than the last. Luscious and flamboyant sweet Napa fruit. Long finish, not an edge to be found. Drink now, but I don't think this is on the decline, I feel like it could still go a while
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This needed a couple of hours to really open up (in open bottle, not a decanter) but it just got more and more enjoyable as it did. Longer finish and the secondary characteristics were fleshed out with some lush fruit. It was what good, mature Cali Cab can be.
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Garnet color and ruby to the edge and opaque with a bit of haze. The smells are currant, orange zest, prunes, and sweet spices. Tastes are coffee, cacao, cherry, blueberry, pepper, tea, and brown sugar. Tannins are like fine velvet and there is a long finish with a little heat. Very complex.
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The wine at 21 maintains its flavors of ripe berries cedar and eucalyptus. Not too sweet, but beautiful with enough acid to balance the fruit. Sometimes I find Insignia’s to be a little too jammy, but tonight this ‘97 wasn’t. Drank alongside three other heavyweight Napa Cab’s
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Ripe black cherries, strawberries, red currants, figs, cloves and hazelnuts. Tannins are medium -, acidity is too. Everything is really bg but balanced.
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Dark garnet color. Lavender, red currant, ash. Drinking incredible - silky smooth, integrated tannins. Orange rind, flint (Lafite like). Subtle rustic notes. Having with lamb, asparagus and butter lettuce salad. Very on point right now but could have many years to go.
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Deep shiny red in color, this wine danced circles around a very good 1999 at the same dinner. Ripe berry, plum jam with steely backbone will last another 8-10 years easily. Just a delight!
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Had at a spectacular WINEBID.com tasting event. Total of 39 wines tasted with an unbelievable lineup ! Bravo to Sterling Roig.
To me this could be another WOTN. Just an incredible balance to this wine. What finesse ! I jump between declaring a classic first growth left bank and an aged Cali Cab. Nearly perfect balance of tannin, acidity and fruit. Just a delight.
This was decanted for 2 hours and tasted from a magnum.
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Not sure I have the palate for these older wines. Just doesn't do it for me. Decent. Opened a bit over time. Fell in love with 07 Insigina a few years back, but even the 07 recently is fading in my opinion. A great number of people love them still!!
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Dark ruby garnet color. Major rim variation in the glass. No flaws. Moderate sediment. Decanted X 2. Beautiful old world nose. Dark florals and fruits. Perfect in the mouth. Low tannins and acids. Medium alcohol. Long finish. Dark fruits, currants, leathery, and a little spice. Certainly ready to drink. Cannot determine if beyond peak or not. If so, cannot imagine what peak must have been like for this wine. Lot's of bottle life left in this one.
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1997 JOSEPH PHELPS INSIGNIA NAPA PROPRIETARY RED WINE- Cabernet Sauvignon with Merlot and Petit Verdot; still having a very youthful dark purple colour, this was a big wine generously offering lots of goodness starting with a spicy, cedar laden black currant and blackberry fruity nose; some liquorice and plum joined the fun early on in the taste; it was full bodied with a silky texture which helped to hit all of the sensory receptors in the right place for a perfect experience; one of my candidates for WOTNs.
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it was the WOTN for me in an incredible lineup of wines at Roy's birthday party. Over 30 great wines were tasted including an 86 Grange, 00 Clos de Tart, 07 Continium, a 91 Dunn, a 65 Haut-Brion, a 99 Gevrey Chambertin, a 96 Monte Bello, a 78 Gaja, an 07 Araujo, a 07 Harlen, a 09 Lambrays, and a 2012 Musigny.
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Opened for wife's 50th birthday party. Nose was quiet at first. Decanted twice. Tasted after second decant and was stunned at ripeness, complexity and shear audacity of the wine. After 20 years it was amazing. Nose opened up and released black cherry, leather, currants...a cornucopia of scents...It's been cellared correctly for its life and the other 2 I have will last at least another 10-20 years. If you have two, open one to enjoy. It's truly great. If you have one, find another. It's that good.
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At least my second experience with this wine. Like the first one (about 3 years ago), it was one of my favorites among a strong lineup of over 4 dozen wines over the long weekend. Still a dark, opaque wine, aromas of cocoa powder, baked plums, and leather waft from the glass. On the palate is a rich, thick wine with fully integrated tannins. Not as much acidity as I remember previously, but still excellent regardless. From a magnum.
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At JTCMs 50th bday in Rhinebeck, butterflied lamb. This was not as talkative as I thought it would be. It was good but not great. Plenty of fruit but a bit bland on palate. Stil great color. Decent finish. This got beat by the Mondavi Reserve 97 and the 2008 Chappellet Pritchard Hill.
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Last tasted in 2008 and was underwhelmed. However, we were definitely not disappointed with this bottle! Still great color, blackberries, currants, black cherries, and licorice in the nose. Deep berry fruits in the flavor with a hint of earthiness. Perfectly balanced wine with nice complexity and a long finish. Perfect match with steak.
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En magnum. Dry cork broke off about 3/4 Of the way then slipped down the neck...
Nonetheless with a double decant this was truly spectacular juice. Nose of perfume and leather, with resolved and sweet tannins, and plenty of red and black fruit still. Incredible mouth feel with mild acidity that brought everything into balance. I think this is perfect to drink now and I don't think it will get better or worse for several years. Only complaint is that the finish was maybe a little short. Especially because I kept wanting more of the deliciousness.
Slight bricking, otherwise deep garnet. Saturated flavors including berries and the bitter edge of black tea. Nice complexity. Wine of the flight; took second place WOTN. I've had more approachable bottles in the past. This one needed five more years in the cellar.
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Fantastic wine. Good color and clarity. Very approachable and nice berry flavors from start to finish. Still has slight oak and after 20 years it brings nice complexity.
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Maybe my favorite vintage of insignia. Needs one to two hours of decant to open up. Still in peak, should stay there for at least two more years and probably more.
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PNP and half of the bottle left for the next day. PNP was better. Open for about an hour now. Great Insignia characteristics. Silky, soft subtle nose. Salted caramel, maple syrup, old baseball glove leather all nose. Silky mouth feel. Still a bit of tannins. A bit of a gum component on the nose. Crime cassis and bruised apple on nose and palette. Tasting excellent right now. Maybe very good for another 5+ years. After half a day. Still great, but a bit tired. Acid has died down significantly. Very soft mouth feel. Raspberry nose. Great wine.
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Medium-brownish garnet, a bit cloudy. Interesting to serve this, a bottle I bought at release and never drank on its own as it was my standard wine for wine education classes Bordeaux vs. Napa. No surprises also on this last bottle, typical Napa showing with soft tannins, sweet fruit, though an ever so slightly oxidative touch in the background. I served this at a dinner party where the going palate preferred big, fruity, succulent wines, so it did the job. I am personally not a fan of Napa Cab due to the overbearing sweetness.
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Pnp. Dark garnet to the rim. A bit cloudy from fine sediment as the dry cork broke and the wine had to be decanted. Elegant wood spices, dark sweet fruit on the nose. On the palate plenty of tobacco, dark fruit. Medium tannins are still there, accentuated by the fine sediment. Very slightly corked in my eyes. Medium finish only
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What a smashingly well balanced Cab. Perfect spot right now with plenty of fruit and only powdery fine tannin still remaining. This was, by far, the standout wine on a night of some heavyweights including Outpost True Vineyard, Quilceda Creek, and Rubicon. Excellent dark fruit and so many secondary notes it's hard to remember them all. Possibly the perfect mix of Old World style with a hint of New World fruit. I'd drink this every night for years and not get tired of it.
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What a monster, it appears that aging has happened slowly, adding complexity to this vigorous red. It could easily last another 10-20 years, while in fantastic form right now. This wine is dark blood colored, great nose without decanting, and full bodied texture. Very impressive with this Napa effort, nothing to be envied to its cousins from Bordeaux. Great for meats and heavier foods, impressive by itself. Bug YUM. (from the assistant) The wine looks inky colored. The legs are medium. There is no sediment in the bottle. It smells like red currant, black currant (cassis), fig, forest floor, light toast, black pepper and blackberry. The body is full. The wine has silky texture.
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It really hurts your feelings to cellar a wine for many years only to find it corked. Hurts your feelings even more to pour it down the drain. 85 BV GdL Private Reserve was also corked. Damn.
Great nose of blackberry and a touch of mint. Full bodied and plush, tannins are there but stay in the background. Beautiful deep black fruits and a nice finish. In a great place. 95 points
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Had with AOF School friends at their beach house in CT.
This is a well produced and balanced wine which improved throughout the night with time. It should be decanted for several hours before consuming. On the nose there are muted aroma's of a classic Bordeaux wine with a background of eucalyptus & lead pencil.
It has a thick and rich mouth feel which found me chewing the wine while in my mouth.
Flavors of spicy berries & black currants give way to a silky & long finish marked by cherry, a slight anise flavor & graphite.
Still youthful even at 19 years.
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Best of the bunch that I had! Decanted 3 hours, Sugar plums, blackberry, brown sugar, black currant all nose. Really nice. Great mouth feel, velvety and soft. Some cooking spice flavor and chocolate flavors come out as well. Acid medium minus, weight medium plus. Tannins are still strong, but still good to drink now. I will sit on the last 3 for a while.
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Splash decant Tobacco, black cherry, vanilla, flowers, brown sugar, dried black currant, dried leaves, white pepper all nose, Cherry, tobacco, brown sugar maple syrup, black currant flavor. Weight medium. Acid medium. drinking well.
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A bit cloudy Ruby red color Raisin, walnut, black currant, a little heat, cigar ash, bread cherry, chocolate and blueberry all nose. Flavors smooth as always, earth, raisin liqueur, maple syrup. Delicious wine.
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Popped and poured Took a few minutes for sulfite to blow off. Super dark purple almost black Dried sugar plums, brown sugar, raisin, a little leather, dried violets, strawberry jam nose. Beautiful wine. Mouth feel is super velvet and 30 second plus finish. Maple syrup, raisin, sugar plum, plum, dried fruit, lamb wool gaminess flavors. Killer wine in a very good place.
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Slow Ox 3 hours Chocolate, prune, a bit of heat, raspberry, powder, perfumie, wood, Black cherry, dark chocolate, fig, smooth finish. A bit of alcohol on the finish. Insignia silky mouth feel. Long finish. I would decant this wine for an hour or more. By the last of the day it was drinking amazingly, but it needed a lot of time to open up. Great wine.
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A very good fully mature JPI with power, dusted tannins, intensity of flavour and gorgeous silky smoothness. Fine balance and structure too. Very approachable now and will keep giving for 7-10 years it seems.
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Monthly wine dinner at Libertine, Mpls. Brought by another member of wine group and tasted blind. As soon as smelled knew it was going to be good. Great nose with nicely balanced structure. Still a big wine, so probably gets better from here (glad I have 2 in the cellar!).
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We really liked this wine. It has held up extremely well. Opened for NYE with Pan Seared Filet Mignon. Perfect pairing. It had the qualities of an aged Grand Cru Bordeaux. There was surprisingly only minimal bricking color so far. Tannins have softened and incorporated nicely. Good acidity and the fruit showed red fruits for my palate. Well done. I hope the newer vintages can age this well given they have dialed up alcohol levels.
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From a magnum... Wow, still as great as I remember. One of very few overpriced wines/vintages that lives up to the hype. Everything is well integrated with dark fruits, soft tannins and a hint of oak that comes across as vanilla. Aging well, likely has another five years or so.
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This has acquired the rich and complex tones of a mature California Cabernet. Plenty of cherry and tobacco flavors, but depth as well. Drinking quite nicely.
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Yep, its perfect. Out of magnum, cassis, cedar, cigar, leather, just the slightest bricking, abundant fruit, lots of time left, at least in magnum format.
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Cassis, cherries, vanilla, highly concentrated with a good acidity, but for me too alcoholic, the finish has a burning taste, even the soft tannins can't counterbalance the noticeable alcohol, 93-94 Overall 11th rank with 94,2 points averagely.
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97 Napa-retrospective (Restaurant Bottles, Sas van Gent): Roasted meat, BBQ sauce, red fruit topping. This is clearly a great wine for the future, big structure and concentration, stubborn and backward, enormous length. But at the moment the flavours and aromatics are kinda muddled and awkward. Hard to discribe, but I somehow feel this wine will be significantly better in a few years time. Hope to bump into another bottle again..
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USA 1997 (By JK @ Bottles): Beautiful bouquet, very soft and ripe with a lot of cinnamon and other sweet spices. On the palate a lot of juicy red and dark forest fruits, a firm amount of sweetness, but also good acidity to balance it. Beautiful and round tannin which is becoming slightly drying. Don’t misunderstand; this is a beautiful and harmonious wine. Blind tasted the group of 10 almost agreed. Leaving out the lowest and highest score everybody scored the wine 94 or 95. To be honest my blind score was 94 - 95.
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Juicy, lush, fat and sweet, with perfectly ripe fruit, density of flavor, silky textures and a blast of blackberry, cherry, spice, smoke and licorice. This is a true wine of pleasure. A wine of this quality with a production level of close to 18,000 cases is truly quite an accomplishment, when you think about it.
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Dinner by the River: From magnum: a double decant 2 hrs before serving and it was glorious! The "iron fist" has melted away leaving behind layers of black and red fruit, hints of plum, herbs, mint, and more savory notes. This bottle was nearing plateau. I will not wait beyond 2017 for my 750ml.
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This truly fits the bill for how awesome an older Napa Cab can taste. Perfectly integrated tannins that are deftly balanced with polished dark cherry and currant fruit. Subtle hints of leather and pencil lead on the nose. Simply fantastic. Tobacco and cherries...yum!
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This was my sixth bottle over six years and by far the best. Deep and brooding on the nose this had plenty of grip and a long, flavorful, and mouth-coating finish. Intense aromas of whole-leaf chewing tobacco, red berry jam, leather and chocolate.
Two earlier bottles seemed tired however the last four, including this one, are still improving.
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Bricking. Aromas of plums and strawberries. Dark fruits, framboise, mocha, licorice and tobacco. Medium length. Nice fresh, fresh tart backing. Drink up.
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One + hour decant. If tasted blind, I would have guessed it was a St. Julien. Either a Leoville-Las Cases or perhaps a Ducru-Beaucaillou . Complex, really lovely nose of rich cherry, leather, spice, licorice and a bit of mint. Lush, seamless, balanced, soft, silky texture with terrific concentration, richness, ripeness and depth. The fruit has aged and is a bit less fresh and vibrant than a few years ago, but that does not make it any less satisfying. Lengthy, fruity, sweet finish. I would be drinking this sooner rather than later as I think the wine has definitely peaked. 94-95
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Lead pencil, cherry, smoke, good structure and woody. Felt that this was an older wine with an older style, fruit has started to go down-hill. My blind guess was Dominus. My 8th wine of the night, I would drink up as the wine is not drinking as well as it has in the past.
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Domestic Cab dinner (Eddie V's): Beautiful mature nose displaying red fruits, plum, mint, eucalyptus, caramel and lead pencil. Beautifully integrated palate, good concentration, silky, warm red fruit driven palate impression, nicely integrated tannins and lovely long sweet finish. Drinking wonderfully, great balance and harmony. Still quite youthful but perfectly enjoyable.
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Deep ruby colour is followed by an amazing Napa characteristic bouquet with intense dark fruits, dust, violets, cocoa. The palate is so elegant and precise if compared with the nose offering a great balance, silk, voluptuous and rounded. And all this with an extremy elegance.
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Food pairing along with other bottles of NAPA wine. This is probably the best. Still powerful in aroma and taste. Decanted for 2 hr. However, it is not so "layered" as with other bottles. A tone of Napa wines in my opinion.
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The fruit is beginning to get eclipsed by the tannin, acidity and structure. Difficult to know whether to drink now or wait, but the fact that the wine came around with a little time in the decanter suggests there is no hurry to drink this now. Beautiful.
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I liked this but it was time. Nicely lifted nose of raspberry and licorice, I fear that the ample tannins are starting to catch the sweet currant, blueberry and vanilla notes. Balanced now but those dusty tannins worry me. I had impeccable storage, so I'd consider this a 1-5 year window. You won't hurt yourself by drinking now.
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Broke my heart to drink my last bottle, but family occasion at my house, so when better? Huge nose, great balance, enjoyable complex flavors and long finish. Certainly at a plateau, but has probably been there for a while and shows no sign of fading. Enjoy.
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Decanted for 3 hours……. the open decanter filled the kitchen with an intense aroma of spices and blackcurrant. Colour is a gloriously translucent purple-tinged crimson. Nose is dense sandalwood, cedar and blackcurrants/blackberries. Palate is lively acidic freshness perfectly integrated with gorgeously rounded and silky tannins, earth, white mushrooms, well-integrated oak and super black briar-berry fruit that is quite sweet……very harmonious and complete. Considerable resonance on the finish that reverberates inside the head for a good couple of minutes. Fabulous.
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Did not decant. Deep purple color. No sign of bricking. So smooth and balanced. Tannins and fruit in complete harmony. Faint nuances of baked blackberry and mild tobacco. This wine would rock a rack of lamb.
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No. We had a lot of wines that night, and a fair number of Cabernet based wines, and this wine paled in comparison. It's probably pretty good for the style of big modern CA wines, but that style is inherently problematic. There are some nice flavors in there - dark fruit, cassis, some spice, but it is heavily oaked so you end up with lots of sweet dripping vanilla and mocha. The palate is too ripe to be balanced and this is tiring to drink compared to the many lithe wines of the night. Nose - 4-4.5/6, Palate - 3.5/6, Finish - 3.5/6, Je ne Sais Quoi - 0.5/2 = 11.5-12/20.
Who says Napa cabs can't age? This was a gorgeous bottle of wine, that has many years left. If opened blind, I would never have guessed that this was a '97, as it seems far younger. The tannins have integrated nicely, with plenty of bright fruit left. We had a second bottle and it was just as good. Glad I have 5 left. This is in a great spot for drinking right now.
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Far from finished. I have cellared this wine from its release and truly enjoyed how it has evolved...it just gets better and better. Decanted for 1 hour and it opened perfectly.
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PNP: Color of purple red. Scents of blackberry and dark fruit. Tastes of blackberry and dark fruit, smooth, with well integrated tannins. While clearly not a new vintage, this tastes fairly assertive. After 2hr decant: Color of purple red. Scents of blackberry and dark fruit, which are now mellowed. Tastes of blackberry and dark fruit have also mellowed, still very smooth, with well integrated tannins. Now clearly displaying taste characteristics of a 15 year old vintage of a top notch Napa Valley cab blend.
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Gorgeous. Drinkable now but still some tannins, many years left on this big boy. Masculine yet elegant, well blended. Dark fruit with hints of earthiness, graphite, and licorice. Super long on the palette. Beautiful aroma with almost a perfume, flower like smell. Superb!
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Everything is in here and currently in the right place. Drinking beautifully right now. Black fruit, vanilla, (superb) graphite and some coffee grounds- all conponents working nicely on concert. It is a very fine brodeaux with slightly broader shoulders.
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Summer cabin weekend; 8/8/2014-8/9/2014 (Cleveland, GA): Decanted 75 minutes and followed over the next two hours. This has an incredible, exotic, masculine nose of cream cheese, blackberry, charcoal, and hazelnut aromas. The palate is also powerful and exotic, more black fruits like black currants and plum, tons of energy and tension between fruit and acidity. Can't quite maintain the same power from midpalate through the finish, but no doubt this is a classic wine. Drink now-2025.
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This wine is at its peak and drinking incredibly. What a special treat for our 12 year anniversary. My wife, who usually only likes fruiter Pinots and Grenache, loved this wine. Didn't need any decant.
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Up against tough competition. Drank third after 2005 Colgin and 1997 Bryant (don't ask about logic). Held its own, but by the time we got to this it's tough to remember specifics. Bryant was 98 points (just discovered a little in bottle, uncovered overnight that's still outstanding) and Insignia was only a half-notch down. Obviously great vintage well made. Drink anytime, no rush.
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First had the '97 on Thanksgiving 9 years ago. Finally opened the magnum, which was stunning. Decanted and let sit 3+ hours before enjoying for the next couple of hours with grilled steaks, mushrooms etc. Cork was pristine.
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This particular bottle was past it's peak. Upon opening, it offered very little, if any, aroma. After decanting for an hour+, it opened up but the complexity was lacking. That said, it was still enjoyable. It just didn't meet my high expectations.
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At Scalini Fideli in Chatham, awesome cabernet focused evening put together by Jay. The wines brought by most guests were tasted blind on first go through. This was part of the second flight, real bonus....
Dark fruits on the nose, vanilla, oak, tobacco. Palate was blueberry, cassis, dark cherry, currants, plums, chocolate, graphite. Texture is smooth, medium finish. Incredible wine, last one for the evening.
Classic Insignia, right in its drinking zone. My guess is it will be at its best over the next 7 years.
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Brought this to dinner in SF and shared with 3 couples at Incanto with the Leg of Beast. It aging gracefully. The nose was singing, Very silky mouthfeel and medium/full bodied. Chocolate covered cherry, blackberry with some vanilla notes. It is truly a wine that is appropriate for special occasions or will make any dinner a special occasion.
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Excellent, smooth silky tannins. Worth the long wait. The wine looks garnet colored. The legs are medium. There is moderate sediment in the bottle. It smells like dust, vanilla, lead pencil, blueberry and black currant (cassis). It tastes like blueberry, black currant (cassis), dust, vanilla and lead pencil. The body is medium. The wine has satin-like texture. The wine finishes medium. The wine has medium acidity.
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Based on other TNs, I didn't decant, and enjoyed over 2-3 hours. Bought from auction back in 2003, so provenance unknown. Cork was absolutely perfect. Initial nose had nice notes of humidor, loam, and dark cherry. The palate had nicely integrated tannins, barely noticeable, but there enough to provide a nice frame for the luscious raspberry, damn earth, black plum and currant notes. This was stored in a pretty cool environment, and was quite youthful. Nice, long finish. Subsequent glasses allowed more fruit and a floral note to overtake the early tobacco notes. Delicious - my one, lone bottle and it was great.
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Unfortunately, my last bottle. Drank at a restaurant. Took it because other TNs said it did not require decanting. I complete endorse that experience. The first sip after uncorking was fine. Classic Insignia......downright yummy. My only negative thought is the pro reviewers say it will be drinkable through 2025. I do not see it that way, as there do not seem to be enough tannins left to last that long. If I had more bottles, I would be a drinker over the next few years.
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- Brick color with slow forming legs. It's in total harmony and has flavours of blackberry and strawberry with a full body. Smooth texture with a medium finish - Lovely complex wine. Very well balanced. Loads of fruit with a wonderful nose. Tannins are not abundant in nature but should cary the wine for a few more years to come.
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Opened ups this evening and poured in straight from the bottle to have with chili. Wine is fantastic with lots of deep ruby color, serious candy apple nose with lots of fruit. If you're lucky enough to have a few bottles of this left, you should be very happy drinking them over the next 5 or so years.
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From magnum, decanted for 2 hours. Deep purple color turning to ruby at the rim. Subdued cabernet nose on open that improved only slightly over the 4-5 hours this wine was open. Delicious on the palate with wonderful texture but limited secondary flavors. Mostly dark fruit with sweet, fully integrated tannin, cigar box, and toasty (but not overdone) oak. Medium finish. This was excellent wine but definitely not the best bottle of this I've had. Aromatics in particular, which have been spectacular on occasion in the past, were muted. Hard to say if this was an off bottle or beginning to fade, but I don't see much upside in further aging.
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The 1997 stood out in a vertical tasting with the 1994, 1995 & 1996 Insignias as the most completely harmonious, pure expression of this exceptional, iconic Napa bordeaux varietal blend. A bit reticent on the nose when first opened (versus the intense nose of the 1994), the bouquet began to open a bit in the glass, hinting of the explosion of depth and complexity on the palate. Drinking beautifully now, but still youthful, with perfect balance of deep, pure black fruit, maturing tannins, and acidity. No flaws, no hard edges now, but promising the develpment of further complexity with additional bottle age. Try again in 2 or 3 years.
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This Napa red flirts with perfection. A blend of 83% Cabernet Sauvignon, 14% Merlot and 3% Petit Verdot (60% Estate fruit), it remains a youthful-appearing opaque ruby. Aromas of cassis, truffles, allspice, bittersweet chocolate and pipe tobacco jump from the glass. Round and full-bodied on the palate, it follows with complex flavors mirroring the nose. The medium-weight tannins are nicely integrated, as is the seamless alcohol. Building throughout the middle and concluding with impressive length, this is a wine which leaves a lasting impression. It has the fruit and structure to ensure (assuming properly cellared) a hedonistic experience for another 7-10 years. Drink now-2023.
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Have had a couple of bottles of this earlier and it was superb. This bottle had muted fruit-wonder if it is starting to lose some of its luster. Still a wonderful wine. Pleasant on nose and palate. Well balanced.
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An outstanding mature wine. There is nothing worse than letting a wine die from old age.....While some may like their wines with one foot in the grave, I would rather have them while they can still dance. This wine is nowhere near dead....but some of the fruit has faded (mildly)in the last two years and this is the first time I have noticed this in over 20 bottles. The elegance of this wine is hard to overstate. The dark fruits, muted leather and very mild tobacco tastes are there. The complexity is superb. This is one of those wines that pleases from nose to finish. The tannins are fully integrated. There is no reason to hold this wine further however, unless you are British of course! I expect to finish my last several bottles in the next two years at which time I will sing God Save the King....err 2007...
Wow... After so many years of waiting for this wine to come into its own, I finally opened one to celebrate my sons triumphal return from a national band competition! This wine has matured exquisitely, with a beautiful dark plum color! A dark stone fruit nose, with notes of dark chocolate and cassis that makes you want to smell the wine more than drink it! Yet after decanting and breathing for an hour, Insignia reveals it's depth of flavor with big notes of blackberries, dark cherry and touch of tobacco! Beautiful supple balance from front to mid palate, with a slow, dramatic currant, spice and sensuous finish! Don't wait to open this gem! Drinking well now! Bravo to the winemakers Walter and Michael for an exvpetional vintage!
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It is amazing to me how little this style of wine changes over time. I don't know why, but I was expecting this to be better, or maybe to have aged into something much better. After a very disappointing Shafer Hillside 1997 earlier this year, I should have known. At any rate this dark purple wine was all about extract, alcohol, heat, oak, vanilla oak, coconut husk and coconut oak. It is not flawed; people were drinking it. I just really don't like it.
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This 16 year old wine is simply delicious and it has a few years left to go before the final downhill slide. We decanted it for about an hour and a half and it continued to flourish for the next hour. The fruit was surprisingly distinct, dark berries, cherry, tar and tobacco dominated. The mouthfeel was full, the tannins silky and the finish long. It was an excellent accompaniment to the NY Prime and Short Rib duo.
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Decanted about an hour; it opened up over the subsequent two hours. A huge viscous wine. It still has years left but is very well balanced with classic Napa fruit over silky tannins. What a treat.
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From magnum. Auction bottle. Initially I was a little worried as the nose and palate were dominated by raw cedar and austerity. Left in decanter for 2 hrs then rebottled and consumed for four hours that evening. It started to open up and fill out around hour 4. Very little indication of its age on the nose and palate. Dominated by primary red fruit (cherries, red plums) and cigar box. A dusting of earth and mineral emerge. No secondary. Almost no chocolate or jammy black fruit present in most modern insignias. A hit with everyone.
Days 2-5 it continued to open up and develop complexities. Almost impervious to air. This bottle was clearly from a cool cellar. Reminds me of early 90s Napa winemaking.
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This is why we love Insignia. Drank in sub-optimal wine glasses over two nights (pump) and from first taste to last this was outstanding. Open, balancing fruit and structure with long length. Wish this was $75, but oh, well.
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Decanted for 3 hours. Rebottled, recorked and consumed for dinner at Cook's County. Fine matured wine, but not quite at its peak. No bricking at all. Nose of red fruits, some meat, dark chocolate. Fruit, acid and tannin are all in harmony with each other, just wonderful. Silky and smooth. Great with food, from black kale salad to duck breast. I like this wine slightly better with 1997 Araujo Eisele Vineyard.
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Tasted blind. Jumps out of the glass with jammy dark fruit, some spices, cedar, a touch of oaky spices. Hits the palate with a full body of black currant, blueberries and again some spices and some smokiness. Beautifully ripe tannins (medium) and some acidity (medium-) add structure. Great length. Even opened up some more with some air. I have tasted many vintages of Insignia over the years, and it is constantly one of the true icons of Napa. (95+)
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SbS with the 96 Opus One tonight this bottle was outstanding. Lots of dark fruits with notes of spice & coco, hints of mint, but what really made it special was the seamless integration of all the components resulting in a voluptuous (but not OTT) and extremely smooth texture. Silk sheets kind of a wine. A great hedonistic style of a wine that makes it easy to drink, enjoy and not bother analyzing too much. This is in a great place with some secondary characteristics just engineering the picture. Where it goes from here I have no idea, though I suspect this will drink well for many years. While this may develop more flavor nuances I hope that it won't come at the expense of the textural experience.
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Was not as impressive for us as many have noted. We were expecting a "Wow" factor that just wasn't there. Still has nice fruit but not a complex wine. While enjoyable, it just didn't pack a lot of flavor. Can't see it getting any better.
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I see that some reviewers have given this wine very high marks, 97 points. And others have given it respectable marks, 94 points. This has not developed secondary flavor profiles yet, but it is incredibly balanced, drinks like velvet, smooth as silk, with a long flavor on the palate. This will be a 97 point wine, but it needs time. This is a masterpiece by Phelps, but give it time. Try again in four years, 2017. It is very close.
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Excellent wine at full maturity in my opinion. Purple colored. Notes of Blackberry, Cassis, and Cedar. The body is Medium/Full with a smooth texture and great finish. Drank from magnum
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Unfortunately I did not decant this. First hour - solid, robust Calif Cab with all the usual accolades (90). After 90 minutes it became profound - cassis, glycerine, light berry, silky mouthfeel. Nose became much more aromatic.
Two takeaways - (1) must decant for at least 1 hour, (2) Love the heavy bottle-feel while pouring
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- Crimsom color with medium forming legs and aromas of blackberry. It's somewhat balanced and has flavours of blackberry with a medium/full body. Satin-Like texture with a medium finish - Cork broke, but salvaged. Decanted 2 hours
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From Magnum. This is a very reliable wine and completely ready to drink from large format. Likely at peak here as some say it is losing steam out of 750s. The fruit and tannins are nicely integrate and, while still a big wine, was not overpowering in any way and went fabulously with Xmas roast beef.
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Ruby color with slight orange rim, current and cherry fruit prominent, vanilla and cedar notes with a long smooth finish, balanced. Not sure whether to drink now, but glad I did. Close to its peak, but could continue to do fine for years.
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This has a rich but clear appearance. Just a very slight bricking. The nose is full of red fruit. There is a hint of eucalyptus, cherry. Elegant. Tannins are holding with long finish. Easily several more years of life. Of course, we would like more.
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PHMG WAG: #100 (Chez Lyon in Eugene, OR): Looking back at my note from 5 years ago: "#1 of 25 '97's tasted blind on 11/18/07. Just a great combination of fruit, texture, and tannins. The 'ol "iron fist in a velvet glove" cliche. Some wines need a microphone to be heard, this one needs a silencer, it's born to kill. Lots of time left, 94 pts on day 2." This bottle was just as good, maybe better, but 96 seems about right. The tannins are still impressive but soft. It still has 10 years!
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Still drinking very well with plenty of fruit and structure. Cork was wet thru with no apparent problem. decanted and drank immediately. Wine opened slightly over 30 minutes or so.
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Popped, breathed in bottle 90 minutes, consumed over next two hours. Intoxicating bouquet right from the start. Took full two hours after pouring to fully open, but when it did, it was wonderful. Layers of dark fruit, sweet tobacco, cedar, and forest floor. Tannin seems to have fully resolved, but this showed no sign of having peaked yet. Its slow, steady improvement in the glass persuades me that this has lots of life left and there's reason to believe it has yet to reach full development. No need to wait and no need to rush. I only wish I had opened it earlier and let it breathe in bottle another hour or two.
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American Belle 1st Edition (Switzerland): Tasted blind: Deep in color. In the nose a fruit bomb showing currant and red berries. The tannins are well integrated and the wine is very elegant. Taste of chocolate, black currant and Earl Grey tea. Drink now - 2025.
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WOTN against Quilceda, Pape Clement, Beringer, Kosta Browne and Capiaux lineup. Perfect finish to the night. The nose was heavenly and grabbed you from far away! Aromas of fruits, violets and spice. The wine was totally balanced with a looong finish. Extremely pure in focus, elegant in style yet intense all at the same time. Completely integrated. Ahhhh!
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Given the high praises here on CT, I thought it would be a good idea to pop the cork better now than later. Since I only had one bottle, I wanted to catch it in a perfect stage. Although I think the wine is as good as it gets right now I must say I was underwhelmed. The nose is dominated by classical mature Bordeaux notes, especially pencil shavings. The fruit is quite restrained, the typical black currant notes are very discreet. But overall it has a very intense nose. On the palate the wine is both powerful and smooth, but in my eyes the main weakness is the lack of freshness/acidity. The impression of sweetness through its extract level is very obvious and not counterbalanced by acidity. This makes it a bit flabby on the palate and does not create the level of elegance I would have expected. I've had many better examples of mature Californian Cabs/Bordeaux blends. Some of them much cheaper that the Insignia. E.g. 1991 Beringer Private Reserve.
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Espresso, fennel, smoke, 5 spice, blackberry jam and wet earth aromas create the complex aromatics. Rich, deep and full bodied, with a supple, sensuous mouth feel and a long, pure, clean blackberry, plum and spicy finish. This is drinking great today and is no danger of falling apart. What a nice treat.
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Beautiful, seamless mature wine. Clear, deep ruby color. Aromas of leather, tobacco, dried herbs. Some nice fruit left, but it was in the back ground. This bottle was perfectly balanced, lively, with very silky tannins- one of those wines that was so easy to drink. On the first sip I detected a bit of oak on the finish but never noticed it again after that. I think this has the structure and body to age at least 10 more years for those that like older wine, but it is drinking beautifully right now if you like a bit of fruit remaining.
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Decanted for an hour before dinner. Deep purple/garnet color. Outstanding nose of black fruit with some vanilla and oak. Delicious, layered black and red fruit, mocha, some oak and round, fully resolved tannins. Gorgeous mouthfeel. An outstanding, mature CA cab, though a bottle from 2 years ago had more verve. Maybe this was a slightly lesser example, or perhaps it is starting to fade just a bit. Either way, I doubt this is going to get any better with more bottle age. Drink or hold.
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Holy smokes, what a wine. Decanted for about 30 mins - no mustiness; the nose was nearly instantly apparent and glorious the moment it went into the decanter. Wonderfullly elegant fruit, and a finish that goes and goes. Truly one of the best I've ever had. Has some years left but don't wait. You will not be sorry!
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Opened the magnum for my 50th and decanted for an hour. Absolutly yummy, the nose was a little quite but the taste opened up with a mothful of black cherry with great balance of delicate oac. The long finish left you with the feeling of a mothful of chocolate with perfectly balanced of tannis. Clarly the best wine I have had in a long time.
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Excellent Insignia. Deep ruby red. Nice nose but even better in mouth. Tastes sweet yet luxurious. Has years left but perhaps not as structured as the 94. 50+10+8+19+8=95
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Top tier California offering. One of the best Cali meritage wines I have ever had. This is one of the greatest Phelps Insignias of all time. From magnum. Still very fresh fruits on the nose and palate. Tremendous balance and long finish. A great wine.
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Nice wine here , popped and poured , big and juicy. Dark red wine color , some herbs and peppers on the nose which was fighting with the fruit.....not sure that this wine gets better from here , in the back of mind I am pretty sure this wine was better a few years back . Drink it up .
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Amazing wine. Viscous and mouth coating. Very long finish that lasted for minutes. Currant and berries throughout. Bouquet very consistent with flavours. Nose is stunning and powerful. Very full bodied. Wine is at its peak.
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Decanted for 8 hours. Just wonderful in all aspects - explosive nose with dark fruit, currant, and very little tobacco leaf. Big and bold, viscous, full body...berries and cream! Medium plus finish. Very slight tannins, probably at its peak and has no more than 10 years to go. Update: next day wine got even better with air time. 94+
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Very dark. Intense nose of oak and currant. This is a big, opulent, dense wine that shows little age. Oak and black fruits. This is heavy no doubt (at times flirting with amarone and port) but carries it very well - could do with a longer finish and the slight worry about why at age 15 the non fruit character is still somewhat missing. Very very good but short of greatness.
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Very solid bottle. Popped and poured; drank over 3 hours. This is one of the better 97s which didnt really turn out to be the vintage of the decade as many predicted at the time ('94 took the crown). Smooth and drinking well. No hard edges. Nose, good. Palate, good. Finish, good. All in harmony here. The blend has served this wine well. And given the production levels of this wine its hard to see how this isnt one of the best 97s still around. 93+
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It’s amazing to consider the massive size of the production of this wine along with the consistent level of quality found in Phelps Insignia. Sadly, this was the last vintage I purchased due to spiraling prices. But that should not take away from the blast of licorice, chocolate, espresso bean, black and blue fruits, truffle, earth and cherry liqueur, opulent, velvet laced textures, flamboyant personality and layers of concentrated fruits. With all that, everything is in balance in this delicious, ready to drink California Cabernet Sauvignon.
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Unlike previous bottles which were in the early stage of decline, this one was singing and seemed to have a solid 10-15 years of life ahead. Deep and brooding on the nose this had plenty of grip and a long, flavorful, and mouth-coating finish. The weakness at this stage (if you want to split hairs) is the mid-palette, which does not have the depth that it used to.
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This wine was paired with two 100 point Bordeaux, a Colgin and a Dominus in a blind tasting---and more than held its own. The nose was perfectly balanced, the fruit was evident but not too forward. Year in and year out, these are balanced wines with great character. The nose was subdued dark fruit, in the mouth there was still ample, but smooth tannins and great balance. No sense of too much fruit, alcohol or oak. Really did hold up as a well made Cabernet when being compared to the Bordeaux.
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A magnum opened and decanted 3 hours before serving then drank over the next 3 hours. Colour is dark, monolithic, totally opaque purple-red.....looks much younger than its age. Nose just jumps out of the glass shouting one thing....."pencil lead, pencil lead, pencil lead". Palate is chewy, gummy like fruit pastilles but with a beautifully precise blackcurrant and blackberry fruit.......but still incredibly tannic. Come back in 10 years' time..........
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Nose of rich mocha, spice, and chocolate. Palate provides many layers of flavor: coffee, spice, earth, tannin, leather, and hints of mineral. Resolved tannins, rich red soil, and cedar on the finish. Fully mature, may even be starting downhill.
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Various Vintage California Wine Dinner - Corkbuzz in NYC (Corkbuzz - NYC): Clearly not comparable to the vintage wines we drank along side this, but this was, in my opinion, the highlight of the night. Huge fruit, great acid, excellent tannin structure. Good crushed cherry, cassis, big milk chocolate and ganache elements. Big fruit extraction and good alcohol. Long 45+ second finish on this wine. very well made extremely well balanced. not the most sophisticated wine but excellent example of what this wine is all about. This is a big wine and should really hold nicely over the years. Think you can easily get into this wine now but would be enjoyable for many many years to come. Drank w/ filet of beef au jus and parsnip puree. Cut right through.
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Decanted for 1.5 hrs. Still needed time in the glass. Wonderful nose of herbs and a hint of licorice. Oak, graphite with a sour plum center on the tongue. Smooth and luxurious. Probably has a bit more time before it peak. Only reason I didn't score it higher is the finish-hopefully that will appear.
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- Garnet color with fast forming legs and aromas of eucalyptus, blackberry, black currant, violet and cedar. It's in total harmony and has flavours of blackberry, black currant and licorice anise with a medium/full body. Polished texture with a long finish - @ PRIME 112, with Eddie Chabli and Katya; Ashley and Josh Liemer.
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Wonderful oak and classic cabernet nose. Flavors are strong black cherry, some graphite and cassis. A bit of heat upon opening but after an hour the fruit expanded and balanced out. Long finish, still fresh feeling. Probably can age a few more years but it's wonderful now.
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Stunning bottle of wine! From the PNP through the last drop (two hours later) it was amazing. Black fruits, licorice, cassis, spice, velvety tannins, meaty. JPV always does it's Insignia well, but some years it just rocks!
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The 97 Cult cab/Meritage dinner at RIS in DC: This was a Justin Bonner’s contribution and drank none-blind. Wonderfully expressive youthful nose of Lead pencil, milk, crèmes de cassis, crushed blackberries, licorice, ash and etc. The oak component is still not fully resolved. Chewy palate with excellent concentration and still strong presence of tannins that are not obtrusive due to generous fruits. An impressive wine that seems to have a lot greater aging potential than the others.
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Initial impressions were some wonderful berry and earth flavors, well integrated, but without much horsepower. Being a '97 I figured that it was just past its peak and would still be a great wine for the evening. As the night wore on, this 1997 cabernet blossomed! A velvety depth and texture that wasn't present upon opening evolved. This wine simply blanketed your tongue with the smoothness of an aged California cab and the finish lasted for minutes. None of us were expecting this, and what unfolded was the best wine of the year for me. I am glad we had more than one bottle open and let this one sit for awhile, because it was worth the wait and made my year.
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WOW! This wine was fantastic ... Filled with fruit and toasty oak in the background, with a finish that lasted for a minute. Great balance and finesse for the vintage - which tended to be a little one dimesional from some of the 100% Cabernet producers
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Well-aged and quite smooth with deep cassis and blackberry flavors but this tasted too jammy next to an '88 Beringer Reserve which was fresher and more delineated. Extremely ripe fruit with an alcoholic edge. Ultimately disappointing.
San Diego Offline 9/16/2011 (San Diego): I purchased three bottles on release, and opened the first one tonight. Opened at 3 PM, allowed to breathe in bottle until 5 PM, then decanted, then poured into a second decanter in a frantic effort to get rid of some unpleasant meaty shoe polish odors, then poured back into the rinsed bottle at 5:30 PM. Tasting began at 7 PM. Clear inky dark oxblood color. The triple decanting successfully eliminated the unpleasant odors. At 7 PM the bouquet showed plum liqueur, cherries, fennel, red licorice, roasted almonds. Similar on the palate, full-bodied, but with a faintly bitter herbal edge and a faintly stewed quality making me wonder about heat damage at some point in the past. Everyone else liked it very much. My #4, but group's #1 for the evening.
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In a very good place right now. Highly polished fruit, saline minerality, smooth tannins and a long pleasing finish. I see no reason to feel like this needs to be drunk soon -- nor any reason to wait. My 14th Anniversary wine, and a great complement to the Magret duck breast for dinner. Porcini crusted scallops for the wife.
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Wow! Black-purple color with a soft, velvety, slithering texture that envelops a dense, rigid structure. It has a kick in the end, but just as you'd think it's over its got a second tail! Flavors of lifted deep black cherry at the core with hints of dark chocolate, espresso, jammy currant, slight oak and darkly toasted vanilla. Drinking beautifully now and it seems like it's going for the long haul - maybe 2020(?) This has ranked in my top 3 to date. Definitely a classic and a must-try for any wine lover.
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minty, smoky, sweet fruit, dried herbs, cedar and chocolate notes on the nose. Very full-bodied, and tannins are still there. Drinking nicely now, this would no doubt get even better. I think I've got another magnum lying around somewhere, from the original batch I bought back in 2000.
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School dinner fundraiser (7/9/2011) (Our house): Previous two bottles of this were showing signs of slight decline, but this one still on the up slope. Cork was in perfect shape and only stained a mm or two. Decanted one hour and got intense aromas of strawberry and raspberry jam. Fleshy and dense across the palette with the signature balance and power. Never be a complex wine, but totally delicious.
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1997 Napa Cabs: Showed very well - a very balanced wine, well rounded, pure, elegant. Somewhat exotic Asian spices / anis character. Mouton-like. Long.
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This magnum seemed a bit muted for this wine but did start showing more depth and complexity late with ripe cassis and chocolate flavors. I've had a fair amount of bottle variation with this wine despite purchase on release and perfect storage. This was not it's best showing.
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CellarTracker Wisconsin June 2011; 6/24/2011-6/25/2011 (Madison, WI- various venues): Tasted non blind at a tasting that included 94-99 Insignia. Nose of blackberries, cassis, tobacco. Similar taste with some spiciness, a touch sweet but turns sour in the middle. Very long finish (probably the longest of the day). 94+ with some potential for further improvement. Hold for 1-3 more years.
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Tasted non blind at an offline. Double decanted and left cork out for four hours before serving.
Garnet to perhaps dark garnet color in the glass, clear looking throughout. Subdued nose of graham crackers, berries and plums. Flavors of solid red berries, some red cherries and maybe some raspberries. Medium to bright acidity, medium to firm tannins, full bodied. Drink or hold.
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CT Wisconsin Offline (Madison, WI): I really enjoyed this bottle of '97. Great nose of underbrush/earth and dark fruit like plums. Nice earth/mineral and espresso/mocha component to the palate along with plums. Long finish.
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I feel I am almost being unfair with my score. Dark red-black, showing surprisingly little age. Nose took a little coaxing but eventually revealed blackberry, plum and spice. On the palate the wine is massive, thick, plush with some grip on the 30 second finish. My problem with this wine is that the fruit shouts so loudly that small nuances that create complexity cannot be heard. Hedonists would love this wine, so please take my notes with a grain of salt. Those looking for elegance and subtlety might be overwhelmed. I am somewhere in the middle. Extremely well made, if you like the style.
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Wow, so mature, but stable. Nose had great natural scent of fresh cut wood and grass. Long lasting fruit at the end made this a special treat to taste.
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Once again I saw in hindsight that even a relatively young Insignia needs to be decanted. The entire time we were enjoying this wine, and we were indeed, I felt it was asleep because I know there is bigger prettier fruit in there some where, but it was not coming forward this night. Again, we pulled the cork and poured, so I know it was not given the chance to stir and come to life. The last couple of sips were showing nice though so I know it should have been decanted and left alone for an hour.
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Wow. Another great vintage of Insignia. Great fruit. Not as much earth as you get with a true Bordeaux, which I think is a good thing. This will continue to develop with a great deal of freshness as the tannins continue to subside.
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By far the best bottle of 97 Insignia to date. In the past this has almost been painfully rich, but with age the balance has improved with earth, espresso, tobacco, and mineral (almost saline) elements playing a bigger part.
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I've long been waiting to try this vintage Insignia. It stood up to the hype to say the least. So plush and ripe. Strawberries, heady bright cherries, creamy baked goods, bright rose petals and cinnamon spice. Really pretty. Singing today. I can't see this wine beginning to decline in quality anytime soon. Yummy yet really complex. Classic aged California wine with lots of life left.
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what a great wine. it is still going strong. the fruit has taken a backseat to more earth tones, but it is still strong in structure and tannins remain. i have no idea how much longer it will last, but there is no indication it is fading. the color was of a young dark purple California cab. wish i had more, glad i have other vintages.
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Drinking so great it must be at it's prime. I've always loved this wine and this bottle was no different. So happy I've still got three bottles left. No need to rush if you are lucky to have any of these left. A wonderful wine.
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Phelps Insignia has long been one of my favorites. It is a consistently delicious wine. Full in the mouth and a long finish. Wonderful! Still great and tastes like it has a quite a few years of life left in the bottle. Have one more bottle will hold until next year or so.
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What can i say about this wine except that it was very disappointing. The score doesn't reflect this unless you look at the reviews and the scores it has received from many other contributors and professionals. You open a wine like this with GREAT Expectations, and that is where the problem lies I guess. When first opened the wine seemed "hot". Not cooked but hot. Almost overdone. This sense took about 30-40 minutes to leave before the wine began to assert itself and a fresh vein of fruit came through. At every sip, you are anticipating an explosion. A build up that leads to the kinds of reviews and scores that it has been given. But it doesn't happen. It is a well balanced, very drinkable wine. Solid fruit and a nice backbone of tannin. I'd suggest it doesn't have that much more room for development, but then it may be a sleeper and I could be very wrong (I hope - because I still have 5 bottles and 2 magnums). So drink this wine to enjoy with a beef stew maybe a steak. But if you do it blind, don't be surprised if you don't pick it because you were expecting so much more.
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Decanted for1 hr and then rebottling before walking to Eos. At Eos, Oscar again poured into decanter. Kept improving throughtout our 1-1/2 hr dinner. Mature cassis flavors. Clearly a superior wine, and even better than our last experience 3 years ago.Ellen, the hypertaster thought she tasted brett, and would only give it a 91. I informed her she was tasting a mature wine, and brett is smelled, not tasted.
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An absolutely great flippin' bottle of wine. We drank this at a wine party with some very nice wines including and '86 Ingelnook, a '90 Le Gay and an '85 Duckhorn and many others and this simply stole the show. Had to fight off the masses so I could enjoy every drop. I am pissed I only have two bottles left! Off to buy more Lotto tickets...
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Seems to be losing some of its "freshness"....the fruit is fading. Needed more time than past bottles to open up. Has gained a prune flavor when opened. Took about an hour before it hit its stride. Still a very nice bottle.
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I can't believe how poor this wine was. really sorry we waited. may never wait again on a california cab. Should have drank 5 years ago somewhat musty on the nose most of the fruit is gone. got better with some time but nothing like I expected. Probably will not buy any more. Lots of wine is better at much cheaper prices. Had a 2006 chimney rock cab for dinner that wqs heads ahd shoulders above the insignia. Really bummed!!!!
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This is an incredible wine, the nose was filled with lovely dark fruit; tannins were solid. The balance and fruit were perfect on the palatte. Cherry and stone fruit predominate, it is perfect.
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Friday night - surprise 50 b'day at our house w/John, Linda, Stevie, Sue, Lee and Lisa - great wines brought and consumed with lamb shanks. Started with 1999 Camartina (US), then Chateau Margaux 1993 ( LG), Phelps Insignia 1997 (US), then a Mag of Stags Lear Cask 23 1991 (Stevie), a Chateau Quinault 2000 and a Mag of Karl Lawrence 2002 (Stevie). All were great - I particularly enjoyed the Camartina, Phelps and Karl Lawrence.
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Popped and poured at byob. Sorry I wasn't able to decant an hour or two prior. Top half of cork crumbly and bottom half extracted in one piece. Dark purple with no sign of maturity. Black fruits on the nose-plum, cherry and blueberry. Initial whiff of funk that quickly blew off. Nice balanced palate of cassis, plum, mineral, earth and cedar. More Bdx like than CA. Long finish, no tannin. A very fine wine.
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Berserkerfest very brief retrospective notes (PDH NYC): Approachable tannin, silky, very well-made, but my mind kept going to a single word: "good." There is absolutely nothing about this wine to criticize, but my little tiny pour (and that may be the issue) did not reveal anything remarkable, just a very well-made, solid, but not remarkable wine. Time to sit with a glass may obviously have changed my opinion.
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Popped and poured tonight, and I have no doubt in my mind that this would be better with a 1-4 hour decant. Nose of cassis, blackberry, currants, plum, and some mocha and spice. There was a bit of oak rounding out the nose, and just a bit of creamy vanilla. On the palate, this is drinking as well as any '97 we've tried to date. I can't say for sure that this is peaking right now, but after this was opened for about 2 hours, it was about as gorgeous as I can see it get, yet it will easily age another 5 to 10+ years with proper storage! Dark berries and currants on the palate, with nice subtle hints of mocha, black cherry, blueberry, and blackberry! Finally, a bite of licorice, and spice on the long supple finish. The alcohol and tannins were integrated nicely, and all in all, this is drinking absolutely gorgeously. I really do not see this wine getting a whole lot better, but there is just a bit of room for improvement I suppose. This is definitely drinking better than the 2002 at this point. Another contender for my wine of the night, but this was edged out by the Ghost Horse, and 93 point worthy. Cheers!
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Ooh la la. Loved it. Cassis, black cherry and forest moss dominate this heavy weight. This still has years ahead of itself. Absolutely stunning. Amazing mouthfeel, texture and a very long finish.
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Group de Degustation Diner, Octobre 2010 (Chez Patrick, 26 Peel Street, Central, Hong Kong): Served blind with no indication of age or country of origin. Dark purple/red colour...white meniscus. Nose is earthy loam with fresh forest strawberries, red cherry, nail varnish at the back. Palate is dense, rich and chewy. My note reads "typical disappointing Burgundy palate" and I guessed it as a 1998 Morey St, Denis by a medium-level producer such as Jadot. Humblingly wrong, but humblingly interesting in a strict blind tasting because this is one of my seriously most favourite wines of all time. So it shows what I know.........
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Not formal notes - writing this the next day. Very well balanced and still has a youthful feel to it. Lots of ripe fruit. Even a little bit of heat at first, but was singing after 3-4 hours.
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Beautiful thick dark ruby color. Lovely nose of cassis and black currants with bitter chocolate. This perfect bottle needed hours to really open up. Initially, it was huge and chocolaty and a bit too much but then the tannins softened and the wine mellowed into thick red silk. This is an extemely ripe wine with huge fruit but it's balanced by solid acidity and some tannic grip. I actually think well-stored bottles will be even better in a few more years. Only the alcohol on the finish takes away slightly from this awesome expression of Napa cab.
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this bottle was in my possession since I bought it. we decanted it and there wasnt a speck of sediment. the wine had great flavor, with bright fruit and a nice finish. I think the flavor imporved a little over time, maybe it could last for 5 years nire at most, but it was delicious when we drank it
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Excellent wine! Nose exhibited lush berries, perfumed and gentle. The palate was fully developed and this wine is in the zone, absolutely ready to drink or could last another 5-10 years. Not sure if it will improve, but it is so damn good right now , why bother waiting. I gave it about a 1 hour decant and that was plenty sufficient. Enjoyed by all.
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Awesome bottle of wine! Tannins are barely present and the wine gives wave after wave of lush black fruit. Decanted for one hour in bottle and 30 minutes in decanter. Threw off a decent amount of sediment, so pour slowly and allow to stand if stored on its sidel.
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Decanted and poured right away. This wine got better throughout the hour it was consumed . Delicious showing deep rich fruit with a full body and excellent appeal. I will save my last bottle for a special occasion as this wine doesn't appear to be on the decline at all.
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Opened, decanted for 60 min. Dense, dark purple, slightly lighter on the rim - no sign of bricking. Beautiful nose of cherry, plums, blackberry, vanilla and spice notes that continued to develop over a 2 hour window. On the palate - simply amazing. I last rated this (11/08) at 94 but this wine has clearly developed over the last few years to something truly amazing. Big, rich, well integrated w loads of cherry, plum, currants, anise, vanilla, peppery spice and some woody notes. Long mouth coating finish. Needs food. Structure, fruit & tannins all suggest another 10 years....but if you have more than one, try it now!
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A classic nose of dark fruit, still big nose even after being decanted and being 13 years old, dark purple amber in color. Black cherry, plum, currants, licorice and vanilla, an exceptional bottle of wine.
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Simply a frickin' fantastic Cab that is at its peak right now. Glad I had the patience to wait for this to develop as this is some killer stuff. It has wonderful nose with cherry filled fruit on the palate. Silky smooth tannins with a nice long complex finish. We brought this with us to Churchill's for a great steak oscar and there could not have been a better wine to go with our dinner.
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Blind. I've had over 100 bottles of this and glad to say I pegged it fairly quickly. Showed very well. Excellent balance. Still good fruit but starting to lose the vibrancy but getting more Bdx notes instead so not necessarily better or worse - just a bit different now.
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Youthful black cherry, with glints of dark cranberry toward the rim. Nose of very ripe but simple red fruit, with some green elements. Very ripe, pure, beautiful fruit on the palate, a little chocolate. Liqueur-like, with very warm alcohol, verging on harsh. Lovely but still simple and linear, not likely to hold up to its alcohol as it ages.
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Brought to dinner at Roots. Perfect steak wine, but not-overdone. Good fruit, balance, finish. Bit sweet when opened, but a couple of hours of decanting got it to the right spot.
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Great wine. Decanted for 2 hours -- cab fruit, some chocolate, cedar, and saddle leather on nose. So smooth and balanced on palate with chocolate, cedar, some earthiness. Long, smooth finish. In a great spot now -- can't see how it can be much better.
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Classic Napa wine with the currants and blackberries galore in a nice smooth finish. Decanted a couple of hours prior, just got better as the night went on.
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First of 4 this evening - decanted for ~1 hr. Deep, rich ruby color out of the bottle. Wonderful aroma of dark cherries (lit the room up), silky smooth on the palate w/ a nice 40 second finish.
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Wine dinner at the Urban Farmer, Portland, OR. 18 wines drunk amongst 18 people. The Insignia was tasted against a 1999 Quilceda Creek and a 1997 Betz Alpha. All were decanted back into the bottle after vinturi and recorked. All were served at 65 degrees. The Insignia was clearly the WOTF. Beautiful nose of mixed berries and a finish of 40+ seconds. This is a complete wine that demonstrates winemaking and blending at its finist. The integration of acids, tannins, and fruit was complete and several at the table had philosphical moments over this wine, which was served with grass fed, locally raised ribeye. This won't (can't) get any better than it is, so if you're fortunate to have some, find the right moment and drink it up! (Note: The QC and Betz were also great, they just didn't rise to the level of the Insignia for this tasting).
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Rich, juicy cassis, savory aromas, and mossy earth on the nose. Elegant, balanced palate with black cherry and earthy soil character. Loses concentration 7/8 through the palate but finishes smoothly.
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Had at Paul Spencer's place last night. The second glass was great. The first glass was much tighter and oaky. Decanter an hour before drinking, then used decantus for second glass. Dark fruit came out as wine opened up.
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Nose of mint, chocolate, cigar box. A little closed at this point, perhaps tannins are too great for the remaining fruit. Blueberry, raspberry, hint of saddle leather. Plenty of acidity so it is still lively on the tongue. At $80 several year ago, not a great value but not bad by wine standards at the time. On a restaurant list at over $250, I would be ticked.
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wonderfully integrated. Still has time left. some points off for slightly murky dark fruit, would expect a wine of this cailbre to be more focused on the mid palate. The horror of it all was that my wife opened this bottle and poured 1/3 of it over a filet and cooked it. Go figure.
Fight Night. No formal notes. A fantastic wine. Terrific layers of black fruit with some spice and earth. Great backbone but not overly tannic. This wine usually does not disappoint.
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At PrairieGrass with the Boersmas. This one still drinks so well- smooth, velvety mouthfeel. It was an interesting counterplay with the 01 Montelena which was a little less velvety but a little more refined where as the Insignia had more oak that met very well with the lush fruit of the vintage. Absolutely delicious. I'm going to try to make the last one go until 2017.
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Graciously opened by Grossie. Beguiling, flamboyant, deep, lush, and balanced yet decadent. Still a knockout and consistently one of my favorite Insignia vintages. It simply has never slowed down, right from the release date. An amazing wine.
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shared with a friend.1 hr decant. if you are looking for balance, this one has it bigtime. if you are looking for a reasonable finish, this one has it. if you are looking for in your face fruit, this one isnt there. a nice cab, i wouldnt call it big. i would call it smooth.
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Exceptional. Still tannic and closed even after 12 years. Given 45 minutes to open up, the flavors just jump out at you. Great balance with wonderful when will it end finish. You can't stop drinking it. This wine has plenty of time left in it. I may wait another couple of years before opening another one
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Thanksgiving from Magnum. Decanted 1 hour to remove sediment. I've had this wine so many times and this is just started to show what it can be. The balance is perfect but it seemed a little one dimensional on this night. I still really liked it but would wait another few years to open another.
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Thanksgiving Wines: From Magnum. This is still just a baby. Still has tremendous, focused cherry and blackberry fruit and shows great balance. I got a little leather and tobacco, but the fruit is still so big that it's difficult for me to see through the wall of fruit and detect the nuances beyond it. Needs more time. I actually liked the Regusci better last night.
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Drank at Jordan's graduation party, wanted to share with Jennifer Dickinson. Popped and poured. I was shocked that this was still this much too young, and it was my last bottle. Excellent and certainly approachable, but could have coasted another 5 to 10 years, Deep dark eggplant to the rim, Moderate amount of dark fruit, on the nose and palate, all still primary. Definite tannin very present on the palate. Excellent structure and balance, should have had a long decant or several more years. Could warrant even higher score when mature.
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Absolutely extraordinary - Like all my wines this bottle had been cellared at 58F and 65%RH. It was still a bit tight to the taste and so it was decanted and allowed to stand for 60 minutes. It then continued to open up over the next hour as conversation on the merits of correct cellaring ensued. The soft tannins had yielded to elegantly orchestrated flavors of blackberry, scorched earth, plum and cherry. Wow!
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Ruby / garnet. Red berries, soap, smoke and a touch of menthol. Good complexity. Light compared to other wines tonight but showed good punch and lift. This finished nicely. I liked this better than most. Winey, in a good way. (91)
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After 30 minute decant this wine was singing. The fruit was still fresh ripe and rich, offset by a powerful backbone that indicates it still has a few years of prime drinking. The finish was long and full. One of the best wines i have had to date.
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Served with dinner at Bella Vista, on Skyline. Seamless Cabernet. Lush red fruits, almost creamy tannins, 45 second finish. One of those bottles that you just wanted to go on all night. Drinking phenominal right now, certainly not in decline, but I wonder if it will improve.
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I have been drinking this wine since its release and I must say that it has always been a great drinker. It has certainly mellowed since those first bottles, but it never fails to impress. I picked up another case at the Zachy's LA auction today and since we were cooking steak, I figured it was a good time to pop a bottle. The most notable feature of this wine is its drinkability, which may also be its downfall, since it was gone before we knew it. Great acidity, still good tannins, nice dark fruits. No heat issues at all - less than 14% alc. from a CA wine, who knew it? I will miss this wine when it all gone.
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Vintage Cult - California Ultra Luxury Table Wine (Learn About Wine lofts - Los Angeles): 13.8% alcohol. 83% Cab. Sav., 14% Merlot, 3% P. Verdot. RP 96 pts. Lovely deep garnet color. Bordeaux like nose, full of plum, cherry, cocoa, licorice, hint of caramel and molasses, coffee, earth, hint of leather bandage, and even a whiff of mushrooms. full bodied, sweet ripe fruit, yet dry and full of firm tannins that seem nicely polished.
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I am a Bordeaux fan but I have to admit, this is a great wine. I bought a half case of this at the urging of friend who is a California wine advocate. Just opened my first bottle. It was at least as good as any Bordeaux I have had in the past few years.
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Amazing wine...Just spectacular. At it's peak, but still has a lot of life left. This wine has everything going for it. If you love California Bordeaux style blends, it doesn't get any better. Velvety, silky with smooth tannins. Wow!
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My last tasting of this wine was four years ago, and it has certainly improved since then. In short, what a fantastic bottle of wine. Ready to drink 15 minutes after pulling the cork, this was singing. Fully resolved tannins, great fruit concentration, silky velvety in the mouth with a long finish. Cocoa, some tobacco, cedar, sweet rich. This was fantastic. Drinking great now, with much life ahead.
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Another great bottle of '97 Insignia and WOTN for some. No decant this time, just pop and pour and served with appetizers. Great body, nice dark fruits, cedar and pepper on nose. No heat to speak of.
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Dinner at Madera/Rosewood Hotel (Palo Alto). In a word, fantastic. Drinking beautifully now and standing up wonderfully. Could have used an extra hour of decanting (drank with dinner after an hour open). Was just reaching a nice complexity as it continued to open up through our main courses.
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pop and pour, initially too cold. as it warmed, it became apparent that it would be a higher performing bottle than a few months ago. supple tannin, beautiful fruit, long finish, this is a wine at peak performance. fragrantly intoxicating, and not a harsh edge in any component.
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Double decanted the night before. Much bigger wine when first opened, mellowed nicely 24 hours later. Green pepper, cedar, melon and cement dust on nose. It was a little syrupy when first opened, but the next day that had turned into nice fruit flavors of raspberry, cherry and blackberry. A little raisin on the finish, but not candied. Tannins were still big, drying and a tad bitter, which helped to balance the fruit. Really long finish of cherry and melon (after the raisin fades). This is a perfect steak wine and and easy drinker.
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Wonderful wine - more bordeaux like than last remembered. Still going strong but I can't see it getting any better. Needed about 30 minutes in the decanter to open up.
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Fine ruby color. Pretty nose of blackberry bramble, ultra-ripe cassis and alcohol. Very soft and plush texture but with a good spine of acidity underneath. Really ripe, decadent fruit flavors of cassis, blackberries and licorice. Finishes with quite an alcoholic hit that sort of obliterates any potential complexity on the finish. This wine possesses such lovely fruit but is ultimately too ripe for its own good. Perhaps an off-bottle or an off-night for my mouth since it's been so good on other occasions.
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Qquite possibly the single best California Cabernet I have ever had. Incredible concentration, it poured an inky purple. Loads of sweet black currant, cherry/berry fruit with well integrated vanillin oak flavors. Still quite young, I'll probably give my next bottle a few more years.
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From Magnum, decanted about an hour before drinking. Very smooth with typical cab fruits, chocolate, a fair amount of anise, a bit of bell pepper, and hints of graphite and tobacco. Going strong about 4 hours after opening, and really sang with lamb chops. I was sad when my glass was finally empty. Outstanding wine that will easily go another decade in magnums.
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King Grape- california cabernets (cafe pyrennes, libertyville IL): nose: fairly tight at first and took a while to unravel. As it opened up beautiful and well balanced tones of red fruits, red cherries, black berries, small mixed berries and bits of cedar and smokey tones. Very sultry nose that becomes almost intoxicating
taste: lovely and pure with a smooth medium+ feel providing rich tones of red fruits, cedar, smoke, black berries and red cherries
overall: a very classy and elegant wine. This has a long way to go and posseses beautiful purity of fruit with wonderful balance
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King Grape Dinner (Cafe Pyrennes, Libertyville, IL): Anise, burnt cherries, rich ripe cherries & wood . All those flavors come through in the mouth plus some smoky, earthy tones. Great rich fruit. Finish is very dry yet gorgeous with great flavors carrying through--dry cherries, tobacco hints, etc. Lots of life left for sure, though absolutely gorgeous now in its mid-life. 94+
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Deep, opaque color. Expressive nose from the start evolves over time; giving scents of decadent dark berry fruit, sandalwood, some bell pepper, and accents of tobacco. On the palate, this cab is firm and youthful for being almost twelve years old. A little alcohol shows in the beginning, but after 3 hours it comes into balance with the fruit and tannin showing well. The most impressive attribute of this wine is the ending; offering a great finish with tremendous length and flavor.
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San Diego Mini Offline (Wine Vault, San Diego): Nose shows some ripeness as well as some signs of vanilla oak. A big fat wine of concentrated berry sauce. Still plenty of tannin here. A very hedonistic wine right now and well done for the style. Not sure the kind of path this style of wine will take to maturity but will please many right now.
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pop and pour. an excellent wine, but i've had better bottles. nevertheless, i consider this wine fully mature, and in it's relatively long drinking window. my guestimate is drink by 2012.
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Great showing. Still something of a youngster, this did not begin to show much until 60 minutes in the decanter. Then . . . boom, the fruit appeared -- luscious cherry, blackberry, and blueberry, with well-integrated tannin and decent acidity. Hints of leather and vanilla add interesting nuance.
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Just a great bottle of wine. Starting to enter the mature stages with more tobacco and leather inter-mixed with the black fruit. This still has a long life ahead of it.
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Spectacular wine; our first Insignia and it didn't disappoint. It had rich, complex flavors that were in the blackberry realm with a nice balance of tannins. The finish was wonderful and lasted for days...
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Sitting on 12 years old, this wine was showing almost no signs of age. The color was still dark ruby in color. Very concentrated, with dark fruits and spice.
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Not quite as fruit-forward as the last bottle I tried several months ago, but still very much in its prime, and this one seemed much prettier, so I'm taking my Rating up a point.
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Nice nose, dusty earth with rich cocoa and strawberry. Very lush fruit forward with fresh vanilla sticks, hints of mint with a really nice acidity balanced with nice gripping tannins. Still pretty young. As good as everyone says it is!
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Dark red to rim, shy nose at first but opens over one hour to rich, ripe dark berry fruits, full body, nice finish, firm tannins, even better on day 2 as tannins mellow a bit and palate feel becomes more layered and plush. Still young.
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Not much to add to the 100+ notes on this wine. Drinking great now, with a combination of alluring complexity on the nose and palate and a smoothe, mature mouthfeel. One of my favorite CA wines.
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This remains one of our all-time favorite bottles of wine. Still young and fine, with a developing flash of blueberry-blackberry-licorice in the middle, smooth, with an endless finish. Plush, but not as much oak as some of the later vintages. Love this wine. We drank it with marinated flank steak and it did its best to hold up to all the spice.
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Even though we only paid $80 for this wine, it still is perhaps the most "valuable" wine we have drunk ever (and we drink a lot of wine) so rating it is a challenge. You know, objectivity? Anyhow, my first impressions. stll at cellar temps and decanted for 5 minutes were that it had that "explosive" nose I read others talking about. Sometimes I think that is BS, but in this case, the wine did jump out of the glass with a hint of skunk, earth, anise/licorice and berry. On warming, the skunk, thankfully, blew off quite quickly (reduction?) to reveal a more even nose, not actually quite as nice or complex but still good. That nose was more minty/licorice with a slighty musty, earthy odor that was not unpleasant, despite my description. Very well integrated, mature but still bright flavors of blue fruit, mint, oak, scotch (barrel?) with quite refined and pleasant, easy finishing tannin and just enough acidity to make it zing. Really quite nice, although I would not spend $200 retail on it, maybe in a restaurant if someone else was paying.
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I've now had this wine 4 times since release. It's the wine that got me into wine so it holds a special place for me. The fact that its a great wine helps too. The last time was in 2006 for our anniversary and my wife and I thought at that time it was in peak form. We were so sad when the bottle was gone, we'd wish there was more. This time it did not disappoint, saddle leather, rich raspberry, charred cedar and cassis on the nose. In the mouth, the tannins are totally resolved and the wine is smooth as silk. The wine has held up well. I believe it is now on the back side of its peak drinking shape for 750 ml bottles. The 97 will bring enjoyment for another 5 years, but the fruit is losing its vibrancy and now the more mature bordeaux like charactersitics (with a cali flair) are coming through.
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Nano and Claudia's BBQ Blow Out (Manalapan, NJ): This was pop and pour. At first, there was alcohol on the nose that blew off quickly. This remains one of my preferred California Cabs. Sweet and fruity, but not too much. Lots of balance.
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BLACKBERRIES AND BLACK CURRANTS IN THE NOSE. NICE FRUIT IN THE FLAVOR BUT FELL OFF IN THE MOUTH WITH A SHORT TO MEDIUM FINISH AT BEST. NICE NOSE AND FIRST IMPRESSION BUT DISAPPOINTING OVERALL
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True to the 97 vintage, this was a wonderful red blend out of Napa. Extremely structured and well balance, plenty of dark, rich fruit with aromas of chocolate, espresso, cola and wonderful hints of vanilla and cedar. The tannins were firm yet smooth, and the finish captured the cassis and black cherry. Needed an hour or 2 to decant, great bottle of wine.
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Dark Ruby, deep nose of shoe polish, cassis and cedar. Rich, full bodied Napa Cabernet, chocolate notes, luxurious and very balanced...sure to age well but very enjoyable now.
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I believe this wine was decanted about 2 hours before being brought to the restaurant. Purple color in the glass, clear hue throughout. Nose of laquer (not offensive), melted black licorice, plums and currants. Flavors of berries, cherries and currants. Medium acidity, moderate turning towards integrated tannins, medium to full body. Drink or hold. I'll stick with my previous rating of WIML95 but this might have been just a half step behind the previous bottle.
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A bit muted today, but more refined that prior bottles. Interesting time of this wine's life, where it reminds me more of a nice aged Bordeaux as opposed to a California Cabernet blend. Cork was very well preserved. I really think you should drink these within the next few years.
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Dark inky purple color; nose of currants, spice, cigar box and tobacco; medium to full body; tannins were silky smooth and perfectly integrated with the dark berry fruit; not as complex as I would have expected but an outstanding wine which should only get bettter as it takes on some secondary flavors.
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Weekend in the Bay Area: 97 insignia, 04 Matriarch, 05 Seven Stones, and much more! (Bay Area): What a wine. Thank you Paul and Stacey for sharing. It's still young imo but starting to see some secondary flavors. Lots of cassis, dark fruit on both the nose and palate. The creamy finish on this wine is incredible. Goes on and on and on. Why pay over $200 for the new vintages of Insignia when you can get this wine for the same price? Amazing wine that is complex, well balanced, and what a CA Cab should be like with over 10 years of age.
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An all around fantastic bottle of wine. My wife and I had this for our anniversary dinner with some good friends of our who got married the day before we did. We opened this along with a 1990 Cos d'Estournel and a 1994 Angelus and despite the fact that both of those other bottles were stunning, the 97 Insignia was the wine of the night. So much going on with the nose and flavors in perfect harmony. Black cherries, chocolate, vanilla and new leather flowing from start to finish with an amazing smooth texture and a long long finish. The best vintage of Insignia we have had. 97+
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My first taste of the Insignia was the 2003 vintage about a year ago. At that time I was not impressed and felt that this wine was not worth the price tag, so I never went out of my way to have it again. When a friend of mine pulled this 97 out as a "follow-up" to two superb bordeauxs we had with dinner, I didn't know what to expect. At first sip, my mouth came alive with flavors but then settled into the warm embrace of this wine. Lush dark fruits are balanced excellently with cinnamon, smoke, and cedar. This wine was perfect from start to finish. I now understand what all the fuss is about Insignia, and am now a converted fan. I was jaded by the youth of the 2003, but I promise never to be deceived again. This was without question the wine of the night and a great cap off to a very hedonistic weekend.
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Silky smooth with good ripeness of cassis and black fruits. Complex on the finish with notes of chocolate, blackberries and a hint of dill. Medium-to-full bodied with the perfect intensity to stand up to kobe beef steaks. Not over the top at all. Seems perfectly ready now.
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Amazing bottle with great balance, but still enough acid and tannin to last for another decade. Gentle nose of cassis and black cherries with a soft palate and finish. Wifey loved this, which is high praise. FWIW, she did not enjoy this wine the last time we opened one, six years ago.
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Decanted 90 minutes and drank over approximately 90 minutes. Still incredibly think, unctuous, and fruit-forward, with lots of tobacco and leather through to a pretty long finish. Not terribly nuanced, but I guess I didn't expect it to be. Perfect for showing up a simple steak!
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From magnum wine was much tighter than recent French Bakery BYO Napa Dinner, although decanted for 2-3 hours. We all preferred the 97 Backus, which was surprisingly more forward than the Insignia. Half bottle left over, and had at Michael's Geniuine next evening, when ito my palate it showed much better. Sweet herbal notes, quite good 2nd night.
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One of two bottles drunk on "open that bottle night" with the Steve and Sue, Lisa and Lee and John and Linda. Very enjoyable - will keep the remaining bottles a while longer before drinking.
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Currants and red fruit on the nose, with a hint of a nutmeg like spice. Great texture on the palate, with just a touch of heat. More red fruit, with nice acidity to lift the finish. Bit of chocolate as well, but very bitter. Actually is a little young still.
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French Bakery BYO 1990's Cali Cab Sauv dominant wines; 12/19/2007-12/20/2007: My wine. Shared the honors w the 97 Caymus in this flight, and also one of the WOTN's, for which there was no clear cut winner. Double decanted in am, when it paled next to the 96 Hillside Select. At dinner it showed its balance and complexity, and it and the 97 Caymus were preferred over the 97 Della Valle. Over the years this wine has consistently shown well with food. Still have a couple of bottles, and a magnum left
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Tasted double blind. Garnet color. Wonderful woody, dark fruit and herb aromas. Well balanced, with black cherry, blackberry and plum flavors. Nice, lengthy finish. Correctly identified '97 CA cabernet.
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At North Pond with the Radis's and Taylors. A lovely bottle of wine indeed. Sweet bright fruit, tannins resolved, great length. If it had a little more depth it would score into the high 90s. This botle was about as good of one of these as I've ever had.
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Gorgeous nose of blackberry bramble, rips cassis and and a hint of bitter chocolate. Soft and unctuous on the palate with delicious flavors of blackberries, bitter chocolate and sweet plums. An elegant wine with a finely concentrated, structured finish. Classy Napa Cab that just about perfectly ready tonight.
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#1 of 25 '97's tasted blind on 11/18. Just a great combination of fruit, texture, and tannins. The 'ol "iron fist in a velvet glove" cliche. Some wines need a microphone to be heard, this one needs a silencer, it's born to kill. Lots of time left, 94 pts on day 2.
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This wine still had a hint of tannins. It can stay in the cellar for a few more years. We decanted for over an hour. We did a comparison tasting with the 1997 Cinq Cepages. If you made me choose between the two I thought the Cinq Cepages was the better of the two but it would be splitting hairs. It's whether you prefer a little more tannins to a softer supple wine. I would not cellar the Cinq Cepages much longer. The Insignia was a great wine. It was our last bottle of the '97 so it was that much more enjoyable. One of the best Insignias ever (not quite as good as the '02 but right there).
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drinking beautifully right now. velvety finish. i started with a dozen of these and have had one a year for the last 4 years. the last 3 bottles, the wine still tasted young to me. this bottle seemed to mark a transition into a new phase of drinkability. nice smooth finish. the only fault of this wine that prevents it from scoring higher is that the intensity of flavor is not as dense as i have tasted in higher scoring wines from 97, such as bryant, shafer hillside, harlan.
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At Half Moon Bay with friends at the Ritz Carlton. Minimal notes. Showing very nicely tonight - smooth, refined, with just a hint of vanilla and oak as an accent.
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Deep garnet. The nose initially showed some VA, but it settled down, but never completely left, which took points off for me. Tasted with 2 other vintages of Insignia, it certainly had its supporters. It opened the most of the three (91, 2002, 97) over the course of the evening. Great, but just with that one caveat.
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Beautiful fruit showing bouquet and flavors, decanted for 3 hours and still a wonderful live tanic spine. Blackberry, cherry and deep licorice accents. Very nice, aging wonderfully, not a silky carmely mature yet.
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Thirty Years of Phelps Insignia (1974 through 2004): Expressive nose of dark fruit and mineral. Extremely concentrated fruit augmented with some oak. Expansive and interesting on the palate. Very tannic. Needs time, but should develop into something special. MY WOTF.
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Insignia Vertical Tasting 1974-2004 (WA Frost, St. Paul): Rich black fruit, soy, purple flowers, and smoke. Deep and rich and primal, yet already showing layers of complexity. Very dark, intense, and backward. Young; showing a lot of vanilla/oak. WOTF for me.
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At first a bit closed and disappointing but around the second glass and one hour later it opens up and reveals itself as a truly fantastic and memorable Cabernet. Lovely, fruity and superbly well balanced. .I think it will hold its own for at least five years to come.
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I almost never drink CA cabernet, however, this wine is flat out on fire good. Thick and unconcious pure black currant raspberry nose. So thick the sugar almost stains the crystal. A finish that lasts for 30 minutes. Bad to the bone special year of 97... reminds me of pichon lalande... This was purchased at in Napa back in 2000.
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Well, we served up a dinner of roasted halibut and grilled salmon with fresh greens and beans. Dad just lapped this up, but I was underwhelmed. Modest weight, fine tannins and balanced fruit and a rather linear finish-- nothing that made it stand out.
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Gave it another chance based on the other notes. Certainly has a nice balanced core of fruit, but - at least from my cellar - not ready. My last look for at least a couple of years.
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This bottle seemed fairly primary to me. All the right components are there for a nice bottle, but this isn't ready. I keep the cellar cold and have owned these since release, so maybe mine aren't as developed, but I plan on holding a bit before opening the next one.
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Has a great, complex, classic nose that seems to hint of Bordeaux. Almost shows some grilled meats, but not like Syrah. I also get some soy. Palate shows warm, velvety red and black fruit - strawberry and plum. Tannins are starting to be nicely integrated, but this still has several years at this stage.
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Oak cedar and chocolate. Spilled some wine on note sheet and can't read it - Note to self . . . do not bring pen with water based ink to offline when you are drinking 10+ wines.
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Stunning - still very youthful in appearance and on the palate. The aromas and flavors are all wrapped up, with silky, cool fruit and subtle spices. Tannins are ripe and polished, and the finish is very elegant. Wish I had decanted, didn't have the patience. Still has years of evolution left.
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Aromas of blackberry, cassis, chocolate. Rich, velvety, still with sweet tannins. Flavors or cherry liquor, cassis, blackberry and chocolate. Flavors linger for a long time. Wonderful wine, still fresh.
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Everything I expected. Decanted for 2 hours, consumed at Postino's in Lafayette, CA with friends. Still has plenty of life ahead. Beautiful garnet color. Nose shows all the promise of great cab based wine, oak, tar, tobacco. Very nice mouthfeel, tannins are still solid but not overwhelming. Flavors run the spectrum, dark berries, cassis, tar. Balance is there. Lovely long finish. My last bottle !
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I've had this wine many times, and have several in the cellar, but this bottle was not up to the vintage's standards. Not sure, maybe in a shut period. Over five hours the bottle never improved.
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90s California Cabs (MA): Another obviously classic California cab and the paperbag couldn’t hide the short, stocky bottle so we knew what we were drinking. It compared most closely to the Maiden IMO. I found it a bit monolithic but I think others liked it more. A fantastic wine, to be sure. Only in hindsight when I think “geez, I got to try the 97 Insignia” that I feel like I would have guessed a more mind-blowing experience.
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Refining nicely, with the oak component pretty much dissipated by now. Smooth finish, with nice notes of blueberry and black currants that no longer hit you in the face. I really wonder how many years this has left. Will it get better? That is what I thought upon initially opening the wine, but since I had a whole bottle to myself, I kept it for 3 more days, sampling each day—recorked and stored at 55 degrees. It was better on day 3, at which point I shared it with friends, who really enjoyed it. It opened up with more fruit notes, yet had good complexity. I think it has quite a few years left in it, but sometimes I miss the young 97 Insignia, when I had it 6 years ago.
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Drank this with the 1997 Chateau Montelena and the Insignia didn't show as well. The telltale Napa fruit was there, both on the nose and in the mouth, with nice hints of eucalyptis and some cigar box/tobacco. Where the Insignia came up short, in comparison with the Montelena, was in the structure and the finish. Flavors were wonderful, but they dissipated quickly and seemed to lose all form in the short finish. A good wine, but not more than that.
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From mag at C-P Christmas eve dinner. Rich and smoothe, drinking well but should continue to evolve and improve for years. I didn't find the oak to be intrusive, as some others have. Just the delightful, complex chocolate covered cherries nose and clean lingering finish. Probably my fav CA wine.
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Beautiful on the nose. Somewhat tight on the palate . If I could do it all again, I'd wait a few years to touch this one. The 1994 I had several weeks back had a much stronger showing. Served with big, juicy Porterhouse steaks -- hoped for more with such a good pairing.
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Consumed from magnum at 910 Restaurant (Grande Colonial Hotel, La Jolla) as part of my 50th birthday celebration. The magnum was taken from my personal cellar. Although a formal note was not made, it can be said that the wine showed intense black fruit, good structure and was delicious (albeit young). It was well received by the guests and was excellent with the venison and flat iron steak.
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Tried immediately out of the decanter - oaky, a bit clipped (what one would probably expect). After two hours this wine was singing with much more balance and concentration of dark fruits. Glad I had a chance to try it, but this wine has a long life ahead of it and would benefit from many more years of sleep.
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Drank from my cellar at a friends home with a great steak and easily my WOTN. Poped and poured. Delicious right now, but could conceviebaly be better with a few more years under its belt. Will try to resist that last bottle in the cellar.
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Tasted November 4, 2006 at home. Opened and served immediately in a Spiegelau Authentis Magnum glass. Dark garnet to purple color in the glass, clear hue throughout. Big nose of dark plums, black cherries, crushed black berries and just a touch of expresso. Flavors of juicy plums, cassis, mixed cherries and a little raspberry. Medium acidity, medium tannins and definitely full bodied. Drink now with a minimal decant or hold another 10 + years. Slamming good wine. My favorite of the night.
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This was a truly spectacular California Cabernet. Color is dark garnet with slight lightening at the rim. On the nose, cherry, cassis, smoke, and a hint of chocolate. The palate reveals cherry, chewy cassis, spice, toasty wood, and smooth tannins. Beautifully balanced and a pleasure to drink. Matt Bair delivers again!
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A spectacular bottle. Decanted 2 hours and continued to improve over the following 2 hours. Seamless, complex and well-structured. There's a lot of chocolate to go with the dark fruits and a bit of earth. Deep ruby red...many years to go, but singing now.
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Blind Birthday Tasting (Win's House - Texas): Upon initial opening, amazing aromas of blueberries and raspberries with a bit of oak. Background of some pine and eucalyptus, coupled with solid tannins. After two hours, wine started to show very well—opened at the same time as a 2001 Château Latour—the Latour, at the two hour point was still more complex overall. Corked, and served 8 hours after opening—still showing very well. (Mustangs)
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Decanted 1.5 hours. Excellant! Great deep dark purple color. Nose was what a great red wants to be when it grows up! First taste introduces chocolate, cherry and dark berry flavors. Powerful but smooth. Firm wonderful tanins. Long smooth finish. Absolutely awesome from start to finish! A good friend shared from his cellar. What did I do to deserve this?
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Cab Lovers of NYC Insignia Vertical (Zoe): Phenomenal wine. Dark, super rich and concentrated. Ripe, plush black fruits that come in wave after wave. Hints of vanilla, espresso and herbs and, after a bit, I picked up some crushed mint as well. Sweet tannins that are fully resolved. How long was the finish? I'll tell you when it ends. A real blockbuster of a wine. I'm not sure how this is going to look in 10 years, but who cares when it is drinking so well now. WOTF. My WOTN.
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This is everything that people have said. Decant only to lose the sediment. Then drink away. This is my last bottle and I concur that I don't see this getting any better. Great taste, mouthfeel and finish. Bravo!
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Drank at a restaurant after about a one hour decant. Absolutely beautiful wine. Insignia has always been a very slutty wine to me, and this is no exception.
On the nose, blackberries, raspberries and vanilla oak. On the palate, silky and velvety, with chocolate and creamy vanilla mixing on the long finish. Tannins are very well integrated right now.
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decanted and drank immediately.nice rich nose leather, red fruits,vanilla. nice feel, balanced, with fine grain tannins. subdubed fruit. very balanced wine. I enjoy drinking it at this stage where there is still a little tanninic bite at the end, some may want to wait a little longer.
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Boulevard neglected to open our bottle two hours before our 7:30 table, as I had requested at 3pm -a rook move, to be sure, rudely punctuated by their demanding corkage fees none-the-less...Ergo: Next Year It's Quince. The '97 Insignia was tight out of the bottle, and showed only mossy cedar, then some cassis with coaxing. As our sweetbreads and oysters were well matched by their passable voignier, putting the glasses aside was easy. The Hess chardonnay is not "dry" but "bland," of course. My foul, that, but who's counting the follies of a confirmed jackass on a Mondag? Somewhere between my rude, but necessary and delicious, mid-course cigarette, and my first mouthful of slightly overcooked "ivory" king salmon, (which wanted more balsamic vin.), the cassis had shifted to currants and black cherries. This was at about the hour's mark. The wine improved steadily for the next hour and one half, showing more cherry, mocha and roasted strawberries, which turned up on the dessert menu, just like that. A very delicious wine, if uncomplicated, and will show more fruit with another year or two. A finish of 50 seconds, still tannic, still youthfull. Ruby/Purple to the rim. Attempt to hold, and find ye the 2001, is my conseil...
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Drank with duck and venison at martini bar in napa. So big in taste and texture was so soft. The finish was very long. Tons of fruit wish there was a bit more of coffee or minerals. But terrific.
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Atlanta Vielles Vignes – Bone’s and Cabs (Bone's Restaurant, Atlanta, GA): Nose of cassis and spicy blackberry. Great depth of fruit with rich cassis and black fruits that dance on the tongue and are wonderfully balanced with anise, light notes of mocha, and graphite. Consistent throughout the full bodied palate, this has rich, fine tannins and a nice lingering finish.
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Shared the wine with Anja (from Germany) & Jen & Tash, and served with filet mignon steaks. The wine was initially quite concentrated, but was delicious with just a few minutes of air time (no decanting). It showed notes of berry, black fruit, cassis, some chocolate, and more mature cabernet notes of herbs and expresso. Very smooth, rich, concentrated and decadent, the wine was delicious! Even better than in 2004.
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Terrific sweet ripe nose. Smooth as silk on the palate. This one had a hint of bitterness at the end- it may have only been in relation to the food, but this bottle was a notch down from the last. Still a great wine though.
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Out of magnum. Decanted for 3 hours before drinking. Beautiful nose after about 2 hours. Lots of blackberry, chocolate, and coffee aromas. Mouthfuls of black fruits, bitter chocolate and expresso with a super silky LONG finish. Very polished and integrated, but very Napa. Could not be confused with old world. This is a beautiful wine that still has lots of great years left. I would say it hasn't even fully developed yet.
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Decanted 15 minutes. Deep garnet color, rich fruit aroma with some earthiness. Full-bodied, tasty ripe fruit with cedar, some chocolate. This was so concentrated, almost like a port without being as sweet. Soft tannins, long finish...just delicious and one of my all-time favorites.
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Slightly herbaceous, and very smooth. Less oak than I remember from previous bottles. Should Insignia be drunk younger? Originally tasted single blind.
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Tasted as part of a blind tasting of five "cabs 1999 or older". This wine was voted the clear favorite. The nose was a little reticent at first, but after 20 minutes was gushing forth cedar, coconut, blackberries and mint. Fantastic balnace. It seemed like one velvety homogenous mass as it glided through the mouth. No disjointed parts or seams. A flamboyant "don't hate me because I'm beautiful" wine. Not a very complex Insignia, but undeniably delicious. I think this is right near its peak. Will drink my last bottle in 2006.
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Ripe and jammy fruits, chocolate and cedar. Light and nice. However, I didn't see anything that would allow me to give "extraordinary" rating to this wine.
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Phelps Insignia Vertical 15+ Years: Vertical tasting. Really impressive fruit, still getting better (vs. many 97s that seem to be fading). Very concentrated fruit, black cherry and currant, with interesting cocoa and espresso elements as well. Wish the finish were a bit longer.
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Absolutley spectacular. Incredibly ripe and jammy, with black cherries, blackberry jam and anise. Great complexity and long, elegant finish. Tannins fully integrated. Spectacular.
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Dark black chery, cassis, and some graphite notes. Ripe and full-bodied with fine tannins but sharp, unclean acids on the end and significantly advanced/unbalanced compared to other bottles of this I've had. Cooked at some point. **/5
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Wow, great cab. Sweet, rich, thick, syrupy with chocloate, current some cassis and dark red fruit. Big tannins but pretty soft. This wine drank very well, and drank equally well on day two - very impressive. Very good bottle of Insignia.
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wednesday evening after the initial carping about insignia getting WS WOTY, i took a (bonus #2!) 97 insignia over to a friends house. paired beautifully with a take home pizza, not decanted. this was a remarkable california cab. i happen to think that drinking these wines with 7-10 years of aging is optimal, and this was a poster child for that way of thinking. straight up fabulous. ultra silky mouthfeel and totally integrated tannin. i thought the petite verdot component was the key to it's showing, providing that little added kick to the usual cab/ merlot combination. if the 02 develops like this vintage did, purchasers will be awfully happy.
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Absolutely unbelievable. Vibrant and filled with mouthwatering layers of complex fruit and spice. Smooth, supple tannins. This magnum tasted fresh and young and could hold for years... but it was a great wine with friends and family.
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Had a blind lineup of cabs in the Finger Lakes with Chuck and Emily to celebrate their anniversary. This wine showed nicely in a tough lineup of blindly tasted wines. WOTN for everyone. I imagine the nose would have benefitted from more air (pop and pour-but had a chance to evolve in the glass over a couple of hours). Best nose and palate. The length finish was decent, but was overshadowed by a '94 Diamond Creek-Red Rock Terrace. Limited notes....but I do remember it was oustanding. Anxious to try this again and take some more detailed notes.
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I have tried this wine 3 or 4 times and while I've always thought it was a very good wine, I never thought it merited the 95+ that everyone talks about. I have typically found this too obvious and even a little sweet.
Tonight at North Pond this wine was singing. Without decanting this was an absolutely beautiful drink- slightly sweet nose but not oaky, the palate was so rich, smooth, silk, with a little spice. The beautiful rich cassis flavor was present without being sweet. There was a subtle spicy side, terrific acidity and not much tannin.
Tonight this was a WOW wine. My wife looked at me after the first sip and commented, and even our friends who are complete non-winos (Alyssa and Jeremy) remarked what an excellent wine this was. To me, worthy of 95pts, or even more. I just shudder to think this could be a 96 or 97 pt wine, I just don't give out those kind of scores.
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Tremendous...very drinkable. Flavors abound and as soft as any wine thoruhgout the tasting. The finish was remarkable. A confluence of wonderful tastes.
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10/03: IWFS tasting: Was best wine of the night vs. 1985 opus, Ojai syrah, 1974 BV Latour, etc. Very rich, to me much chocolate, tobacco, incredible. Still will go for awhile, but drinking very well. Wish I had more.
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Saturated black purple color. Explosive nose full of rich, ripe dark fruit, bitter chocolate, espresso, and a hint of cedar mulch. Balanced and full on the palate, with an incredibly sexy, voluptuous mouthfeel. Very long, complex finish. Whenever I start to feel down on California cabs, Insignia always seems to remind me of what there is to love about them. Great wine that should last a very long time, but there's no reason in the world why it can't or shouldn't be drunk now.
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Terrific fruit, depth, and finish. Showing great right now, especially if you like rich full Napa fruit. Not as tannic as many Insignias at this age level, just a pretty and delicious mouthful of wine.
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Dinner w/ Kevin & family. Wow, this was a beautifully balanced wine, exploding with layer after layer of nuanced flavor, including blueberries, chocolate, and mocha. Lots of structure and backbone to back up the fruit, and a super-long finish. Ultra-fine, well integrated tannins. Drinking superbly now, with perhaps some upside potential.
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Absolutely fabulous bottle. One of the best wines I consumed this year. This wine has everything. A great nose, fabulous mouth feel and long finish. This wine must be at or near it's peak since it's drinking so great.
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Gary Margol Offline (Bentley Hotel London): Gorgeous red liquorice nose, very sweet but not confected. Opulent rich brooding cherry on palate, in no way excessive though. Nice acid structure, if anything, lacking alittle tannin as its 'third leg'. Superb wine though, on a normal day this could be WOTN.
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Opened this on Mother's Day and so glad I did! The best word I could use to describe this wine is "Velvet". I loved this wine early in it's life but it's even better now. Hard to believe that Joe Phelps could produce such a high quality wine in such a large quantity. So glad that I have nine bottles left. Although it's great now it's got a long future ahead of it. Definitely one of the best Insignia's I've had the opportunity to drink. May be as good at the wonderful '95.
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Steaks at the Metropolitan Grill (Seattle, WA): We started out with this fantastic wine. At first it was all plush and loaded with chocolate, but with air some notes of tobacco came forth. Round, rich, long and powerful, it is both uncomplicated and irresistible at the same time.
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Magnum tasted with dinner at Gary Danko in San Francisco. The wine was served at cellar temperature and decanted within 30 minutes of the first course. This wine is drinking beautifully at this point. Incredible aromas including black fruits, floral and perfume qualities. The tanins were supple to begin with, but are now even more silky and integrated after some years of bottle age (8 at this point). The wine showed impressive structure and was tremendously big. I offered the somelier a taste and he agreed that the wine was still young and lively. He was at Charlie Trotter's in Chicago before joining Danko so I really trust his palate. This wine is ready to drink now and seems like it will continue to improve for the forseeable future.
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This bottle was incredibly pristine and showed very few signs of aging. The only hint of secondary characteristics was on the nose. If I had more of them I would wait at two more years before drinking another bottle. This wine had amazing concentration. Too bad it yelled louder than the other bottles to get out of the cellar. <smile>
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We bought a half case on release; we drank one way back then (i think 2000) and noted that it was just too young to get a read on. Well, we opened one last night for my birthday and it was JUST as YOUNG; great nose; blueberrry, raspberry, chocolate, big sweet tannins and a very long finish but still very closed... but it seemed almost like a barrel sample; deep purple/red, it left my teeth clearly purple... even the waiter at the restaurant (lark creek inn) noted that my teeth had turned purple. we finished the bottle tonight (3/24/2005) and it had opened up beautifully but still seemed very youthful... we have 4 more left and i will wait another few years before opening the next one. Excellent!
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It showed very well, no hard edges, very lush and round. Sweet cassis, a little tobacco and slight pepper. It's drinking well, and went great with beef short ribs in a red wine sauce. I still wish it had more secondary characteristics. I'll try again at some later date. 93pts, I was frankly hoping for more.
Drunk at "Spring" 3/12/05 with AG and my parents.
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Decanted for 2 hours and it was outstanding. Still seemed very young. It had a beautiful nose of black berries and chocolate. Very full bodied and rich with a very long finish. It was a 95 for me.
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Still young, this was decanted an hour in advance. A rich purple colour. A glorious nose of chocolate coated black cherry with a hint of kirsch. A rich, sweet palate, with rich blackfruits. I can see why people refer to this as having a chocolate milkshake like character. Intense, concentrated, with rich rich fruit and sweet tannins. Lovely.
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[belated Christmas in NYC] Decanted for 3 hours. Deep purple color. Distinctive Insigna taste sweet fruit, liquor, gum, and smoke. On the palate, chocolate, red fruit, new oak, and smoke. Interestingly though it was remarkable for 3 hours. At the six hour mark, it morphed, being predominantly cola with some fruit; corroborated by others.
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Opened on Xmas Eve. Perfect example of CalCab at its finest. Rich, dark fruit, sweet tannin, great depth and purity of Fruit. This one is a winner on every scale. My only regret is that it was my only bottle. Drink now through 2015.
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From a friend's cellar, this was dense, lush, but not soft. Dark purple fruits with a note of currant and smoke. Smooth, round, this opened in the glass for as long as I could leave some there (about 90 minutes). Cassis and choclate with just a hint of crushed herbs in the background. A great young Cab, this has the material to be awesome if it develops with age.
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Motley Cru Wine Tasting 2004.4 (San Marcos, CA): Killer Cab - great structure, loads of primary fruit - currant, strawberry, blackberry. Tannins still pretty big, but the fruit really shined through. Long finish with hints of sage, tar, and leather.
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The last time I tried the Insigina was on release in 1999, back then, it was an explosive wine with a massive nose of chocolate. It was impressive. Fast forward five years, and this wine is still a blockbuster. Big nose of chocolate, some cassis, and dark cheery liquor notes. Full bodied in the mouth, with a silky long finish. I just love the lingering jammy cherry finish which lasts quite a while. I was a little surprised, however, how quickly the nose receded after opening. An hour or so after pulling the cork, the nose diminished markedly. In it’s place, the wine showed a bit more alcohol and a slight steely edge. The finish, however, developed an even more jammy character. Great wine.
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Wine tasting. Huge concentrated fruit, very impressive. Great flavors of black cherry nicely complemented by good herbs, coffee and a hint of chocolate on the finsih. Still getting better.
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drank w/ kimberly Turner, Jackie Bryks, Jen & Tash @ K&J's house upstate. The wine was terrific. Good length, fruit and lots of chocolate flavors. Very smooth.
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Still purple black. A super nose of smoke and ripe black and red fruit. The palate and mouthfeel was just so opulent. Beautifully rich, lush, dense and concentrated, the tannin present but so sweet. Oaked but well integrated. This was stunning. Years of development to go. 96+ points.
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The nose shows graham crackers and chocolate. The palate is massive and very young. The tannins hide behind the fruit at first but come through at the finish.
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Wow, this was good. Had with steak at the Metropolitan grill. Big wine, complex nose, great finish. Had along with a '99 Duckhorn Cab which was also good, but much less interesting.
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Portfolio Ref # USA D1 Setting: Offline Appearance: bright opaque purple core, with a barely visible ruby red rim Nose: sweet toasty oak and black berries on the nose Palate: a lovely, integrated wine with full body, long finish, solid tannins, fresh red berries on the dry, creamy palate
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One of the most complex wines I have had. Parker's review is very accurate, but I would have given it an even higher score. It's almost perfect, the only slight detraction was a slight, but not unpleasent nail polish/acetone note.
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Saturday, April 12, 2003 A Tale of Two Bottles of One Wine, a Pickle and a Dumb Ringer Thanks to some good folks on this board three years ago, I was able to direct a colleague of mine to some very helpful wine stores in San Francisco. My colleague is decidedly not a wine geek, but does enjoy wine occasionally. So he thought that as long as he was in SF, why not find a bottle or two. Armed with a list of wines I’d suggested, he picked up two bottles of the ‘97 Insignia, one for me and one for him. No plans were made for either bottle. Occasionally, he’d ask about my bottle, whether I’d had it or when I might plan on having it, and expressed concern that his bottle might accidently be grabbed by his wife to supply one of her Friday afternoon Gathering-of-Mothers-temporarily-free-of-children-&-in-need-of-attitude-adjustments. Apparently, he’d had some close calls. The wine started burning a hole in my cellar, due in no small part to some of the controversial comments made here on the board. Was it an overdone oak bomb or was it another home run by Phelps? I had to have it. Sure enough, my colleague still had his bottle, and yes, he’d love to open both bottles over dinner. Plans made, dinner arranged: thyme rubbed beef tenderloin roasted to rare and served with a port&beef broth reduction sauce with bacon and roasted shallots. They arrived - our guests and their bottle. The corks of both were pulled consecutively. We decanted my bottle and set aside. His, we opened and poured a little, just for quality control. Both wines were deep, clear purple. One of the corks had tartrates and the other didn’t. Neither showed any sign of even a drop seeping; both had perfect little ’dials’ of wine at the business end. About an hour an half later we started dinner. In the meantime, we enjoyed Champalou Vouvray Brut with various cheeses from the Loire, some smoked oyster spread in wan-ton wraps and other things. The Champalou is much as I recalled it a month ago (link below - no need to repeat) http://www.westcoastwine.net/forum/read.php?f=13&i=367506&t=367506 The Insignia from the bottle was poured all around. When we finally sat down, we noticed the room filling with the scents vanilla, blackberries and oak. The blackberry was unmistakable. Deep and rich, but not jammy. Much the same on the palate along with currants and leather from beginning to midpalate. All very extracted and powerful. Several other notes, but none particularly focused. Too much oak for my taste, but a nice, big gripping wine nonetheless that carries through the midpalate. And then, the wine kinda ’clunks’. No one else noticed it and all disagreed with me when I mentioned it. Hey, whadda they know! But for me, the wine was not seamless; no where close to it. It had a distinct disconnect on the finish; a disjointed finish that I cannot accurately describe. We moved on to the decanted bottle of Insignia. Not nearly as much oak. Both the oak and vanilla are more in the background; not nearly as pronounced, but structural bass notes present from start to finish. But this is still a big wine and expresses layers of flavors - mocha, chocolate, currents, leather and plum - in addition to the blackberries. Yet, still on the finish was that unmistakable ’clunk’. Decanting had been beneficial, but had not resolved the disjointed quality. The table still didn’t agree with me on this, but then several at the table preferred the more oaky quality of the wine in the bottle than the wine in the decanter. More than one person commented that it was like drinking two different wines. I couldn’t go that far, but the difference was distinct. One person summarized that the Insignia had enough tannins to go 60 years. Six more would be the max of my estimate. In short time this wine will fall apart. Undoubtedly, the Insignia would blow away a lot of wines, and did later that night. However, it should have been more - what exactly I can’t say, but it just had an empty space that shouldn’t have b
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Brief note from my 2003 Cellar Diminishment Party: I would rank this alongside the 1974 and 1985 as the best vintages of Insignia I've had the opportunity to try. Great nose, fruit, mouthfeel, and finish. A 4-tool wine.
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($110) The First Big DFW Tasting, Casa Vineyard: Delicious stuff, as were all the Insignias. Chocolate cherry milkshakes that are low in acid, ripe, concentrated and very supple. Aimed at a wide audience and succeeding. DFW Tasting.
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4/28/2024 - snaff wrote: 93 Points
A bit better preserved than my last one. Love the damp earth running underneath the cassis and dusky berry notes. Well integrated and long complex finish.
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4/6/2024 - wa2ofd Likes this wine:
Outstanding!
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2/27/2024 - Heinrich Von Blumpkinstein wrote: 97 Points
Approximately 70 minute decant
Rich, full-bodied, jammy and a lot younger tasting than the year on the label would suggest. But enough about my ex wife! Ha!
Nose: a hint of cedar, mixed with an ever-so-slight note of eucalyptus. Some mushroom-like funkiness and a candied fruit, reminiscent of a well-balanced, aged fine or grand champagne cognac.
Palate: This wine is phenomenal. Cedar, fruit juice, the slightest hint of warm citrus, and definitely notes of tobacco. Am I tasting faint echoes of bubble gum?
Finish: Smooth as silk after it envelopes the palate on the initial entry. Brief, yet memorable, like my first marriage.
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2/14/2024 - CreativeCPA Likes this wine:
Very dark, opaque red. Dense. Nose of bell pepper, licorice. My husband gets a floral nose with charcoal and toast. Silky smooth mouth feel. Some bell pepper. Very rich flavor. Still has some tannins. I get some metal, stewed vegetables, after 5 hours. We had it open 3 hours before we tired it. It continued to open up all evening. Went great with steak in garlic butter.
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1/18/2024 - thesternowl wrote: 94 Points
1997 Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon Retrospective (Omaha, NE): Presented single-blind; no formal notes. This had a really compelling mix of fruit and non-fruit notes; multifaceted, balanced. Superb structure. Bordeaux-like. Called this “Insignia”. This was my favorite of the flight and the most complete wine in the line-up. Drinking well now and should hold that way well through 2027.
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12/25/2023 - kmforster Likes this wine: 93 Points
A short decant was plenty. Lovely with Christmas dinner.
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12/25/2023 - Steveweids2 Likes this wine: 97 Points
A little past time. But still excellent!
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12/3/2023 - Barsacpinci Likes this wine: 95 Points
Opened for the Bordeaux Wine Enthusiasts convention in D.C. 2023. In Magnum. Lovely wine. Full bodied, lots of layers. Floral nose. Dark blackberry notes and long finish of cedar.
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12/2/2023 - Pitkin_CT Likes this wine: 98 Points
What a fantastic wine. Drinking beautifully at 26! Great balance and mouthfeel.
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11/8/2023 - lesz Likes this wine: 93 Points
part of vertical tasting
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10/26/2023 - CabIsKing wrote: 99 Points
Drank in St. Augustine at The Collage restaurant. Had with Australian lamb chops. Beautiful nose of dark fruits, anise and hints of tobacco. On the tongue, just silky smooth with a long finish. One of my favorite wines of all time.
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10/19/2023 - rocknroller wrote: 97 Points
Judgement of Eagan (Jason P's, St. Paul, MN): Very dark red/puple color. 30 minutes double decant. Drank a glass plus over 90 minutes. I was hopeful for this, but also worried it might be too much. Well, it wasn't too much, while it simply soared in the glass. Ripe, beautiful, dark fruit of the forest profile, gorgeous, black and purple fruits; blackberry, mulberry, creme de cassis, menthol, tar and graphite on the nose. Wow, just singing. The palate is giving, wonderfully velvety on the palate, full and layered, impressive in the density, yet light on its feet for the intensity; blackberry, prominent black raspberry, boysenberry, rich and layered, menthol, violets, so polished on the tannins and crazy long. This was riveting. I've had so many of the cult Napa cabs by certain winemakers that really come off over the top and seem to have no soul or balance, but this was nothing like that. Complex, balanced, yes, clearly Nape fruit, but everything fit together beautifully. This topped a very good '83 Haut Brion for me and in the group vote 5-3. 96+ to 97pts.
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10/19/2023 - WineBurrowingWombat Likes this wine: 95 Points
Cracking the whip; 10/16/2023-10/23/2023 (Eagan, MN): N: Rich and dark red fruits, and integrated deep earth. A ton of fruit.
P: Well integrated fruits with earth, easily glides across the palate. Still tons of fruit but almost too much.
Great integration and quite smooth. I’m sure that if I had this Insignia on its own, it would’ve been great. But having it next to the Haut-Brion, this came off as too much with the abundance of fruit this had.
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10/19/2023 - I'd Rather Be Drinking Wine Likes this wine: 97 Points
Judgement of Eagan Wine Tasting (Jason's House): This wine was pitted against a 1983 Haut Brion....a very tough challenge! The group was divided, but this wine came out on top, barely! For me, it was no contest, even though the Haut Brion was drinking quite well, and of course, has the pedigree! I know when it comes to older bottles, bottle variation can play a major role, but I must say, both this and the Haut Brion came across as pristine bottles. I can honestly say that this was not only the best Insignia I have tasted, but one of the best wines, period, I have tasted!
The nuts and bolts: The nose was equal to the Haut Brion, showing some perfumed notes, earthy notes, old leather, some dark fruit and some spice. On the palate, this showed plenty of dark fruit with silky tannins, and perfect balanced with tertiary notes of earth, leather, tobacco and baking spices with hints of anise, tar and toasty oak. For my palate, this wine is in the zone where the fruit and tertiary flavors share the stage! I can't imagine this wine getting better, or it being better younger...it is in a perfect place right now....I just others have as much luck with their bottles! Solid 97 for me (and 98 is my benchmark for reds) My WOTN!
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10/19/2023 - galewskj wrote: 94 Points
Judgement of Eagan (Jason's house): 30 minute decant, drank a small glass over about 1.5 hours. Gushy purpley fruit, baking spice, kind of big (at least next to 1993 Haut Brion, although that wasn't shy either) and slightly modern in style, but these age very well and I think this has at least 5 years before it starts to fall off.
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8/28/2023 - BSal58 Likes this wine: 94 Points
I agree with some of the other remarks, I think it's starting to fade. That said it was totally enjoyable. It has vibrant fruit but leaning towards balsamic. The acidity is there to help it along and still goes well with a ribeye steak. It's smooth with a nice finish. I wouldn't wait a whole lot longer to drink. If I had more I would be drinking them this year or next
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8/12/2023 - traxxx Likes this wine: 95 Points
Last bottle of case😪😪 no decant, PNP. Silky tannins, red fruits, leather and light tobacco. Excellent balan e and smooth finish. Oh how I wish I had a couple more..outstanding
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8/11/2023 - kingflip1 Likes this wine: 95 Points
1997 - great vintage. I decided to not decant which I believe was the right choice. Consumed without food.
Initial aromas of port but kept evolving over time. Very intriguing and interesting experience. Brown on the edges. Smooth tannins, deeps flavors of figs, plums and raisins. After a while, some earthy flavors came out. The fruit is still present and a bit of freshness on the finish was a pleasant surprise given the boldness and age on this one.
Good balance for a Napa Cab. Would definitely like to drink another one although I wouldn't wait too much if I had any bottle left.
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7/3/2023 - Texas Corkscrew wrote: 100 Points
Plenty of fruit, drinking at the perfect point of age, beautiful, well balanced, soft tannins.
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7/3/2023 - Lipsman wrote: 94 Points
Much better than the previous bottle. Brown only at the edge, garnet throughout. Silky smooth, clean, mature California Cabernet showing great balance with earthy flavors, subtle cherry. A delight to drink.
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6/18/2023 - Lipsman wrote: flawed
Brown throughout. Tastes like a port initially. Past it’s prime. An aroma of Madeira blows off with a few minutes in the glass. Full bodied and rich, a smooth mouthfeel, but the fruit is falling away. It is now in a fully mature state. Enjoy your magnums and drink up the 750s. 90 points.
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5/15/2023 - snaff wrote: 90 Points
Well balanced with rich dark fruit and earthy notes but definitely on the downswing. Drink up.
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4/24/2023 - Rieslingfan wrote:
Today would have been my father’s 80th birthday. Pulled this bottle from his cellar for a quiet memorial dinner. There has been a conventional belief that 1997 was the vintage where Napa went to the dark side. After sampling numerous 1997s over the last few months I have to disagree with that. 1997 was an excellent vintage that set in motion changes that were made in attempts to emulate it, and that’s where things went wrong. 1998-2000 were not years for big and balanced. Attempts to achieve that led to the blueberry milkshake excesses of the early to mid 2000s. This wine had excellent balance, with still prominent black fruit, as well as silky palate presence and emerging tobacco and earthy notes. There was sufficient structure for balance, but it was easily ignored, like a good referee - necessary but unobtrusive. My mom and I both loved the wine, though it would have been better shared by three.
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2/16/2023 - bethel31 wrote: 93 Points
Open to decant two hours before dinner. Started with sweet and perfumed nose. Evolved after 30 mins with smooth tannins and secondary notes. L
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1/16/2023 - drinknick31 Likes this wine: 98 Points
Seriously? Dose anyone really need to write a review open this? Enough said. All around Insignia perfection. I do wonder how the newer wines will do under the new ownership.
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1/1/2023 - Sauceman wrote:
Past it’s prime. Porty
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12/10/2022 - Eric wrote:
ESTG Year-End Tasting (Newcastle, WA): Super ripe, porty, a touch of VA, heavy Fig Newton personality on the palate. I was not a fan.
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10/5/2022 - fcxj wrote: 90 Points
Deep, violet fruit. Pleasurable, if not particularly nuanced.
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8/15/2022 - kr522 wrote: 96 Points
from magnum, in a perfect spot. the hard edges are softened into a velvety, beautiful, complex mouthful....blackberry, dark cherry, Asian spices, earth, and licorice. very clean
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7/17/2022 - Montesquieu Likes this wine: 97 Points
Phenomenal bottle that has traveled across six homes since purchase on release. Drinking great right now. I don't see any reason to believe it will further improve from here, but it probably has another 5 years before real decline. Great time to enjoy it if you haven't already.
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6/4/2022 - Mdubnik Likes this wine: 100 Points
My wife and I had a bottle three years ago. We said it was the best bottle of wine either of us had ever had. We drank this bottle this weekend. It has the color in the glass of a 10 year old. The nose screams 25 year old. We drank over the course of three hours, from the bottle. The first glass was as good as the last. Never faded one bit. If there is better wine out there, I can't imagine it. This is the first bottle of wine I've ever given a 100 point score (and I've only ever rated a dozen over 95 points). I can see it lasting for years to come, but again, it's so good now. Why wait? Also, the cork was impeccable and looked like it was in a two year old bottle. Bottle was stored in climate controlled cellar since it was available to the market.
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5/22/2022 - Licha Castaniero wrote: flawed
Old
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5/18/2022 - Taillevent wrote:
Great nose berry flavors
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1/15/2022 - mfriedman12 wrote: 97 Points
Definitely not at peak. I would say there is still 5-10 years left. Great deep garnet color. Not a lot of legs. Silky tannins. Still had the fresh fruit of a younger wine but the back notes suggest an older mature wine. May have lost some of the Cab spice. But a very fruit forward and powerful wine.
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12/31/2021 - no oak Likes this wine: 92 Points
When first opened, the wine had aromas and flavors of olives, smoke, and meat. Indeed, if tasted blind, I would have mistaken it for a Rhone! After being opened for an hour, the wine put on weight and developed much more of a cabernet characteristic. In my opinion, the wine has not peaked yet. It is still dark in color with little legs, and still has a good amount of tannin, acid, and fruit. Secondary characteristics were not prominent. At this stage, I'm not convinced that the wine will ever merit its perfect 100-point Parker score.
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11/25/2021 - IGN WINESNOB wrote: 98 Points
OK, had this a while back and was unimpressed. Way earthy and very questionable. Popped and decanted and v'd as cork did not come out well! This wine as so good it was quite remarkable. Silky is about all I can say and an hour in fruit expressed itself nicely along with smooth and silkiness. A+. Drink now.
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11/19/2021 - Dr. Bee Likes this wine: 94 Points
Fortunate to taste with friends! Spectacular wine! At prime! Decant for sure. Drink within 5 years
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11/18/2021 - N.Bonaparte wrote: 94 Points
I agree with JSMorris’ review. Needs an hour to open, still massive but well balanced, likely in or near prime with at least a decade left. Lived up to the reputation and professional reviews. Revisit 2025
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11/17/2021 - jsmorris707 Likes this wine: 97 Points
Similar to prior note after double decanting for an hour; outstanding, ready to drink, no rush
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10/9/2021 - Harry Cantrell wrote: 97 Points
1997 Phelps Insignia en Magnum. Deep garnet. Rich nose of plums, tobacco, clove. Taste was mouth filling and long lasting. A major yum for a Cal cab. I rate 97, RMP gives it 100. Tasted at BWE DC convention 2021
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8/18/2021 - maaike2 wrote: 95 Points
Incredible, what a wine: seductive in all aspects with freshness thanks to acids, fruit and tobacco and limited earthiness, all melted together to a silky texture that fills the mouth and leads to a good length. The way to heaven.
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7/17/2021 - lepetitchateau wrote: 93 Points
Modern style wine, not terribly complex. Opens bright and fresh on the attack. Exhibits so much full, lush and succulent fruit, which overwhelmed the minerality.
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6/23/2021 - streethawk wrote: flawed
Corked, sadly.
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5/28/2021 - dbg wrote:
Cellared since release, perfect cork and fill. Rich, ripe dark berry fruits right out of the gate. Full body, very ripe fruit, lush palate feel, just enough acid and tannin to keep it from being flabby, nice finish. Hasn’t really developed any complexity or evolved much since the last bottle opened in 2008 other than the tannins mellowing and the oak receding. Expect it to hold another decade. Classic ripe Napa cab, went great with burgers at the beach. Excellent-outstanding, but does remind that Napa does not turn into Bordeaux with age.
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5/27/2021 - dream Does not like this wine: 75 Points
Bottle in perfect condition. This is exactly why you don't age overripe Napa Cabs; smooth and jammy but lacking freshness and any sort of complexity.
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5/22/2021 - ChrisR Likes this wine:
Mature flavors: gentle mulberry and blackberry, copious tobacco and mint, and something a bit funky (not brett and not TCA). Good depth and length of flavors. Round and caressing in the mouth, the tannins seemingly having been resolved. It tasted quite like an older Bordeaux, just with a bit more fruit.
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5/12/2021 - sfcrushaz Likes this wine:
Wish I had a few more. The cork was intact when I opened it, then decanted 2 hours and it was an incredible treat by itself and it paired perfectly with steak. Always wonder how the wine will hold up when held onto this long & this one was great still. Like the recent notes from other celar trackers that have enjoyed this wine & shared. Figured with it being Insignia & the ratings from the “pro’s” it was going to be a perfect one to hold onto. Cheers
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5/10/2021 - pbarnet Likes this wine: 92 Points
still plenty of tannins after 24 years. Smooth, deep and satisfying. The drinking window indicated that this should have been consumed by 2020, but this properly stored bottle had at least ten years left.
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5/2/2021 - GranadaPedroAlarcon Likes this wine: 100 Points
This wine is at its peak. This is a full body cabernet that is elegant and smooth from the moment you open the bottle. This was for a special occasion and this wine added positively to the special day experience.
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4/25/2021 - RusisWine wrote: 94 Points
Dark and red to the rim despite age. Sweetness and great length with balanced dark fruits. No obvious tannic bite but structured. Lovely wine drinking great. Decanted for 3 hours.
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3/6/2021 - DrSpalding Likes this wine: 95 Points
Very good. Subdued on first open taste, used a cup for deglaziing NY steak fond in searing pan for sauce. Was better after poured and aired 30 minutes later.
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2/13/2021 - blash Likes this wine: 95 Points
Decanted for a couple of hours. Well balanced and smooth with a long finish. Continued to improve while enjoying over 2 or 3 hours.
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1/24/2021 - NickZNYC wrote: 91 Points
Pure red fruit. Hawthorne, sour cherry. Nice acidity but the wine is passing its peak
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12/26/2020 - winepaw Likes this wine: 95 Points
Subdued nose when first opened. Dark and rich on the palate. Much more open 2 days after opening, with added complexity in both aromas and flavors. Still quite youthful. Perfect balance. Rich but supple. Reminiscent of some first growth bordeaux's we have tasted. Try again in 2 -3 years. Consider decanting.
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11/19/2020 - Peech Likes this wine: 95 Points
served 50 minutes after decanting. Definitely showed more green pepper, there was still sweet fruit underneath. Very smooth and elegant now, pretty ripe on the palate but not quite stewed prunes. Definitely lots of sweetness on the palate. Opened up really nicely 2 hours later.
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11/9/2020 - Simply Wine Likes this wine: 97 Points
Fantastic - still quite vibrant and young with terrific depth of fruit and layered complexity. Drinking like a wine that was much younger And managed to hold its own against excellent Napa wines that were 10+ years younger.
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10/11/2020 - FoinZap Likes this wine: 95 Points
Decanted and poured. Cork disintegrated, but wine does not seem to have been impacted. Color is black cherry with a yellow edge. Nose is black fruit, tobacco, pepper. Palate is a robust blend of black fruit, cherries, limestone, vanilla, and an interesting hot/spicy aspect on the mid-tongue (other reviewers noted eucalyptus, I think that's close to what I'm experiencing, perhaps mint). Full bodied, and the spicy element almost has a numbing effect, but in a pleasant way. I suspect this could age nicely for a while longer, but also feels like now may have been the time. Koalas should love this.
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10/9/2020 - bzliteyear Likes this wine:
Amazing oct 2020 with Elizabeth and John.
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9/29/2020 - WinoRick Likes this wine: 95 Points
Double decanted, with minimal sediment, good dark ruby coloring and no browning. Had with filet of beef and the soft sweet fruit and complex flavors and long finish topped the ‘84 Grange. Very ready to go, but will hold up for another 10 years with proper storage.
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9/12/2020 - richard650 wrote:
So this has always been one of my favorite wines, but not on this occasion. Probably a flawed bottle. Not undrinkable, and certainly not corked, but certainly a little oxidized. The taste was better than the port like smell. Purchased in 2000, and stored in a temperature controlled cellar ever since. My experience with Insignia is that the bottles age for many many decades with no problem, but occasionally you get a bottle like this that breaks the norm. I would give it 90 points reluctantly, but no more. Very sad.
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8/29/2020 - colima wrote: 96 Points
Just a hint of brirkiness. CT says its near its end - not even close. One of the best bottles from my collection, opened for a big anniversary - it was worth the occasion. Big Napa fruit and character. For 23 years old, its in fine shape.
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8/7/2020 - jviz wrote:
Perhaps this bottle was not as well kept as my last couple. It was incredibly green (I would have thought for sure there was some cab franc). This wine was fully drinkable, not particularly closed, but not as good as the others I’ve had. You know the saying... after 20 years, there are no good wines...
But, I had the chance to revisit the bottle, which had been vacuum sealed and put in the fridge. We poured it into the decanter and let it come up to temp. The day made a noticeable difference for the better. Still green and savory, but the bell pepper notes had unwound a bit and intermingled with blackberry compote. Relatively fresh tasting in its middle age and remains a wine of large proportion. This was far more savory than other bottles I’ve tasted from but at least I can say it was fully sound.
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7/27/2020 - toomuchvino Likes this wine: 93 Points
Drinking great. Still a lot in the tank.
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7/14/2020 - Licha Castaniero Likes this wine:
👍
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7/5/2020 - MichielV wrote: 93 Points
Pre 4th flanksteak dinner. Wine was superb in all respects. Match with meal, color, nose, fruit, balance and length. Just an outstanding cab and certainly after my recent disappointment with the 99 and 01/00. In a geeat place now.
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7/1/2020 - RD59 Likes this wine: 96 Points
Absolutely gorgeous, fruit, soft tannins, this one still has plenty to offer, was concerned it might be fading, no way. The real deal.
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6/4/2020 - jdtonic wrote: flawed
*was actually making a mental note of "wet cardboard" before I realized she is CORKED.
hahahahaha-- anyone have any strawberry fanta?
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6/2/2020 - jdtonic Likes this wine: 95 Points
Purple-Garnet w/
Faint Bricking in a Perfect Bottle
As someone who has had this wine half a dozen times from 2005--2020, and this evening in concert with the 2001, let me assure you that while she will probably taste well right through her twilight into the wet leaves on the dirty ground, the lovely 97I is approaching the end of her high plateau, and tasted best tonight between 30-60 minutes after opening.
[She will begin her descent at 7:45pm on October 5th of this calendar year.] Decant unnecessary.
(Boulevard, for their part, never fumbled my wine again, and book Table #30 is my counsel there.)
Tertiary notes include stewed cherries, fig newtons, a whiff of marzipan and eucalypt.
Drinking alone on the roof in Los Angeles watching The Fall of New Rome. Drink up---and let's all hang BLM banners on our homes to appease the mob!
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4/26/2020 - Grinner wrote: 97 Points
My WOTY so far! This was our last bottle and it was the best, WHAT does that say? 5 years ago we had a magnum that was on point, "and I better drink that 750 in the next couple years..." Well, we waited 5 and had it for our daughter's birthday ('97 baby!).
Bought on release, with fairly cool storage here in OR. Cork was perfect; I used, but didn't need, the Ah-so. 1 hour in the decanter and I have a hard time describing how great every sip was. Deep dark cassis, black plum, violet, stone, charcoal, mint / herbs. Tannins completely resolved. NOW-2025! You wait, you lose a little more fruit, gain a little of that secondary / tertiary stuff --your choice! 97+ points now and the 23 y/o Dtr liked it! WHAT?!?
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4/15/2020 - Goldstone Likes this wine: 94 Points
"In Case it's the End of the World" Dinner (L'Envol Restaurant, St. Regis Hotel, Wan Chai, Hong Kong): Not decanted (which was a mistake, especially as it was served towards the end of the dinner). Totally opaque coal-black colour just slightly reddened at the edges. Nose is BLAM! - a 2001 Space Odyssey 'black slab' purity of tightly compressed confit black fruit. Palate is similar coal-black, unfathomably deep and reticent black confit fruit. Beautifully structured but still very tannic and sorely missing the 4-hour minimum prior decant it needs at this stage of its development. Heady but waaay too young. Such a baby - needs another 10 years. Consistent with my previous experiences. I have extended the CellarTracker website drinking window to 2030. Despite saying all that....for me, this is a no-brainer 94 even on this occasion. Thanks so much, Daniel!
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4/15/2020 - pigdaddy wrote: 93 Points
a crumbly cork, an unexpected & rare occurrence for bottles purchased on release from my cellar, strained into decanter; fortunately, sound & delicious in the house style albeit more restrained than the ripe vintages of the early '00's - perhaps entering the downward curve (??); accurate depiction of Insignia, really pleasurable & lasting. a testament to consistency, so good if this is what you're in the mood for.
tenderloin tips & chanterelle ragout in mushroom reduction, Anson mills cheddar grits
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3/24/2020 - Ricky99 wrote: 92 Points
past peak but enjoyable for sure
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3/23/2020 - mutlynch Likes this wine: 98 Points
Excellent with Prime Rib. Stilling going strong but maybe only for another year or two.
There is light sediment in the bottle. The body is medium. The wine has polished texture.
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3/1/2020 - bsreid Likes this wine: 97 Points
Bottle had been standing for a couple of months. Opened at 57 degrees and let air for approximately 90 minutes in decanter before drinking. This wine is simply gorgeous. Showing no signs of decline; tannins still present on the finish, but now behind a wonderful floral, fruit, and smoke combination that I woke up still tasting the next day.
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1/23/2020 - La Flama Blanca Likes this wine: 97 Points
The 90s are a fantastic drinking California decade full of wine treasures. Prior to COVID a small group of us decided to highlight the 97 and 07 vintages. To say the wines performed phenomenally would be an understatement.
This bottle of 97 Insignia by Joseph Phelps was gorgeous. While this definitely shows big Napa fruit and character, there was still a classic elegance shining through. Effortless with beautifully integrated acidity, tannin, alcohol and perfect levels of extraction without being overly ripe or jammy. The sweet tannins of this inky blue / purple saturated Bordeaux blend coated my mouth like Valrhona chocolate covered Louis Vuitton silk sheets! If only I could open this bottle and sleep in it like a genie!
Both the nose and palate show notes of blue and purple fruits, violets and a brilliant combination of creme de cassis / cocoa. It is the single best Insignia I’ve had to date...BRAVO!!!
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1/4/2020 - ipp Likes this wine: 95 Points
massive nose. excellent balance. love this wine. wow.
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12/25/2019 - rcg62 Likes this wine: 97 Points
This drank so well tonight. One magnum, then a 750. Maybe the magnum had a little more richness to it? (So 96 on the 750?). But has come along really well. Color is great, very little (if any) sign of age. But has softened, and there’s almost a smoky taste with the dark berry fruit. Drinking superbly. I actually doubt it gets better, if anything it’s on the bottom of the fifth? But rocks.
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12/21/2019 - AlexHop Likes this wine: 97 Points
Wow, amazing. Still a classic. Intense brooding. Still tons of life.
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12/12/2019 - Javachip Likes this wine: 92 Points
Allowed to breathe in glass 1 hour. Clear deep dark garnet-blood red color. Volatile savory notes at first, with green tobacco, meat juice, black olive tapenade, and soy sauce. After two hours, these subsided to reveal a lovely classic bouquet of blackberries, boysenberries, black and red cherries, black and red currants and their liqueurs; fennel, anise, earthy mushrooms, sage and bay leaf. Similar on the palate, full body, seamless, beautiful balance, polished tannins, lingering finish. Improved steadily with air, held up fine under vacuum stopper in refrigerator for four days, showing best on day two. This particular bottle seems fully mature or perhaps past-prime. Excellent wine but not worth the current auction price.
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12/12/2019 - madalyn Likes this wine: 94 Points
took a little (1.5 hrs) to open up but drinking nice, very smooth, plum jammy , nice Insignia. Im not sure more time will help. drink up
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12/7/2019 - jviz wrote: 96 Points
Well stored bottles are not at all on the decline. In fact, tertiary aromas are just beginning to come through with leather and pipe tobacco. The fruit still leads, and it could be none other than a Napa Cabernet with cassis, mint, and eucalyptus (you won’t fool anyone into guessing Bordeaux though). The wine is in fantastic shape without any significant decline since I tasted it last year
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11/30/2019 - Americana Likes this wine: 90 Points
Still lovely but on the decline and losing its mark. Drink ASAP
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8/2/2019 - mflesh wrote: 96 Points
Served blind as the first of five red wines. My guess was 15 year old Napa cab and the oldest red wine on the table. This was a 22 year old Napa cab, and was the oldest red wine on the table. Had all the classic aged blackberry notes, tobacco leaf in the middle with a hint of mint. I had the advantage of having a spotlight on my glass, which showed more sediment than any of the other reds. I guessed the producer to be Bond. Very classic expression of what I consider to be a true Napa Cabernet. Delicious. I preferred the second and third wines a little bit more, however those turned out to be a 1998 Chateau Haut Brion and 1997 Ornellaia Masseto......
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6/15/2019 - Som-Geo Likes this wine: 98 Points
Drinking best among many of the 1997s I’ve had the pleasure to enjoy of late. Being a big ripe vintage, my Som buddies tell me these wines will eventually begin to fall apart but no sign of that yet. The color is rich and dark, captivating nose of berries, toasted wood, vanilla/baking spices, leather/coffee will similar follow through and mouthfeel. Napa at its best.
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5/25/2019 - Nothung Likes this wine: 96 Points
Spectacular. Everything a California Cab should be. Great producer, great vintage.
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5/19/2019 - Greg Burns Likes this wine: 94 Points
Lovely wine with full body and notes of cherry. Had first with selected cheeses and then with prime filet cut and tomato and mozzarella salad! Was even better match with the steak!
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5/19/2019 - chull wrote:
Musty
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4/22/2019 - Ben Christiansen wrote:
A little corky but otherwise really darn awesome.
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4/4/2019 - jsmorris707 Likes this wine: 98 Points
Double decanted 30 min, med. ruby, black cherry with a touch of tobacco, clearly still CA, soft/med. tannins, long finish; outstanding & near perfect, ready to drink. Had at boys night at my house last night & went beautifully with the veal chop
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1/14/2019 - MicklethePickle Likes this wine: 94 Points
Had this on my 60th. Still vibrant dark garnet, showing just a bit of age. Completely tertiary bouquet of old saddle leather, autumn leaves, and cedar. In the mouth this is wonderfully harmonious and smooth as glass, yet at the same time rich and unctuous. Soft cocoa flavor spreads out beautifully across the palate, leading to a long, soft, satisfying finish. At its peak now, no need to wait any longer, I see little upside ahead. 5-13-17-9: 94/100.
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12/25/2018 - sttorres28 Likes this wine: 98 Points
Color: inky purple
Nose/palate: mocha, blackberries, currants, dark chocolate, violets, pencil shavings (pretty certain it's the good ole No. 2)
Structure: medium acidity, medium+ tannins, full body.
Alcohol: 14%
Wow! This is the closest to perfection as I've had in a bottle of wine. Nose is quite giving! Texture is velvety, plush, opulent. Long chocolate laced finish. I'm obsessed with finding more of this.
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12/25/2018 - Lipsman wrote: 93 Points
An elegant Cabernet, all silk and velvet. Poised and balanced with ample fruit. Drinking superbly now.
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11/12/2018 - RickyT12 Likes this wine: 96 Points
Splash decanted. Man this wine is sooo good.
Drinking about as good as an Insignia can get. Well rounded, velvety mouth feel. Good fruit, but not overpowering. Blueberry, black currant, hint of tobacco, cedar box. Acid is medium minus. So well integrated.
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10/20/2018 - thelostverse wrote: flawed
April’s wedding reception. Flawed.
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9/2/2018 - jviz wrote: 97 Points
The weight and fruit presence at age 21 is astounding. Seamless integration, with secondary notes just beginning to develop. This makes me want to hold my younger bottles for decades.
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9/1/2018 - djs wrote: 90 Points
Good, but was hoping for more. Still looks and tastes young, however no complexity in the nose or palate. Monolithic with a medium length finish. Totally forgettable.
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8/28/2018 - grossie Likes this wine: 97 Points
Still going strong, each bottle is as good or better than the last. Luscious and flamboyant sweet Napa fruit. Long finish, not an edge to be found. Drink now, but I don't think this is on the decline, I feel like it could still go a while
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8/22/2018 - RedLoverJim Likes this wine: 94 Points
This needed a couple of hours to really open up (in open bottle, not a decanter) but it just got more and more enjoyable as it did. Longer finish and the secondary characteristics were fleshed out with some lush fruit. It was what good, mature Cali Cab can be.
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8/22/2018 - hackey37 Likes this wine: 94 Points
Garnet color and ruby to the edge and opaque with a bit of haze. The smells are currant, orange zest, prunes, and sweet spices. Tastes are coffee, cacao, cherry, blueberry, pepper, tea, and brown sugar. Tannins are like fine velvet and there is a long finish with a little heat. Very complex.
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8/20/2018 - Kevnzworld Likes this wine: 94 Points
The wine at 21 maintains its flavors of ripe berries cedar and eucalyptus. Not too sweet, but beautiful with enough acid to balance the fruit.
Sometimes I find Insignia’s to be a little too jammy, but tonight this ‘97 wasn’t.
Drank alongside three other heavyweight Napa Cab’s
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8/19/2018 - mxpbuy Likes this wine: 96 Points
2 hour decant. Hints of Eucalyptus permeating layers of black, blue and red fruits. Some sweet Oak. Long finish. Near silky.
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7/31/2018 - grumi62 wrote: 93 Points
excellent
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5/11/2018 - AlphaMikeFoxtrot wrote: 96 Points
Ripe black cherries, strawberries, red currants, figs, cloves and hazelnuts. Tannins are medium -, acidity is too. Everything is really bg but balanced.
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5/5/2018 - WVWine wrote: 98 Points
Wow. Aromas are of a well aged Bordeaux in a California overlay. Deep dark red color and spice smells. Fig, licorice and nutmeg. Wish I had more.
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4/1/2018 - dkentaustin Likes this wine: 95 Points
Dark garnet color. Lavender, red currant, ash. Drinking incredible - silky smooth, integrated tannins. Orange rind, flint (Lafite like). Subtle rustic notes. Having with lamb, asparagus and butter lettuce salad. Very on point right now but could have many years to go.
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3/5/2018 - gmat5497 Likes this wine: 92 Points
Waited a little to long to drink. On the downside but still very nice.
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2/23/2018 - Marc S wrote: 94 Points
Think this wine went bad on me so I do not want to provide notes.
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2/14/2018 - Winedad53 wrote: 95 Points
Deep shiny red in color, this wine danced circles around a very good 1999 at the same dinner. Ripe berry, plum jam with steely backbone will last another 8-10 years easily. Just a delight!
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1/18/2018 - tomoem wrote: 96 Points
Had at a spectacular WINEBID.com tasting event. Total of 39 wines tasted with an unbelievable lineup ! Bravo to Sterling Roig.
To me this could be another WOTN. Just an incredible balance to this wine. What finesse ! I jump between declaring a classic first growth left bank and an aged Cali Cab. Nearly perfect balance of tannin, acidity and fruit. Just a delight.
This was decanted for 2 hours and tasted from a magnum.
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12/22/2017 - IGN WINESNOB wrote: 90 Points
Not sure I have the palate for these older wines. Just doesn't do it for me. Decent. Opened a bit over time. Fell in love with 07 Insigina a few years back, but even the 07 recently is fading in my opinion. A great number of people love them still!!
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11/20/2017 - Peech Likes this wine: 96 Points
minty, a little coconut, smoky with grilled meats. Drinking beautifully. Smooth and well-balanced on the palate.
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11/19/2017 - Mark H. LeQuire wrote: 95 Points
Dark ruby garnet color. Major rim variation in the glass. No flaws. Moderate sediment. Decanted X 2. Beautiful old world nose. Dark florals and fruits. Perfect in the mouth. Low tannins and acids. Medium alcohol. Long finish. Dark fruits, currants, leathery, and a little spice. Certainly ready to drink. Cannot determine if beyond peak or not. If so, cannot imagine what peak must have been like for this wine. Lot's of bottle life left in this one.
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11/4/2017 - Blake Brown Likes this wine:
1997 JOSEPH PHELPS INSIGNIA NAPA PROPRIETARY RED WINE- Cabernet Sauvignon with Merlot and Petit Verdot; still having a very youthful dark purple colour, this was a big wine generously offering lots of goodness starting with a spicy, cedar laden black currant and blackberry fruity nose; some liquorice and plum joined the fun early on in the taste; it was full bodied with a silky texture which helped to hit all of the sensory receptors in the right place for a perfect experience; one of my candidates for WOTNs.
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10/9/2017 - michigan dogs Likes this wine: 95 Points
it was the WOTN for me in an incredible lineup of wines at Roy's birthday party. Over 30 great wines were tasted including an 86 Grange, 00 Clos de Tart, 07 Continium, a 91 Dunn, a 65 Haut-Brion, a 99 Gevrey Chambertin, a 96 Monte Bello, a 78 Gaja, an 07 Araujo, a 07 Harlen, a 09 Lambrays, and a 2012 Musigny.
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9/12/2017 - dpjohannes wrote: 95 Points
Opened for wife's 50th birthday party. Nose was quiet at first. Decanted twice. Tasted after second decant and was stunned at ripeness, complexity and shear audacity of the wine. After 20 years it was amazing. Nose opened up and released black cherry, leather, currants...a cornucopia of scents...It's been cellared correctly for its life and the other 2 I have will last at least another 10-20 years. If you have two, open one to enjoy. It's truly great. If you have one, find another. It's that good.
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8/10/2017 - DoubleD1969 wrote: 95 Points
At least my second experience with this wine. Like the first one (about 3 years ago), it was one of my favorites among a strong lineup of over 4 dozen wines over the long weekend. Still a dark, opaque wine, aromas of cocoa powder, baked plums, and leather waft from the glass. On the palate is a rich, thick wine with fully integrated tannins. Not as much acidity as I remember previously, but still excellent regardless. From a magnum.
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8/8/2017 - MichielV wrote: 90 Points
At JTCMs 50th bday in Rhinebeck, butterflied lamb. This was not as talkative as I thought it would be. It was good but not great. Plenty of fruit but a bit bland on palate. Stil great color. Decent finish. This got beat by the Mondavi Reserve 97 and the 2008 Chappellet Pritchard Hill.
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5/1/2017 - buckeye76 Likes this wine: 97 Points
Last tasted in 2008 and was underwhelmed. However, we were definitely not disappointed with this bottle! Still great color, blackberries, currants, black cherries, and licorice in the nose. Deep berry fruits in the flavor with a hint of earthiness. Perfectly balanced wine with nice complexity and a long finish. Perfect match with steak.
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4/30/2017 - cnichelson Likes this wine: 96 Points
En magnum. Dry cork broke off about 3/4
Of the way then slipped down the neck...
Nonetheless with a double decant this was truly spectacular juice. Nose of perfume and leather, with resolved and sweet tannins, and plenty of red and black fruit still. Incredible mouth feel with mild acidity that brought everything into balance. I think this is perfect to drink now and I don't think it will get better or worse for several years. Only complaint is that the finish was maybe a little short. Especially because I kept wanting more of the deliciousness.
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4/18/2017 - jecathcart Likes this wine: 90 Points
Good. Up and down a bit. Cork was a real issue, like other 1997's. Buy more under $200.
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4/14/2017 - Lipsman wrote: 93 Points
Slight bricking, otherwise deep garnet. Saturated flavors including berries and the bitter edge of black tea. Nice complexity. Wine of the flight; took second place WOTN. I've had more approachable bottles in the past. This one needed five more years in the cellar.
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4/3/2017 - bryon m wrote: 93 Points
Fantastic wine. Good color and clarity. Very approachable and nice berry flavors from start to finish. Still has slight oak and after 20 years it brings nice complexity.
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4/2/2017 - Agreenblatt wrote: 96 Points
Maybe my favorite vintage of insignia. Needs one to two hours of decant to open up. Still in peak, should stay there for at least two more years and probably more.
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4/2/2017 - CHarder wrote: 97 Points
Absoluty amazing. Close to perfection. Gave it 1 hr decant. Silky smooth, plenty of fruit still, power yet light on its feet. Super stuff
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2/5/2017 - RickyT12 Likes this wine: 96 Points
PNP and half of the bottle left for the next day. PNP was better.
Open for about an hour now.
Great Insignia characteristics. Silky, soft subtle nose. Salted caramel, maple syrup, old baseball glove leather all nose.
Silky mouth feel. Still a bit of tannins. A bit of a gum component on the nose. Crime cassis and bruised apple on nose and palette. Tasting excellent right now. Maybe very good for another 5+ years. After half a day. Still great, but a bit tired. Acid has died down significantly. Very soft mouth feel. Raspberry nose. Great wine.
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1/29/2017 - Collector1855 wrote: 94 Points
Medium-brownish garnet, a bit cloudy. Interesting to serve this, a bottle I bought at release and never drank on its own as it was my standard wine for wine education classes Bordeaux vs. Napa. No surprises also on this last bottle, typical Napa showing with soft tannins, sweet fruit, though an ever so slightly oxidative touch in the background. I served this at a dinner party where the going palate preferred big, fruity, succulent wines, so it did the job. I am personally not a fan of Napa Cab due to the overbearing sweetness.
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1/28/2017 - pavel_p Likes this wine: 93 Points
Pnp. Dark garnet to the rim. A bit cloudy from fine sediment as the dry cork broke and the wine had to be decanted. Elegant wood spices, dark sweet fruit on the nose. On the palate plenty of tobacco, dark fruit. Medium tannins are still there, accentuated by the fine sediment. Very slightly corked in my eyes. Medium finish only
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1/23/2017 - CranBurgundy Likes this wine: 97 Points
Oh.
my.
GAWD!
What a smashingly well balanced Cab. Perfect spot right now with plenty of fruit and only powdery fine tannin still remaining. This was, by far, the standout wine on a night of some heavyweights including Outpost True Vineyard, Quilceda Creek, and Rubicon. Excellent dark fruit and so many secondary notes it's hard to remember them all. Possibly the perfect mix of Old World style with a hint of New World fruit. I'd drink this every night for years and not get tired of it.
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12/11/2016 - joseduca Likes this wine: 95 Points
What a monster, it appears that aging has happened slowly, adding complexity to this vigorous red. It could easily last another 10-20 years, while in fantastic form right now. This wine is dark blood colored, great nose without decanting, and full bodied texture. Very impressive with this Napa effort, nothing to be envied to its cousins from Bordeaux.
Great for meats and heavier foods, impressive by itself. Bug YUM.
(from the assistant)
The wine looks inky colored. The legs are medium. There is no sediment in the bottle. It smells like red currant, black currant (cassis), fig, forest floor, light toast, black pepper and blackberry. The body is full. The wine has silky texture.
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11/24/2016 - ifishtoo wrote: flawed
It really hurts your feelings to cellar a wine for many years only to find it corked. Hurts your feelings even more to pour it down the drain. 85 BV GdL Private Reserve was also corked. Damn.
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10/14/2016 - WineWright Likes this wine: 96 Points
Gorgeously aged and rounded with silkiness and purity.
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10/8/2016 - BernieMSY wrote: 96 Points
Nearly black, inky purple. Violets and black fruit on the nose. Berries, roast meat, umami palate.
An hour later, it's spectacular!
I was originally going with a 94, after 60 minutes of air, it's at least a 96.
Nuanced, complex and integrated.
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9/30/2016 - sastewart wrote: 95 Points
Great nose of blackberry and a touch of mint. Full bodied and plush, tannins are there but stay in the background. Beautiful deep black fruits and a nice finish. In a great place. 95 points
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8/5/2016 - tomoem Likes this wine: 94 Points
Had with AOF School friends at their beach house in CT.
This is a well produced and balanced wine which improved throughout the night with time. It should be decanted for several hours before consuming. On the nose there are muted aroma's of a classic Bordeaux wine with a background of eucalyptus & lead pencil.
It has a thick and rich mouth feel which found me chewing the wine while in my mouth.
Flavors of spicy berries & black currants give way to a silky & long finish marked by cherry, a slight anise flavor & graphite.
Still youthful even at 19 years.
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7/15/2016 - wildmang666 Likes this wine: 100 Points
One of the top three wines I have ever had. Outstanding, and I know wine. This was my tenth bottle over the years and it has gotten better each year.
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7/10/2016 - RickyT12 wrote: 95 Points
Best of the bunch that I had!
Decanted 3 hours,
Sugar plums, blackberry, brown sugar, black currant all nose. Really nice.
Great mouth feel, velvety and soft. Some cooking spice flavor and chocolate flavors come out as well. Acid medium minus, weight medium plus. Tannins are still strong, but still good to drink now. I will sit on the last 3 for a while.
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6/11/2016 - RickyT12 wrote: 94 Points
Splash decant
Tobacco, black cherry, vanilla, flowers, brown sugar, dried black currant, dried leaves, white pepper all nose,
Cherry, tobacco, brown sugar maple syrup, black currant flavor. Weight medium. Acid medium. drinking well.
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5/4/2016 - RickyT12 Likes this wine: 94 Points
A bit cloudy Ruby red color
Raisin, walnut, black currant, a little heat, cigar ash, bread cherry, chocolate and blueberry all nose.
Flavors smooth as always, earth, raisin liqueur, maple syrup. Delicious wine.
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4/15/2016 - RickyT12 Likes this wine: 95 Points
Popped and poured
Took a few minutes for sulfite to blow off.
Super dark purple almost black
Dried sugar plums, brown sugar, raisin, a little leather, dried violets, strawberry jam nose. Beautiful wine. Mouth feel is super velvet and 30 second plus finish.
Maple syrup, raisin, sugar plum, plum, dried fruit, lamb wool gaminess flavors. Killer wine in a very good place.
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3/21/2016 - edjBoca Likes this wine: 92 Points
My bottle did not reach the heights......less complex and long. I guess it will always be true that there are only great bottles, not great wines....
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3/21/2016 - RickyT12 Likes this wine: 94 Points
Slow Ox 3 hours
Chocolate, prune, a bit of heat, raspberry, powder, perfumie, wood,
Black cherry, dark chocolate, fig, smooth finish. A bit of alcohol on the finish. Insignia silky mouth feel. Long finish. I would decant this wine for an hour or more. By the last of the day it was drinking amazingly, but it needed a lot of time to open up. Great wine.
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3/16/2016 - phellstrand Likes this wine: 94 Points
Still great and has plenty to offer,
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3/6/2016 - bengti Likes this wine: 92 Points
A very good fully mature JPI with power, dusted tannins, intensity of flavour and gorgeous silky smoothness. Fine balance and structure too. Very approachable now and will keep giving for 7-10 years it seems.
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2/9/2016 - AWBryce wrote:
Gorgeous, jammy fruit, vanilla, good dark fruit core. Decent tannins, long finish. A stunner.
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1/30/2016 - MC2 Wines Likes this wine:
Zachys Power of Packaging - Jan 2016 (Smith & Wollensky (48th & 3rd Ave)): I think some 1997s haven't quite lived up to the hype, but this was delicious and in exactly the right spot. Excellent bright red cherries and soft and approachable and just generally drinking well.
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1/12/2016 - grapin'mad wrote: 96 Points
Excellent. One of best this year. Nice dried cherry. Spice and some earthy notes. Drank with good friends of mine from Boston at Gotham NYC
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1/10/2016 - liquid art wrote: 93 Points
Monthly wine dinner at Libertine, Mpls. Brought by another member of wine group and tasted blind. As soon as smelled knew it was going to be good. Great nose with nicely balanced structure. Still a big wine, so probably gets better from here (glad I have 2 in the cellar!).
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12/31/2015 - psusfca Likes this wine: 96 Points
We really liked this wine. It has held up extremely well. Opened for NYE with Pan Seared Filet Mignon. Perfect pairing. It had the qualities of an aged Grand Cru Bordeaux. There was surprisingly only minimal bricking color so far. Tannins have softened and incorporated nicely. Good acidity and the fruit showed red fruits for my palate. Well done. I hope the newer vintages can age this well given they have dialed up alcohol levels.
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12/26/2015 - jgkost wrote: 95 Points
From a magnum... Wow, still as great as I remember. One of very few overpriced wines/vintages that lives up to the hype. Everything is well integrated with dark fruits, soft tannins and a hint of oak that comes across as vanilla. Aging well, likely has another five years or so.
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12/12/2015 - Lipsman Likes this wine: 94 Points
This has acquired the rich and complex tones of a mature California Cabernet. Plenty of cherry and tobacco flavors, but depth as well. Drinking quite nicely.
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11/26/2015 - cubswinws Likes this wine: 92 Points
From Magnum. Fully mature. Nice wine but seems a bit tired at this point. Would drink up at this point.
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11/26/2015 - KeithAkers wrote: 94 Points
Nose: The nose is deep and forward with red cherries, cranberries, red and black currants, vanilla, and some spice notes.
Taste: Full bodied with silky, yet supporting tannins. The feel is plush and regal with red cherries, red currants, vanilla, spice notes, and vanilla.
Overall: This is drinking beautifully. I can't say that it's better than it was 6 years ago, but it's also still extremely good.
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10/19/2015 - fine137 wrote: 100 Points
Yep, its perfect. Out of magnum, cassis, cedar, cigar, leather, just the slightest bricking, abundant fruit, lots of time left, at least in magnum format.
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10/2/2015 - aquacongas wrote: 94 Points
Big Blind Tasting of 19 Reds from California 1997
For me 10th in the ranking.
Cassis, cherries, vanilla, highly concentrated with a good acidity, but for me too alcoholic, the finish has a burning taste, even the soft tannins can't counterbalance the noticeable alcohol, 93-94
Overall 11th rank with 94,2 points averagely.
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9/26/2015 - jkoenen wrote: 94 Points
97 Napa-retrospective (Restaurant Bottles, Sas van Gent): Roasted meat, BBQ sauce, red fruit topping. This is clearly a great wine for the future, big structure and concentration, stubborn and backward, enormous length. But at the moment the flavours and aromatics are kinda muddled and awkward. Hard to discribe, but I somehow feel this wine will be significantly better in a few years time.
Hope to bump into another bottle again..
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9/26/2015 - Zweder wrote: 95 Points
USA 1997 (By JK @ Bottles): Beautiful bouquet, very soft and ripe with a lot of cinnamon and other sweet spices. On the palate a lot of juicy red and dark forest fruits, a firm amount of sweetness, but also good acidity to balance it. Beautiful and round tannin which is becoming slightly drying. Don’t misunderstand; this is a beautiful and harmonious wine. Blind tasted the group of 10 almost agreed. Leaving out the lowest and highest score everybody scored the wine 94 or 95. To be honest my blind score was 94 - 95.
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9/23/2015 - Jeff Leve wrote: 97 Points
Juicy, lush, fat and sweet, with perfectly ripe fruit, density of flavor, silky textures and a blast of blackberry, cherry, spice, smoke and licorice. This is a true wine of pleasure. A wine of this quality with a production level of close to 18,000 cases is truly quite an accomplishment, when you think about it.
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9/13/2015 - Agreenblatt wrote:
This keeps getting better with air. Decant for 2.5-3 hours.
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9/10/2015 - agbailey Likes this wine: 94 Points
No detailed notes but this is drinking very well. Still going strong with solid dark fruits. Great.
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9/5/2015 - Grinner wrote: 96 Points
Dinner by the River: From magnum: a double decant 2 hrs before serving and it was glorious! The "iron fist" has melted away leaving behind layers of black and red fruit, hints of plum, herbs, mint, and more savory notes. This bottle was nearing plateau. I will not wait beyond 2017 for my 750ml.
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8/22/2015 - Radboy wrote: 97 Points
This truly fits the bill for how awesome an older Napa Cab can taste. Perfectly integrated tannins that are deftly balanced with polished dark cherry and currant fruit. Subtle hints of leather and pencil lead on the nose. Simply fantastic. Tobacco and cherries...yum!
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8/15/2015 - overhill wrote: 95 Points
This was my sixth bottle over six years and by far the best. Deep and brooding on the nose this had plenty of grip and a long, flavorful, and mouth-coating finish. Intense aromas of whole-leaf chewing tobacco, red berry jam, leather and chocolate.
Two earlier bottles seemed tired however the last four, including this one, are still improving.
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8/9/2015 - Rherold wrote: 95 Points
Wow. Leather , dark fruit. Tobacco. Green pepper. Fantastic wine but definitely mature. Killed with a steak.
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5/30/2015 - jlgnml Likes this wine: 95 Points
60th Bday celebration (Goosefoot Restaurant Chicago, IL): Big dark color brooding aromas, great fill on the palate, long finish, still a baby at 18 years, built for the long haul.
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5/16/2015 - Lipsman wrote: 93 Points
Bricking. Aromas of plums and strawberries. Dark fruits, framboise, mocha, licorice and tobacco. Medium length. Nice fresh, fresh tart backing. Drink up.
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5/12/2015 - rickspicks wrote: 95 Points
One + hour decant. If tasted blind, I would have guessed it was a St. Julien. Either a Leoville-Las Cases or perhaps a Ducru-Beaucaillou . Complex, really lovely nose of rich cherry, leather, spice, licorice and a bit of mint. Lush, seamless, balanced, soft, silky texture with terrific concentration, richness, ripeness and depth. The fruit has aged and is a bit less fresh and vibrant than a few years ago, but that does not make it any less satisfying. Lengthy, fruity, sweet finish. I would be drinking this sooner rather than later as I think the wine has definitely peaked. 94-95
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5/6/2015 - pakabear Likes this wine: 93 Points
Lead pencil, cherry, smoke, good structure and woody. Felt that this was an older wine with an older style, fruit has started to go down-hill. My blind guess was Dominus. My 8th wine of the night, I would drink up as the wine is not drinking as well as it has in the past.
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5/6/2015 - dcwino wrote: 95 Points
Domestic Cab dinner (Eddie V's): Beautiful mature nose displaying red fruits, plum, mint, eucalyptus, caramel and lead pencil. Beautifully integrated palate, good concentration, silky, warm red fruit driven palate impression, nicely integrated tannins and lovely long sweet finish. Drinking wonderfully, great balance and harmony. Still quite youthful but perfectly enjoyable.
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4/19/2015 - shaferguy91 wrote: 96 Points
1 hour decant. Fabulous wine.
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4/10/2015 - phantphant wrote: 89 Points
Definitely on the downtick...
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4/3/2015 - RaphaelMalago Likes this wine: 95 Points
Deep ruby colour is followed by an amazing Napa characteristic bouquet with intense dark fruits, dust, violets, cocoa. The palate is so elegant and precise if compared with the nose offering a great balance, silk, voluptuous and rounded. And all this with an extremy elegance.
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3/27/2015 - onboisduvin Likes this wine: 92 Points
Food pairing along with other bottles of NAPA wine. This is probably the best. Still powerful in aroma and taste. Decanted for 2 hr. However, it is not so "layered" as with other bottles. A tone of Napa wines in my opinion.
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3/24/2015 - la turque wrote: 95 Points
The fruit is beginning to get eclipsed by the tannin, acidity and structure. Difficult to know whether to drink now or wait, but the fact that the wine came around with a little time in the decanter suggests there is no hurry to drink this now. Beautiful.
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2/15/2015 - guitarguy wrote: 92 Points
I liked this but it was time. Nicely lifted nose of raspberry and licorice, I fear that the ample tannins are starting to catch the sweet currant, blueberry and vanilla notes. Balanced now but those dusty tannins worry me. I had impeccable storage, so I'd consider this a 1-5 year window. You won't hurt yourself by drinking now.
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1/16/2015 - levinml wrote: 96 Points
Broke my heart to drink my last bottle, but family occasion at my house, so when better? Huge nose, great balance, enjoyable complex flavors and long finish. Certainly at a plateau, but has probably been there for a while and shows no sign of fading. Enjoy.
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1/11/2015 - Goldstone Likes this wine: 96 Points
Decanted for 3 hours……. the open decanter filled the kitchen with an intense aroma of spices and blackcurrant. Colour is a gloriously translucent purple-tinged crimson. Nose is dense sandalwood, cedar and blackcurrants/blackberries. Palate is lively acidic freshness perfectly integrated with gorgeously rounded and silky tannins, earth, white mushrooms, well-integrated oak and super black briar-berry fruit that is quite sweet……very harmonious and complete. Considerable resonance on the finish that reverberates inside the head for a good couple of minutes. Fabulous.
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1/2/2015 - WineWright Likes this wine: 94 Points
Did not decant. Deep purple color. No sign of bricking. So smooth and balanced. Tannins and fruit in complete harmony. Faint nuances of baked blackberry and mild tobacco. This wine would rock a rack of lamb.
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12/21/2014 - mfriedman12 wrote: 95 Points
Soft and supple. Lovely lavender nose. The big fruit punch when it was young has developed nicely into a mature wine.
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12/9/2014 - Seth Rosenberg Does not like this wine: 82 Points
No. We had a lot of wines that night, and a fair number of Cabernet based wines, and this wine paled in comparison. It's probably pretty good for the style of big modern CA wines, but that style is inherently problematic. There are some nice flavors in there - dark fruit, cassis, some spice, but it is heavily oaked so you end up with lots of sweet dripping vanilla and mocha. The palate is too ripe to be balanced and this is tiring to drink compared to the many lithe wines of the night. Nose - 4-4.5/6, Palate - 3.5/6, Finish - 3.5/6, Je ne Sais Quoi - 0.5/2 = 11.5-12/20.
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11/30/2014 - jclary Likes this wine: 95 Points
Who says Napa cabs can't age? This was a gorgeous bottle of wine, that has many years left. If opened blind, I would never have guessed that this was a '97, as it seems far younger. The tannins have integrated nicely, with plenty of bright fruit left. We had a second bottle and it was just as good. Glad I have 5 left. This is in a great spot for drinking right now.
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11/22/2014 - Agreenblatt wrote: 95 Points
Had at Tom Colicchio's. Better than I remembered. Decanted and got better with time. Should decant moving forward. Excited for the next bottle.
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10/30/2014 - nbrue wrote: 96 Points
Far from finished. I have cellared this wine from its release and truly enjoyed how it has evolved...it just gets better and better. Decanted for 1 hour and it opened perfectly.
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10/28/2014 - dase13 wrote: 94 Points
PNP: Color of purple red. Scents of blackberry and dark fruit. Tastes of blackberry and dark fruit, smooth, with well integrated tannins. While clearly not a new vintage, this tastes fairly assertive.
After 2hr decant: Color of purple red. Scents of blackberry and dark fruit, which are now mellowed. Tastes of blackberry and dark fruit have also mellowed, still very smooth, with well integrated tannins. Now clearly displaying taste characteristics of a 15 year old vintage of a top notch Napa Valley cab blend.
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10/10/2014 - europat55 wrote: 91 Points
Platinum Tasting - Best of the Bests (Andre and Sabine's House, Mountain View, CA): Dark, sweet, fruity, young nose (B++). Rich, dense palate (B++/A-).
My #6, Group's #3 (77 pts). Tasted blind.
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10/8/2014 - blakehastings Likes this wine: 98 Points
Gorgeous. Drinkable now but still some tannins, many years left on this big boy. Masculine yet elegant, well blended. Dark fruit with hints of earthiness, graphite, and licorice. Super long on the palette. Beautiful aroma with almost a perfume, flower like smell. Superb!
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10/5/2014 - Screameagle Likes this wine: 95 Points
Another great bottle that is definitely still drinking quite young for its age. No need to rush to drink my last bottle.
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9/2/2014 - drewpurdy Likes this wine: 94 Points
I thought this was a lovely soft textured Bordeax style red. Others in the party thought it fell a little flat. Maybe it is time to drink up!!
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8/31/2014 - ledwards wrote: 97 Points
Everything is in here and currently in the right place. Drinking beautifully right now. Black fruit, vanilla, (superb) graphite and some coffee grounds- all conponents working nicely on concert. It is a very fine brodeaux with slightly broader shoulders.
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8/8/2014 - Giggs wrote: 97 Points
Summer cabin weekend; 8/8/2014-8/9/2014 (Cleveland, GA): Decanted 75 minutes and followed over the next two hours. This has an incredible, exotic, masculine nose of cream cheese, blackberry, charcoal, and hazelnut aromas. The palate is also powerful and exotic, more black fruits like black currants and plum, tons of energy and tension between fruit and acidity. Can't quite maintain the same power from midpalate through the finish, but no doubt this is a classic wine. Drink now-2025.
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8/5/2014 - bundydavis Likes this wine: 97 Points
This wine is at its peak and drinking incredibly. What a special treat for our 12 year anniversary. My wife, who usually only likes fruiter Pinots and Grenache, loved this wine. Didn't need any decant.
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7/12/2014 - levinml wrote: 95 Points
Up against tough competition. Drank third after 2005 Colgin and 1997 Bryant (don't ask about logic). Held its own, but by the time we got to this it's tough to remember specifics. Bryant was 98 points (just discovered a little in bottle, uncovered overnight that's still outstanding) and Insignia was only a half-notch down. Obviously great vintage well made. Drink anytime, no rush.
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6/25/2014 - Peech Likes this wine: 95 Points
tons of smoke, minerals, grilled meats, cedar, and very fragrant.
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6/23/2014 - Baxter1 Likes this wine: 98 Points
First had the '97 on Thanksgiving 9 years ago. Finally opened the magnum, which was stunning. Decanted and let sit 3+ hours before enjoying for the next couple of hours with grilled steaks, mushrooms etc. Cork was pristine.
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5/31/2014 - sdaytime8 wrote: 90 Points
This particular bottle was past it's peak. Upon opening, it offered very little, if any, aroma. After decanting for an hour+, it opened up but the complexity was lacking. That said, it was still enjoyable. It just didn't meet my high expectations.
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4/12/2014 - Agreenblatt wrote: 93 Points
Drink it now, as it won't be getting any better. Doesn't need the breathe for too long. Very well balanced.
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3/29/2014 - G_H Likes this wine: 95 Points
Licorice, leather, roast, roastbeef,very long, very elegant, some umami, great length
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3/13/2014 - walkerjfw wrote: 95 Points
At Scalini Fideli in Chatham, awesome cabernet focused evening put together by Jay. The wines brought by most guests were tasted blind on first go through. This was part of the second flight, real bonus....
Dark fruits on the nose, vanilla, oak, tobacco. Palate was blueberry, cassis, dark cherry, currants, plums, chocolate, graphite. Texture is smooth, medium finish. Incredible wine, last one for the evening.
Classic Insignia, right in its drinking zone. My guess is it will be at its best over the next 7 years.
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2/27/2014 - jts_brown Likes this wine: 96 Points
Brought this to dinner in SF and shared with 3 couples at Incanto with the Leg of Beast. It aging gracefully. The nose was singing, Very silky mouthfeel and medium/full bodied. Chocolate covered cherry, blackberry with some vanilla notes. It is truly a wine that is appropriate for special occasions or will make any dinner a special occasion.
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2/22/2014 - h8oopus Likes this wine: 94 Points
Excellent, smooth silky tannins. Worth the long wait.
The wine looks garnet colored. The legs are medium. There is moderate sediment in the bottle. It smells like dust, vanilla, lead pencil, blueberry and black currant (cassis). It tastes like blueberry, black currant (cassis), dust, vanilla and lead pencil. The body is medium. The wine has satin-like texture. The wine finishes medium. The wine has medium acidity.
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2/9/2014 - shaferguy91 wrote: 94 Points
No decant.
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2/8/2014 - BRR Likes this wine: 94 Points
Based on other TNs, I didn't decant, and enjoyed over 2-3 hours. Bought from auction back in 2003, so provenance unknown. Cork was absolutely perfect. Initial nose had nice notes of humidor, loam, and dark cherry. The palate had nicely integrated tannins, barely noticeable, but there enough to provide a nice frame for the luscious raspberry, damn earth, black plum and currant notes. This was stored in a pretty cool environment, and was quite youthful. Nice, long finish. Subsequent glasses allowed more fruit and a floral note to overtake the early tobacco notes. Delicious - my one, lone bottle and it was great.
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1/29/2014 - WineGuyFL Likes this wine: 95 Points
Unfortunately, my last bottle. Drank at a restaurant. Took it because other TNs said it did not require decanting. I complete endorse that experience. The first sip after uncorking was fine. Classic Insignia......downright yummy. My only negative thought is the pro reviewers say it will be drinkable through 2025. I do not see it that way, as there do not seem to be enough tannins left to last that long. If I had more bottles, I would be a drinker over the next few years.
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1/17/2014 - danielk168 wrote: 92 Points
very reliable and delivers what was expected. 3rd bottle in 2 weeks and pleasing as always.
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1/1/2014 - winelover1808 wrote: 97 Points
this was flat out great. lots of fruit still; soft chewy tannins; long finish; no hard edges - just a great great california cab
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1/1/2014 - sbeeks wrote: 97 Points
Wow. Seems like this just keeps getting better with each bottle.
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12/31/2013 - mikdal wrote: 97 Points
A perfect wine!
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12/28/2013 - danielk168 wrote: 91 Points
this bottle seemd a bit off, did not last as long as last time, compared to the Caymus SS of same vintage, it was not as smooth and lacked complexity.
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12/21/2013 - cjboffoli Likes this wine: 97 Points
Beautiful garnet color. Completely mellow, balanced, California Cabernet awesomeness. Wow.
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12/17/2013 - Marc S wrote: 94 Points
- Brick color with slow forming legs. It's in total harmony and has flavours of blackberry and strawberry with a full body. Smooth texture with a medium finish - Lovely complex wine. Very well balanced. Loads of fruit with a wonderful nose. Tannins are not abundant in nature but should cary the wine for a few more years to come.
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12/3/2013 - bottlewasher Likes this wine: 97 Points
Opened ups this evening and poured in straight from the bottle to have with chili. Wine is fantastic with lots of deep ruby color, serious candy apple nose with lots of fruit. If you're lucky enough to have a few bottles of this left, you should be very happy drinking them over the next 5 or so years.
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11/28/2013 - stoneb Likes this wine: 92 Points
From magnum, decanted for 2 hours. Deep purple color turning to ruby at the rim. Subdued cabernet nose on open that improved only slightly over the 4-5 hours this wine was open. Delicious on the palate with wonderful texture but limited secondary flavors. Mostly dark fruit with sweet, fully integrated tannin, cigar box, and toasty (but not overdone) oak. Medium finish. This was excellent wine but definitely not the best bottle of this I've had. Aromatics in particular, which have been spectacular on occasion in the past, were muted. Hard to say if this was an off bottle or beginning to fade, but I don't see much upside in further aging.
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11/22/2013 - winepaw Likes this wine: 97 Points
The 1997 stood out in a vertical tasting with the 1994, 1995 & 1996 Insignias as the most completely harmonious, pure expression of this exceptional, iconic Napa bordeaux varietal blend. A bit reticent on the nose when first opened (versus the intense nose of the 1994), the bouquet began to open a bit in the glass, hinting of the explosion of depth and complexity on the palate. Drinking beautifully now, but still youthful, with perfect balance of deep, pure black fruit, maturing tannins, and acidity. No flaws, no hard edges now, but promising the develpment of further complexity with additional bottle age. Try again in 2 or 3 years.
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11/21/2013 - La Cave d'Argent Likes this wine: 98 Points
This Napa red flirts with perfection. A blend of 83% Cabernet Sauvignon, 14% Merlot and 3% Petit Verdot (60% Estate fruit), it remains a youthful-appearing opaque ruby. Aromas of cassis, truffles, allspice, bittersweet chocolate and pipe tobacco jump from the glass. Round and full-bodied on the palate, it follows with complex flavors mirroring the nose. The medium-weight tannins are nicely integrated, as is the seamless alcohol. Building throughout the middle and concluding with impressive length, this is a wine which leaves a lasting impression. It has the fruit and structure to ensure (assuming properly cellared) a hedonistic experience for another 7-10 years. Drink now-2023.
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11/21/2013 - gew71walsh wrote: 92 Points
Have had a couple of bottles of this earlier and it was superb. This bottle had muted fruit-wonder if it is starting to lose some of its luster. Still a wonderful wine. Pleasant on nose and palate. Well balanced.
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11/18/2013 - Highlander wrote:
An outstanding mature wine. There is nothing worse than letting a wine die from old age.....While some may like their wines with one foot in the grave, I would rather have them while they can still dance. This wine is nowhere near dead....but some of the fruit has faded (mildly)in the last two years and this is the first time I have noticed this in over 20 bottles. The elegance of this wine is hard to overstate. The dark fruits, muted leather and very mild tobacco tastes are there. The complexity is superb. This is one of those wines that pleases from nose to finish. The tannins are fully integrated. There is no reason to hold this wine further however, unless you are British of course! I expect to finish my last several bottles in the next two years at which time I will sing God Save the King....err 2007...
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11/7/2013 - dcwino wrote: 97 Points
World Wine Symposium 2013 - Kevin and Kelly's excellent adventure; 11/6/2013-11/14/2013 (Villa D’este, Lake Como): If you like a classic big napa cult cap, this is it. Expressive black fruits, dusty, ink, licorice, coconut and sweet dark spices. Incredible concentration and silky palate. This is a big scale in your face cab but with an excellent balance.
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11/1/2013 - europat55 wrote: 92 Points
Platinum Tasting - '94 & '97 California Cabs (Tasted Blind) (Andre's House): Dense fruity nose. Some heat that burned off a little after some time in the glass (A-). Very tasty! (A-).
My #2, Group's #1 (31 pts). Tasted blind.
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10/27/2013 - italio39 wrote: 97 Points
Wow... After so many years of waiting for this wine to come into its own, I finally opened one to celebrate my sons triumphal return from a national band competition! This wine has matured exquisitely, with a beautiful dark plum color! A dark stone fruit nose, with notes of dark chocolate and cassis that makes you want to smell the wine more than drink it! Yet after decanting and breathing for an hour, Insignia reveals it's depth of flavor with big notes of blackberries, dark cherry and touch of tobacco! Beautiful supple balance from front to mid palate, with a slow, dramatic currant, spice and sensuous finish! Don't wait to open this gem! Drinking well now! Bravo to the winemakers Walter and Michael for an exvpetional vintage!
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10/19/2013 - gmat5497 Likes this wine: 94 Points
Wow. Just wonderful. Very intricate and well balanced.
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9/21/2013 - Charlie Carnes Does not like this wine: 84 Points
It is amazing to me how little this style of wine changes over time. I don't know why, but I was expecting this to be better, or maybe to have aged into something much better. After a very disappointing Shafer Hillside 1997 earlier this year, I should have known. At any rate this dark purple wine was all about extract, alcohol, heat, oak, vanilla oak, coconut husk and coconut oak. It is not flawed; people were drinking it. I just really don't like it.
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8/28/2013 - cultdrinker Likes this wine: 95 Points
Drinking well on my birthday Lot of scents in the nose, chocolate and black cherry. The same in the taste.
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8/18/2013 - Ricky99 Likes this wine: 94 Points
Still a juicy delight though the fruit is about to outweigh th remaining tannin... drink up over next couple years
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8/2/2013 - allfalkedup Likes this wine: 94 Points
This 16 year old wine is simply delicious and it has a few years left to go before the final downhill slide. We decanted it for about an hour and a half and it continued to flourish for the next hour. The fruit was surprisingly distinct, dark berries, cherry, tar and tobacco dominated. The mouthfeel was full, the tannins silky and the finish long. It was an excellent accompaniment to the NY Prime and Short Rib duo.
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6/16/2013 - OCWino Likes this wine: 96 Points
Decanted about an hour; it opened up over the subsequent two hours. A huge viscous wine. It still has years left but is very well balanced with classic Napa fruit over silky tannins. What a treat.
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5/20/2013 - jsander wrote: 95 Points
Opened nicely after an hour decant. Long perfumed finish. Dark fruits. Silky tannins.
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5/10/2013 - DarinC Likes this wine: 93 Points
From magnum. Auction bottle. Initially I was a little worried as the nose and palate were dominated by raw cedar and austerity. Left in decanter for 2 hrs then rebottled and consumed for four hours that evening. It started to open up and fill out around hour 4. Very little indication of its age on the nose and palate. Dominated by primary red fruit (cherries, red plums) and cigar box. A dusting of earth and mineral emerge. No secondary. Almost no chocolate or jammy black fruit present in most modern insignias. A hit with everyone.
Days 2-5 it continued to open up and develop complexities. Almost impervious to air. This bottle was clearly from a cool cellar. Reminds me of early 90s Napa winemaking.
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5/10/2013 - Radboy wrote: flawed
Corked damn it. Tried to like it but it was shit.
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5/4/2013 - Ricky99 wrote: 93 Points
Still a favorite after all these years.. fruit has certainly matured but just a pleasure to drink. very near peak
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3/30/2013 - JohnOnWine wrote: 92 Points
Open 4 days. Still very nice.
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3/24/2013 - levinml wrote: 96 Points
This is why we love Insignia. Drank in sub-optimal wine glasses over two nights (pump) and from first taste to last this was outstanding. Open, balancing fruit and structure with long length. Wish this was $75, but oh, well.
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3/3/2013 - europat55 wrote: 92 Points
Euro-Themed Lunch - In Pursuit of Balance with US Domestic Wines (Donato Enoteca, Redwood City, CA): Gorgeous nose. Excellent palate. Good balance. Some leather, but the fruit is dominant. Tasted blind.
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2/15/2013 - grafighter Likes this wine: 96 Points
Decanted for 3 hours. Rebottled, recorked and consumed for dinner at Cook's County. Fine matured wine, but not quite at its peak. No bricking at all. Nose of red fruits, some meat, dark chocolate. Fruit, acid and tannin are all in harmony with each other, just wonderful. Silky and smooth. Great with food, from black kale salad to duck breast. I like this wine slightly better with 1997 Araujo Eisele Vineyard.
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2/14/2013 - NostraBacchus Likes this wine: 95 Points
Tasted blind. Jumps out of the glass with jammy dark fruit, some spices, cedar, a touch of oaky spices. Hits the palate with a full body of black currant, blueberries and again some spices and some smokiness. Beautifully ripe tannins (medium) and some acidity (medium-) add structure. Great length. Even opened up some more with some air. I have tasted many vintages of Insignia over the years, and it is constantly one of the true icons of Napa. (95+)
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2/11/2013 - bon vivant wrote:
SbS with the 96 Opus One tonight this bottle was outstanding. Lots of dark fruits with notes of spice & coco, hints of mint, but what really made it special was the seamless integration of all the components resulting in a voluptuous (but not OTT) and extremely smooth texture. Silk sheets kind of a wine. A great hedonistic style of a wine that makes it easy to drink, enjoy and not bother analyzing too much. This is in a great place with some secondary characteristics just engineering the picture. Where it goes from here I have no idea, though I suspect this will drink well for many years. While this may develop more flavor nuances I hope that it won't come at the expense of the textural experience.
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2/8/2013 - BoulderWine wrote: 92 Points
Was not as impressive for us as many have noted. We were expecting a "Wow" factor that just wasn't there. Still has nice fruit but not a complex wine. While enjoyable, it just didn't pack a lot of flavor. Can't see it getting any better.
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1/29/2013 - Lipsman wrote: 94 Points
I see that some reviewers have given this wine very high marks, 97 points. And others have given it respectable marks, 94 points. This has not developed secondary flavor profiles yet, but it is incredibly balanced, drinks like velvet, smooth as silk, with a long flavor on the palate. This will be a 97 point wine, but it needs time. This is a masterpiece by Phelps, but give it time. Try again in four years, 2017. It is very close.
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1/26/2013 - Sovinator Likes this wine: 94 Points
Excellent wine at full maturity in my opinion. Purple colored. Notes of Blackberry, Cassis, and Cedar. The body is Medium/Full with a smooth texture and great finish. Drank from magnum
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1/22/2013 - Floyd77 Likes this wine: 97 Points
Exquisite, balanced, classic Insignia with dark fruit, mocha and intensely long finish. Probably at its peak -- but plenty of time to go.
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1/6/2013 - RCS73 wrote: 94 Points
Unfortunately I did not decant this. First hour - solid, robust Calif Cab with all the usual accolades (90). After 90 minutes it became profound - cassis, glycerine, light berry, silky mouthfeel. Nose became much more aromatic.
Two takeaways - (1) must decant for at least 1 hour, (2) Love the heavy bottle-feel while pouring
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12/26/2012 - fritza wrote: 92 Points
- Crimsom color with medium forming legs and aromas of blackberry. It's somewhat balanced and has flavours of blackberry with a medium/full body. Satin-Like texture with a medium finish - Cork broke, but salvaged. Decanted 2 hours
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12/26/2012 - Topper wrote: 94 Points
From Magnum. This is a very reliable wine and completely ready to drink from large format. Likely at peak here as some say it is losing steam out of 750s. The fruit and tannins are nicely integrate and, while still a big wine, was not overpowering in any way and went fabulously with Xmas roast beef.
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12/26/2012 - Ricky99 wrote: 92 Points
Fruit is very evident, and still plenty of life
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12/25/2012 - rbeers wrote: 95 Points
Ruby color with slight orange rim, current and cherry fruit prominent, vanilla and cedar notes with a long smooth finish, balanced. Not sure whether to drink now, but glad I did. Close to its peak, but could continue to do fine for years.
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12/24/2012 - norsktorsk wrote: 95 Points
This has a rich but clear appearance. Just a very slight bricking. The nose is full of red fruit. There is a hint of eucalyptus, cherry. Elegant. Tannins are holding with long finish. Easily several more years of life. Of course, we would like more.
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12/8/2012 - Grinner Likes this wine: 96 Points
PHMG WAG: #100 (Chez Lyon in Eugene, OR): Looking back at my note from 5 years ago:
"#1 of 25 '97's tasted blind on 11/18/07. Just a great combination of fruit, texture, and tannins. The 'ol "iron fist in a velvet glove" cliche. Some wines need a microphone to be heard, this one needs a silencer, it's born to kill. Lots of time left, 94 pts on day 2."
This bottle was just as good, maybe better, but 96 seems about right. The tannins are still impressive but soft. It still has 10 years!
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11/17/2012 - jgkost wrote: 95 Points
Still drinking very well with plenty of fruit and structure. Cork was wet thru with no apparent problem. decanted and drank immediately. Wine opened slightly over 30 minutes or so.
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11/17/2012 - rsbeck wrote: 96 Points
Popped, breathed in bottle 90 minutes, consumed over next two hours. Intoxicating bouquet right from the start. Took full two hours after pouring to fully open, but when it did, it was wonderful. Layers of dark fruit, sweet tobacco, cedar, and forest floor. Tannin seems to have fully resolved, but this showed no sign of having peaked yet. Its slow, steady improvement in the glass persuades me that this has lots of life left and there's reason to believe it has yet to reach full development. No need to wait and no need to rush. I only wish I had opened it earlier and let it breathe in bottle another hour or two.
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11/11/2012 - shine wrote: 95 Points
Still has some youth but drinking as a mature cab with Leather, tar, tobacco and graphite.
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11/2/2012 - Wine_lvr wrote: 93 Points
American Belle 1st Edition (Switzerland): Tasted blind: Deep in color. In the nose a fruit bomb showing currant and red berries. The tannins are well integrated and the wine is very elegant. Taste of chocolate, black currant and Earl Grey tea. Drink now - 2025.
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10/22/2012 - iamandyc wrote: 96 Points
WOTN against Quilceda, Pape Clement, Beringer, Kosta Browne and Capiaux lineup. Perfect finish to the night. The nose was heavenly and grabbed you from far away! Aromas of fruits, violets and spice. The wine was totally balanced with a looong finish. Extremely pure in focus, elegant in style yet intense all at the same time. Completely integrated. Ahhhh!
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10/15/2012 - Weinlakai wrote: 91 Points
Given the high praises here on CT, I thought it would be a good idea to pop the cork better now than later. Since I only had one bottle, I wanted to catch it in a perfect stage. Although I think the wine is as good as it gets right now I must say I was underwhelmed.
The nose is dominated by classical mature Bordeaux notes, especially pencil shavings. The fruit is quite restrained, the typical black currant notes are very discreet. But overall it has a very intense nose. On the palate the wine is both powerful and smooth, but in my eyes the main weakness is the lack of freshness/acidity. The impression of sweetness through its extract level is very obvious and not counterbalanced by acidity. This makes it a bit flabby on the palate and does not create the level of elegance I would have expected. I've had many better examples of mature Californian Cabs/Bordeaux blends. Some of them much cheaper that the Insignia. E.g. 1991 Beringer Private Reserve.
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10/9/2012 - Jeff Leve wrote: 96 Points
Espresso, fennel, smoke, 5 spice, blackberry jam and wet earth aromas create the complex aromatics. Rich, deep and full bodied, with a supple, sensuous mouth feel and a long, pure, clean blackberry, plum and spicy finish. This is drinking great today and is no danger of falling apart. What a nice treat.
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10/8/2012 - sdezutti wrote: 98 Points
Beautiful, seamless mature wine. Clear, deep ruby color. Aromas of leather, tobacco, dried herbs. Some nice fruit left, but it was in the back ground. This bottle was perfectly balanced, lively, with very silky tannins- one of those wines that was so easy to drink. On the first sip I detected a bit of oak on the finish but never noticed it again after that. I think this has the structure and body to age at least 10 more years for those that like older wine, but it is drinking beautifully right now if you like a bit of fruit remaining.
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10/6/2012 - stoneb wrote: 94 Points
Decanted for an hour before dinner. Deep purple/garnet color. Outstanding nose of black fruit with some vanilla and oak. Delicious, layered black and red fruit, mocha, some oak and round, fully resolved tannins. Gorgeous mouthfeel. An outstanding, mature CA cab, though a bottle from 2 years ago had more verve. Maybe this was a slightly lesser example, or perhaps it is starting to fade just a bit. Either way, I doubt this is going to get any better with more bottle age. Drink or hold.
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10/4/2012 - RMY wrote: 96 Points
Holy smokes, what a wine. Decanted for about 30 mins - no mustiness; the nose was nearly instantly apparent and glorious the moment it went into the decanter. Wonderfullly elegant fruit, and a finish that goes and goes. Truly one of the best I've ever had. Has some years left but don't wait. You will not be sorry!
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9/30/2012 - gmat5497 wrote: 97 Points
Incredible. Velvety smooth. Just outstanding.
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9/22/2012 - nogohawk wrote: 94 Points
Outstanding! Drink now
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9/15/2012 - Abbey wrote: 97 Points
Opened the magnum for my 50th and decanted for an hour. Absolutly yummy, the nose was a little quite but the taste opened up with a mothful of black cherry with great balance of delicate oac. The long finish left you with the feeling of a mothful of chocolate with perfectly balanced of tannis. Clarly the best wine I have had in a long time.
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9/11/2012 - taipanli wrote: 95 Points
Excellent Insignia. Deep ruby red. Nice nose but even better in mouth. Tastes sweet yet luxurious. Has years left but perhaps not as structured as the 94. 50+10+8+19+8=95
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9/3/2012 - EyeDoc wrote: 97 Points
Top tier California offering. One of the best Cali meritage wines I have ever had. This is one of the greatest Phelps Insignias of all time. From magnum. Still very fresh fruits on the nose and palate. Tremendous balance and long finish. A great wine.
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9/1/2012 - jsebiri wrote:
Nice wine here , popped and poured , big and juicy. Dark red wine color , some herbs and peppers on the nose which was fighting with the fruit.....not sure that this wine gets better from here , in the back of mind I am pretty sure this wine was better a few years back . Drink it up .
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8/28/2012 - jonanator wrote: 96 Points
Amazing wine. Viscous and mouth coating. Very long finish that lasted for minutes. Currant and berries throughout. Bouquet very consistent with flavours. Nose is stunning and powerful. Very full bodied. Wine is at its peak.
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8/26/2012 - Old Vino wrote: 94 Points
Decanted for 8 hours. Just wonderful in all aspects - explosive nose with dark fruit, currant, and very little tobacco leaf. Big and bold, viscous, full body...berries and cream! Medium plus finish. Very slight tannins, probably at its peak and has no more than 10 years to go.
Update: next day wine got even better with air time. 94+
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8/19/2012 - cepageyakima wrote: 92 Points
Losing some steam...And 1997? I just do not beleive this is that long lived vintage many critics thought it was..
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8/18/2012 - rjbr wrote: 92 Points
Still can hold some years
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6/23/2012 - il_diavolo wrote: 93 Points
Very dark. Intense nose of oak and currant. This is a big, opulent, dense wine that shows little age. Oak and black fruits. This is heavy no doubt (at times flirting with amarone and port) but carries it very well - could do with a longer finish and the slight worry about why at age 15 the non fruit character is still somewhat missing. Very very good but short of greatness.
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6/8/2012 - Kemo Sabe wrote: 93 Points
Very solid bottle. Popped and poured; drank over 3 hours. This is one of the better 97s which didnt really turn out to be the vintage of the decade as many predicted at the time ('94 took the crown). Smooth and drinking well. No hard edges. Nose, good. Palate, good. Finish, good. All in harmony here. The blend has served this wine well. And given the production levels of this wine its hard to see how this isnt one of the best 97s still around. 93+
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6/8/2012 - Jeff Leve wrote: 97 Points
It’s amazing to consider the massive size of the production of this wine along with the consistent level of quality found in Phelps Insignia. Sadly, this was the last vintage I purchased due to spiraling prices. But that should not take away from the blast of licorice, chocolate, espresso bean, black and blue fruits, truffle, earth and cherry liqueur, opulent, velvet laced textures, flamboyant personality and layers of concentrated fruits. With all that, everything is in balance in this delicious, ready to drink California Cabernet Sauvignon.
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6/2/2012 - cubswinws wrote: 94 Points
Very smooth with nice depth and long finish. This was a nice showing for this wine. It seems to be at its peak to me.
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5/20/2012 - overhill wrote: 93 Points
Unlike previous bottles which were in the early stage of decline, this one was singing and seemed to have a solid 10-15 years of life ahead. Deep and brooding on the nose this had plenty of grip and a long, flavorful, and mouth-coating finish. The weakness at this stage (if you want to split hairs) is the mid-palette, which does not have the depth that it used to.
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5/15/2012 - phantphant wrote: 90 Points
Very smooth, but not the blockbuster it was earlier. Hopefully it's just the bottle.
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4/28/2012 - lvjohn wrote: 96 Points
Deep! Dark! Delicious! A very balanced and wonderful wine as many others have attested. A great wine.
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4/16/2012 - amred wrote: 97 Points
This wine was paired with two 100 point Bordeaux, a Colgin and a Dominus in a blind tasting---and more than held its own. The nose was perfectly balanced, the fruit was evident but not too forward. Year in and year out, these are balanced wines with great character. The nose was subdued dark fruit, in the mouth there was still ample, but smooth tannins and great balance. No sense of too much fruit, alcohol or oak. Really did hold up as a well made Cabernet when being compared to the Bordeaux.
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4/11/2012 - 1550 wrote: 87 Points
Have to agree with Jancis Robinson on this wine which is headed down the backside now. Should have finished it up in 2010.
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3/30/2012 - Goldstone wrote: 92 Points
A magnum opened and decanted 3 hours before serving then drank over the next 3 hours. Colour is dark, monolithic, totally opaque purple-red.....looks much younger than its age. Nose just jumps out of the glass shouting one thing....."pencil lead, pencil lead, pencil lead". Palate is chewy, gummy like fruit pastilles but with a beautifully precise blackcurrant and blackberry fruit.......but still incredibly tannic. Come back in 10 years' time..........
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3/29/2012 - VAGenius Likes this wine: 95 Points
Nose of rich mocha, spice, and chocolate. Palate provides many layers of flavor: coffee, spice, earth, tannin, leather, and hints of mineral. Resolved tannins, rich red soil, and cedar on the finish. Fully mature, may even be starting downhill.
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3/26/2012 - BCharlieG wrote: 96 Points
Various Vintage California Wine Dinner - Corkbuzz in NYC (Corkbuzz - NYC): Clearly not comparable to the vintage wines we drank along side this, but this was, in my opinion, the highlight of the night. Huge fruit, great acid, excellent tannin structure. Good crushed cherry, cassis, big milk chocolate and ganache elements. Big fruit extraction and good alcohol. Long 45+ second finish on this wine. very well made extremely well balanced. not the most sophisticated wine but excellent example of what this wine is all about. This is a big wine and should really hold nicely over the years. Think you can easily get into this wine now but would be enjoyable for many many years to come. Drank w/ filet of beef au jus and parsnip puree. Cut right through.
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3/20/2012 - Papies wrote: 91 Points
Joseph Phelps Insignia Vertical 2008>1994 with Robert Baxter (Handford Wines, London): Very intense on the nose. Cassis. Musty nose (is it a bottle issue) which spoils the show here. Lots of tannin here and requires a bit more cellaring ( 5yrs?) to show its potential. 91 for the moment.
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3/10/2012 - Wineandsports wrote: 94 Points
Decanted for 1.5 hrs. Still needed time in the glass. Wonderful nose of herbs and a hint of licorice. Oak, graphite with a sour plum center on the tongue. Smooth and luxurious. Probably has a bit more time before it peak. Only reason I didn't score it higher is the finish-hopefully that will appear.
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3/2/2012 - facchair wrote: 95 Points
Sill soft and silky, should last another 5 years or more.
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3/1/2012 - JDRFoster wrote: 96 Points
Truly outstanding.
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2/26/2012 - markellen.foodies@gmail.com wrote: 95 Points
- Garnet color with fast forming legs and aromas of eucalyptus, blackberry, black currant, violet and cedar. It's in total harmony and has flavours of blackberry, black currant and licorice anise with a medium/full body. Polished texture with a long finish - @ PRIME 112, with Eddie Chabli and Katya; Ashley and Josh Liemer.
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2/23/2012 - dino_mike wrote: 95 Points
Wonderful oak and classic cabernet nose. Flavors are strong black cherry, some graphite and cassis. A bit of heat upon opening but after an hour the fruit expanded and balanced out. Long finish, still fresh feeling. Probably can age a few more years but it's wonderful now.
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1/28/2012 - BuffaloLou wrote: 97 Points
Stunning bottle of wine! From the PNP through the last drop (two hours later) it was amazing. Black fruits, licorice, cassis, spice, velvety tannins, meaty. JPV always does it's Insignia well, but some years it just rocks!
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1/21/2012 - sdwineguru wrote: 95 Points
Big cabernet nose; mint; berries; wood; rich fruit; coats the palate; long flavorful finish. Some life left. w/filet mignon.
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1/2/2012 - SFortier wrote: 95 Points
One of the best Ca wine! Still a lot of time ahead...but no bottle left!
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12/28/2011 - Margauxguy wrote: 96 Points
Forward balanced luscious. Latour like, but clearly California. not fading, npbut developing gloriously. I still love ca
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12/26/2011 - gordoh wrote: 96 Points
Perfect California.
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12/25/2011 - ggkemp wrote: 94 Points
Drinking perfectly.. luscious nose, body, complexity, finish. Age seems ideal..
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12/21/2011 - dcwino wrote: 97 Points
The 97 Cult cab/Meritage dinner at RIS in DC: This was a Justin Bonner’s contribution and drank none-blind. Wonderfully expressive youthful nose of Lead pencil, milk, crèmes de cassis, crushed blackberries, licorice, ash and etc. The oak component is still not fully resolved. Chewy palate with excellent concentration and still strong presence of tannins that are not obtrusive due to generous fruits. An impressive wine that seems to have a lot greater aging potential than the others.
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12/17/2011 - dkhale4 wrote: 98 Points
Initial impressions were some wonderful berry and earth flavors, well integrated, but without much horsepower. Being a '97 I figured that it was just past its peak and would still be a great wine for the evening. As the night wore on, this 1997 cabernet blossomed! A velvety depth and texture that wasn't present upon opening evolved. This wine simply blanketed your tongue with the smoothness of an aged California cab and the finish lasted for minutes. None of us were expecting this, and what unfolded was the best wine of the year for me. I am glad we had more than one bottle open and let this one sit for awhile, because it was worth the wait and made my year.
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12/4/2011 - Tight Lines Likes this wine: 95 Points
Early Christmas festivities w/ the big family - great bottle that was very enjoyable.
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11/27/2011 - Ricky99 wrote: 95 Points
This is crazy good wine... still has a lot of time yet to develop...
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11/5/2011 - William73 wrote: 95 Points
WOW! This wine was fantastic ... Filled with fruit and toasty oak in the background, with a finish that lasted for a minute. Great balance and finesse for the vintage - which tended to be a little one dimesional from some of the 100% Cabernet producers
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11/5/2011 - Chuck Miller wrote:
Still youthful, thick and dark. You can drink now, but it will probably reward you with another 5 years or so of cellaring.
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10/2/2011 - Mark_yyz wrote:
- Medium forming legs and aromas of black pepper.
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9/21/2011 - dream wrote: 87 Points
Well-aged and quite smooth with deep cassis and blackberry flavors but this tasted too jammy next to an '88 Beringer Reserve which was fresher and more delineated. Extremely ripe fruit with an alcoholic edge. Ultimately disappointing.
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9/16/2011 - Javachip wrote: 92 Points
San Diego Offline 9/16/2011 (San Diego): I purchased three bottles on release, and opened the first one tonight. Opened at 3 PM, allowed to breathe in bottle until 5 PM, then decanted, then poured into a second decanter in a frantic effort to get rid of some unpleasant meaty shoe polish odors, then poured back into the rinsed bottle at 5:30 PM. Tasting began at 7 PM. Clear inky dark oxblood color. The triple decanting successfully eliminated the unpleasant odors. At 7 PM the bouquet showed plum liqueur, cherries, fennel, red licorice, roasted almonds. Similar on the palate, full-bodied, but with a faintly bitter herbal edge and a faintly stewed quality making me wonder about heat damage at some point in the past. Everyone else liked it very much. My #4, but group's #1 for the evening.
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8/5/2011 - redmaster wrote: 96 Points
Fabulous taste, wine opened up very well... The smell was fantastic and the wine went down very smooth with a nice bold flavor
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8/2/2011 - bhouk wrote:
In a very good place right now. Highly polished fruit, saline minerality, smooth tannins and a long pleasing finish. I see no reason to feel like this needs to be drunk soon -- nor any reason to wait. My 14th Anniversary wine, and a great complement to the Magret duck breast for dinner. Porcini crusted scallops for the wife.
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8/1/2011 - phenricsson wrote: 94 Points
Still a great wine but more mellow. It has become more elegant. But not as exciting as it used to be.
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7/26/2011 - Life At Your Leisure 🍷 Likes this wine: 97 Points
Wow! Black-purple color with a soft, velvety, slithering texture that envelops a dense, rigid structure. It has a kick in the end, but just as you'd think it's over its got a second tail! Flavors of lifted deep black cherry at the core with hints of dark chocolate, espresso, jammy currant, slight oak and darkly toasted vanilla. Drinking beautifully now and it seems like it's going for the long haul - maybe 2020(?) This has ranked in my top 3 to date. Definitely a classic and a must-try for any wine lover.
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7/13/2011 - Peech Likes this wine: 94 Points
minty, smoky, sweet fruit, dried herbs, cedar and chocolate notes on the nose. Very full-bodied, and tannins are still there. Drinking nicely now, this would no doubt get even better. I think I've got another magnum lying around somewhere, from the original batch I bought back in 2000.
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7/9/2011 - overhill wrote:
School dinner fundraiser (7/9/2011) (Our house): Previous two bottles of this were showing signs of slight decline, but this one still on the up slope. Cork was in perfect shape and only stained a mm or two. Decanted one hour and got intense aromas of strawberry and raspberry jam. Fleshy and dense across the palette with the signature balance and power. Never be a complex wine, but totally delicious.
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7/8/2011 - steinersing wrote: 96 Points
1997 Napa Cabs: Showed very well - a very balanced wine, well rounded, pure, elegant. Somewhat exotic Asian spices / anis character. Mouton-like. Long.
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7/3/2011 - dream wrote: 88 Points
This magnum seemed a bit muted for this wine but did start showing more depth and complexity late with ripe cassis and chocolate flavors. I've had a fair amount of bottle variation with this wine despite purchase on release and perfect storage. This was not it's best showing.
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6/25/2011 - floydtp wrote: 94 Points
CellarTracker Wisconsin June 2011; 6/24/2011-6/25/2011 (Madison, WI- various venues): Tasted non blind at a tasting that included 94-99 Insignia. Nose of blackberries, cassis, tobacco. Similar taste with some spiciness, a touch sweet but turns sour in the middle. Very long finish (probably the longest of the day). 94+ with some potential for further improvement. Hold for 1-3 more years.
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6/25/2011 - wineismylife wrote: 91 Points
CellarTracker Wisconsin Offline I - Part Two - Double Vertical Tasting (petiteblanc's house in Madison, WI): WIML91+/-?
Tasted non blind at an offline. Double decanted and left cork out for four hours before serving.
Garnet to perhaps dark garnet color in the glass, clear looking throughout. Subdued nose of graham crackers, berries and plums. Flavors of solid red berries, some red cherries and maybe some raspberries. Medium to bright acidity, medium to firm tannins, full bodied. Drink or hold.
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6/25/2011 - IWineAlot wrote: 93 Points
CT Wisconsin Offline (Madison, WI): I really enjoyed this bottle of '97. Great nose of underbrush/earth and dark fruit like plums. Nice earth/mineral and espresso/mocha component to the palate along with plums. Long finish.
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6/25/2011 - petitblanc wrote:
CT Wisconsin Offline; 6/24/2011-6/25/2011 (Madison, WI): Fiercely alcoholic once again. No score.
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6/19/2011 - Stirling wrote: 93 Points
I feel I am almost being unfair with my score. Dark red-black, showing surprisingly little age. Nose took a little coaxing but eventually revealed blackberry, plum and spice. On the palate the wine is massive, thick, plush with some grip on the 30 second finish. My problem with this wine is that the fruit shouts so loudly that small nuances that create complexity cannot be heard. Hedonists would love this wine, so please take my notes with a grain of salt. Those looking for elegance and subtlety might be overwhelmed. I am somewhere in the middle. Extremely well made, if you like the style.
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6/11/2011 - iar wrote:
Bad bottle. Tasted like horse manure.
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6/3/2011 - svbmark wrote: 97 Points
Wow, so mature, but stable. Nose had great natural scent of fresh cut wood and grass. Long lasting fruit at the end made this a special treat to taste.
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6/1/2011 - Cellar Dweller wrote: 92 Points
Once again I saw in hindsight that even a relatively young Insignia needs to be decanted. The entire time we were enjoying this wine, and we were indeed, I felt it was asleep because I know there is bigger prettier fruit in there some where, but it was not coming forward this night. Again, we pulled the cork and poured, so I know it was not given the chance to stir and come to life. The last couple of sips were showing nice though so I know it should have been decanted and left alone for an hour.
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5/29/2011 - sbeeks wrote: 97 Points
Wow. Another great vintage of Insignia. Great fruit. Not as much earth as you get with a true Bordeaux, which I think is a good thing. This will continue to develop with a great deal of freshness as the tannins continue to subside.
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5/15/2011 - vendange wrote: 93 Points
By far the best bottle of 97 Insignia to date. In the past this has almost been painfully rich, but with age the balance has improved with earth, espresso, tobacco, and mineral (almost saline) elements playing a bigger part.
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4/30/2011 - RussK wrote: 92 Points
RUSSK Pablo's WW at PrVera. top tier. Best of the Insignia flight: '97 '94 '02 '07.
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4/23/2011 - candyman wrote: flawed
slight TBA too bad this bottle wont last tannin was light
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4/5/2011 - ralevine Likes this wine: 97 Points
Great juice!!!
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4/3/2011 - beezer6 wrote: 96 Points
I've long been waiting to try this vintage Insignia. It stood up to the hype to say the least.
So plush and ripe. Strawberries, heady bright cherries, creamy baked goods, bright rose petals and cinnamon spice.
Really pretty. Singing today. I can't see this wine beginning to decline in quality anytime soon.
Yummy yet really complex. Classic aged California wine with lots of life left.
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4/2/2011 - spts1000 wrote: 96 Points
what a great wine. it is still going strong. the fruit has taken a backseat to more earth tones, but it is still strong in structure and tannins remain. i have no idea how much longer it will last, but there is no indication it is fading. the color was of a young dark purple California cab. wish i had more, glad i have other vintages.
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3/9/2011 - Screameagle wrote: 96 Points
Drinking so great it must be at it's prime. I've always loved this wine and this bottle was no different. So happy I've still got three bottles left. No need to rush if you are lucky to have any of these left. A wonderful wine.
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3/4/2011 - oneo-philatlist wrote: 96 Points
Phelps Insignia has long been one of my favorites. It is a consistently delicious wine. Full in the mouth and a long finish. Wonderful! Still great and tastes like it has a quite a few years of life left in the bottle. Have one more bottle will hold until next year or so.
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2/21/2011 - pekingunther wrote: 91 Points
What can i say about this wine except that it was very disappointing. The score doesn't reflect this unless you look at the reviews and the scores it has received from many other contributors and professionals. You open a wine like this with GREAT Expectations, and that is where the problem lies I guess. When first opened the wine seemed "hot". Not cooked but hot. Almost overdone. This sense took about 30-40 minutes to leave before the wine began to assert itself and a fresh vein of fruit came through. At every sip, you are anticipating an explosion. A build up that leads to the kinds of reviews and scores that it has been given. But it doesn't happen. It is a well balanced, very drinkable wine. Solid fruit and a nice backbone of tannin. I'd suggest it doesn't have that much more room for development, but then it may be a sleeper and I could be very wrong (I hope - because I still have 5 bottles and 2 magnums). So drink this wine to enjoy with a beef stew maybe a steak. But if you do it blind, don't be surprised if you don't pick it because you were expecting so much more.
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2/12/2011 - arniec wrote: 95 Points
Wonderful nose. Tannins are reserved. Nice fruit. Smooth from attack to finish.
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1/30/2011 - bonedocnine wrote: 97 Points
yyyyuuuuuummmmm!
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1/29/2011 - markellen.foodies@gmail.com wrote: 95 Points
Decanted for1 hr and then rebottling before walking to Eos. At Eos, Oscar again poured into decanter. Kept improving throughtout our 1-1/2 hr dinner.
Mature cassis flavors. Clearly a superior wine, and even better than our last experience 3 years ago.Ellen, the hypertaster thought she tasted brett, and would only give it a 91. I informed her she was tasting a mature wine, and brett is smelled, not tasted.
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1/16/2011 - rpenn77 wrote: 96 Points
Incredible bottle of wine. Excellent structure. Great fruit with mature tannins.
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1/7/2011 - EricBe wrote: 95 Points
needed to open a bit, but still delicious.
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1/2/2011 - akeenan wrote: 87 Points
A little too long. About a year too late
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1/1/2011 - pearlsdad wrote:
Awesome new years night! Best bottle in a longtime. Giles rusty and Ives.
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1/1/2011 - Radboy wrote: 98 Points
An absolutely great flippin' bottle of wine. We drank this at a wine party with some very nice wines including and '86 Ingelnook, a '90 Le Gay and an '85 Duckhorn and many others and this simply stole the show. Had to fight off the masses so I could enjoy every drop. I am pissed I only have two bottles left! Off to buy more Lotto tickets...
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1/1/2011 - arniec Likes this wine: 95 Points
Seems to be losing some of its "freshness"....the fruit is fading. Needed more time than past bottles to open up. Has gained a prune flavor when opened. Took about an hour before it hit its stride. Still a very nice bottle.
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12/31/2010 - East of Napa wrote: 88 Points
I can't believe how poor this wine was. really sorry we waited. may never wait again on a california cab. Should have drank 5 years ago somewhat musty on the nose most of the fruit is gone. got better with some time but nothing like I expected. Probably will not buy any more. Lots of wine is better at much cheaper prices. Had a 2006 chimney rock cab for dinner that wqs heads ahd shoulders above the insignia. Really bummed!!!!
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12/30/2010 - kpc14 wrote: 95 Points
Dank
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12/19/2010 - rpenn77 wrote: 96 Points
Dynamite cab. Huge fruit, soft tannins.
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12/11/2010 - RussK wrote: 91 Points
RUSSK WWiz Holiday Party.91+
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12/2/2010 - Ronfeldman wrote: 96 Points
Drinking absolutely perfect now! Had at Talula's Table against Quintessa, and was the odds on favorite.
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11/26/2010 - Benedikt wrote: 96 Points
Very much a food wine, powerful blend. Excellent strength and complexity!
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11/24/2010 - genothevino Likes this wine: 100 Points
This is an incredible wine, the nose was filled with lovely dark fruit; tannins were solid. The balance and fruit were perfect on the palatte. Cherry and stone fruit predominate, it is perfect.
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11/19/2010 - eastover wrote:
Friday night - surprise 50 b'day at our house w/John, Linda, Stevie, Sue, Lee and Lisa - great wines brought and consumed with lamb shanks. Started with 1999 Camartina (US), then Chateau Margaux 1993 ( LG), Phelps Insignia 1997 (US), then a Mag of Stags Lear Cask 23 1991 (Stevie), a Chateau Quinault 2000 and a Mag of Karl Lawrence 2002 (Stevie). All were great - I particularly enjoyed the Camartina, Phelps and Karl Lawrence.
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11/16/2010 - TwoSmoochies wrote: 91 Points
Jim would have given it a 92 but I like my wines with more fruit. very well balanced
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11/14/2010 - shaferguy91 wrote: 95 Points
Decanted 1 hour. Still a wow wine. No sign of decline. Wonderful !
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11/13/2010 - cos82 wrote: 93 Points
Popped and poured at byob. Sorry I wasn't able to decant an hour or two prior. Top half of cork crumbly and bottom half extracted in one piece. Dark purple with no sign of maturity. Black fruits on the nose-plum, cherry and blueberry. Initial whiff of funk that quickly blew off. Nice balanced palate of cassis, plum, mineral, earth and cedar. More Bdx like than CA. Long finish, no tannin. A very fine wine.
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11/12/2010 - indiscriminate palate wrote:
Berserkerfest very brief retrospective notes (PDH NYC): Approachable tannin, silky, very well-made, but my mind kept going to a single word: "good." There is absolutely nothing about this wine to criticize, but my little tiny pour (and that may be the issue) did not reveal anything remarkable, just a very well-made, solid, but not remarkable wine. Time to sit with a glass may obviously have changed my opinion.
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11/12/2010 - markjahnke wrote: 93 Points
Popped and poured tonight, and I have no doubt in my mind that this would be better with a 1-4 hour decant. Nose of cassis, blackberry, currants, plum, and some mocha and spice. There was a bit of oak rounding out the nose, and just a bit of creamy vanilla. On the palate, this is drinking as well as any '97 we've tried to date. I can't say for sure that this is peaking right now, but after this was opened for about 2 hours, it was about as gorgeous as I can see it get, yet it will easily age another 5 to 10+ years with proper storage! Dark berries and currants on the palate, with nice subtle hints of mocha, black cherry, blueberry, and blackberry! Finally, a bite of licorice, and spice on the long supple finish. The alcohol and tannins were integrated nicely, and all in all, this is drinking absolutely gorgeously. I really do not see this wine getting a whole lot better, but there is just a bit of room for improvement I suppose. This is definitely drinking better than the 2002 at this point. Another contender for my wine of the night, but this was edged out by the Ghost Horse, and 93 point worthy. Cheers!
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10/10/2010 - rdsboca wrote: 96 Points
Ooh la la. Loved it. Cassis, black cherry and forest moss dominate this heavy weight. This still has years ahead of itself. Absolutely stunning. Amazing mouthfeel, texture and a very long finish.
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10/6/2010 - Goldstone wrote: 83 Points
Group de Degustation Diner, Octobre 2010 (Chez Patrick, 26 Peel Street, Central, Hong Kong): Served blind with no indication of age or country of origin. Dark purple/red colour...white meniscus. Nose is earthy loam with fresh forest strawberries, red cherry, nail varnish at the back. Palate is dense, rich and chewy. My note reads "typical disappointing Burgundy palate" and I guessed it as a 1998 Morey St, Denis by a medium-level producer such as Jadot. Humblingly wrong, but humblingly interesting in a strict blind tasting because this is one of my seriously most favourite wines of all time. So it shows what I know.........
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9/25/2010 - lowereastscott wrote: 93 Points
Not formal notes - writing this the next day. Very well balanced and still has a youthful feel to it. Lots of ripe fruit. Even a little bit of heat at first, but was singing after 3-4 hours.
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9/12/2010 - dream wrote: 93 Points
Beautiful thick dark ruby color. Lovely nose of cassis and black currants with bitter chocolate. This perfect bottle needed hours to really open up. Initially, it was huge and chocolaty and a bit too much but then the tannins softened and the wine mellowed into thick red silk. This is an extemely ripe wine with huge fruit but it's balanced by solid acidity and some tannic grip. I actually think well-stored bottles will be even better in a few more years. Only the alcohol on the finish takes away slightly from this awesome expression of Napa cab.
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9/11/2010 - CJM wrote: 95 Points
this bottle was in my possession since I bought it. we decanted it and there wasnt a speck of sediment. the wine had great flavor, with bright fruit and a nice finish. I think the flavor imporved a little over time, maybe it could last for 5 years nire at most, but it was delicious when we drank it
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9/6/2010 - Cracker Barrel wrote: 89 Points
Ate with steak dinner over labor day weekend; a little disjointed and disappointing; nice color
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9/3/2010 - Zinlady wrote: 94 Points
Had blind with a roasted vegetable meal. The wine was fantastic from the first sip, dark , balanced, great body, and very long finish
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8/29/2010 - Serge Birbrair wrote:
I have nothing to add to wallstreet's TN, he nailed the wine to the dot.
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8/29/2010 - wallstreet wrote: 96 Points
Excellent wine! Nose exhibited lush berries, perfumed and gentle. The palate was fully developed and this wine is in the zone, absolutely ready to drink or could last another 5-10 years. Not sure if it will improve, but it is so damn good right now , why bother waiting. I gave it about a 1 hour decant and that was plenty sufficient. Enjoyed by all.
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8/28/2010 - Aschwartzdc wrote: 97 Points
Awesome bottle of wine! Tannins are barely present and the wine gives wave after wave of lush black fruit. Decanted for one hour in bottle and 30 minutes in decanter. Threw off a decent amount of sediment, so pour slowly and allow to stand if stored on its sidel.
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8/27/2010 - Wayne Richmon wrote: 95 Points
Decanted and poured right away. This wine got better throughout the hour it was consumed . Delicious showing deep rich fruit with a full body and excellent appeal. I will save my last bottle for a special occasion as this wine doesn't appear to be on the decline at all.
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8/18/2010 - CMz wrote: 96 Points
Opened, decanted for 60 min. Dense, dark purple, slightly lighter on the rim - no sign of bricking. Beautiful nose of cherry, plums, blackberry, vanilla and spice notes that continued to develop over a 2 hour window. On the palate - simply amazing. I last rated this (11/08) at 94 but this wine has clearly developed over the last few years to something truly amazing. Big, rich, well integrated w loads of cherry, plum, currants, anise, vanilla, peppery spice and some woody notes. Long mouth coating finish. Needs food. Structure, fruit & tannins all suggest another 10 years....but if you have more than one, try it now!
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8/1/2010 - corkscrews wrote: 95 Points
A classic nose of dark fruit, still big nose even after being decanted and being 13 years old, dark purple amber in color. Black cherry, plum, currants, licorice and vanilla, an exceptional bottle of wine.
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7/9/2010 - ggkemp wrote: 95 Points
Elegant, classic, and very memorable.
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6/6/2010 - rralls wrote:
Mac and Mike's Birthday California Cabernet Dinner at Prime. ***
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6/4/2010 - Radboy wrote: 97 Points
Simply a frickin' fantastic Cab that is at its peak right now. Glad I had the patience to wait for this to develop as this is some killer stuff. It has wonderful nose with cherry filled fruit on the palate. Silky smooth tannins with a nice long complex finish. We brought this with us to Churchill's for a great steak oscar and there could not have been a better wine to go with our dinner.
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5/23/2010 - phenricsson wrote: 95 Points
Blind. I've had over 100 bottles of this and glad to say I pegged it fairly quickly. Showed very well. Excellent balance. Still good fruit but starting to lose the vibrancy but getting more Bdx notes instead so not necessarily better or worse - just a bit different now.
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5/20/2010 - phantphant wrote: 93 Points
Super smooth blend. Very merlot-forward in the taste (regardless of the composition). Came in 2nd to a 1997 Cain Five in the same tasting.
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4/30/2010 - petitblanc wrote: 92 Points
Youthful black cherry, with glints of dark cranberry toward the rim. Nose of very ripe but simple red fruit, with some green elements. Very ripe, pure, beautiful fruit on the palate, a little chocolate. Liqueur-like, with very warm alcohol, verging on harsh. Lovely but still simple and linear, not likely to hold up to its alcohol as it ages.
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4/24/2010 - JJL wrote: 94 Points
Brought to dinner at Roots. Perfect steak wine, but not-overdone. Good fruit, balance, finish. Bit sweet when opened, but a couple of hours of decanting got it to the right spot.
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4/20/2010 - Mr. Muga wrote: 97 Points
Only one word required to describe this wine? Awesome! If you have a bottle you will not be disappointed.
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4/11/2010 - andolini wrote: 97 Points
Great wine. Decanted for 2 hours -- cab fruit, some chocolate, cedar, and saddle leather on nose. So smooth and balanced on palate with chocolate, cedar, some earthiness. Long, smooth finish. In a great spot now -- can't see how it can be much better.
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4/10/2010 - Ibetian wrote: 95 Points
Last, and perhaps best of a case plus of this. Complex nose of chocolate and cherries, silk smooth, terrific.
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4/7/2010 - Bunski wrote: 95 Points
Classic Napa wine with the currants and blackberries galore in a nice smooth finish. Decanted a couple of hours prior, just got better as the night went on.
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4/3/2010 - Tight Lines Likes this wine: 94 Points
First of 4 this evening - decanted for ~1 hr. Deep, rich ruby color out of the bottle. Wonderful aroma of dark cherries (lit the room up), silky smooth on the palate w/ a nice 40 second finish.
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3/28/2010 - Wayne Richmon wrote: 93 Points
A little less vibrant than my first bottle but still a solid bottle. However the wine that followed (2002 Kilikanoon Oracle) was the WOTN.
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3/20/2010 - Brett wrote: 93 Points
Great wine...last bottle.
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3/18/2010 - Padraig wrote: 98 Points
Wine dinner at the Urban Farmer, Portland, OR. 18 wines drunk amongst 18 people. The Insignia was tasted against a 1999 Quilceda Creek and a 1997 Betz Alpha. All were decanted back into the bottle after vinturi and recorked. All were served at 65 degrees. The Insignia was clearly the WOTF. Beautiful nose of mixed berries and a finish of 40+ seconds. This is a complete wine that demonstrates winemaking and blending at its finist. The integration of acids, tannins, and fruit was complete and several at the table had philosphical moments over this wine, which was served with grass fed, locally raised ribeye. This won't (can't) get any better than it is, so if you're fortunate to have some, find the right moment and drink it up! (Note: The QC and Betz were also great, they just didn't rise to the level of the Insignia for this tasting).
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3/6/2010 - Giggs wrote: 95 Points
Rich, juicy cassis, savory aromas, and mossy earth on the nose. Elegant, balanced palate with black cherry and earthy soil character. Loses concentration 7/8 through the palate but finishes smoothly.
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3/5/2010 - jts_brown wrote: 96 Points
Exceptionally smooth and polished. Very expressive nose. Jammy dark fruits and balanced. Fantastic wine
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2/28/2010 - rxlaw95 wrote: 93 Points
Had at Paul Spencer's place last night. The second glass was great. The first glass was much tighter and oaky. Decanter an hour before drinking, then used decantus for second glass. Dark fruit came out as wine opened up.
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2/14/2010 - CRL Stc wrote: 89 Points
Didn't live up to my expectations. Muted fruit, and a bit closed. Unfortunate.
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2/14/2010 - guitarguy wrote: 92 Points
Nose of mint, chocolate, cigar box. A little closed at this point, perhaps tannins are too great for the remaining fruit. Blueberry, raspberry, hint of saddle leather. Plenty of acidity so it is still lively on the tongue. At $80 several year ago, not a great value but not bad by wine standards at the time. On a restaurant list at over $250, I would be ticked.
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2/8/2010 - markellen.foodies@gmail.com wrote:
FRENCH BAKERY 1997 NAPA vs TUSCANY BYO Dinner; 2/8/2010-2/9/2010 (The French Bakery, 1023 Kane Concourse, Bay Harbor Islands, Florida): David's wine
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2/8/2010 - TuckerTini wrote: 93 Points
wonderfully integrated. Still has time left. some points off for slightly murky dark fruit, would expect a wine of this cailbre to be more focused on the mid palate. The horror of it all was that my wife opened this bottle and poured 1/3 of it over a filet and cooked it. Go figure.
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2/7/2010 - JJL wrote: 91 Points
Served from double mag. Ironically the oldest drinking '97 I have had. Still good match with the Flannery rib cap.
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1/30/2010 - patwjr wrote: 95 Points
P&P. A little tight finish at first, got better with air & time. Smooth, beautiful mature Napa Cab. Drink now or could still go a few more years.
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1/30/2010 - Brsed wrote: 94 Points
Fight Night. No formal notes. A fantastic wine. Terrific layers of black fruit with some spice and earth. Great backbone but not overly tannic. This wine usually does not disappoint.
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1/17/2010 - grossie wrote: 94 Points
At PrairieGrass with the Boersmas. This one still drinks so well- smooth, velvety mouthfeel. It was an interesting counterplay with the 01 Montelena which was a little less velvety but a little more refined where as the Insignia had more oak that met very well with the lush fruit of the vintage. Absolutely delicious. I'm going to try to make the last one go until 2017.
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1/16/2010 - otisabdul wrote: 95 Points
Graciously opened by Grossie. Beguiling, flamboyant, deep, lush, and balanced yet decadent. Still a knockout and consistently one of my favorite Insignia vintages. It simply has never slowed down, right from the release date. An amazing wine.
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12/22/2009 - JJL wrote: 93 Points
Pre-Christmas Cab/Rhone Dinner at JJL's: This was sweeter than other bottles of this that I have had. Still drank well especially with the rib roast.
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12/15/2009 - jad1964 wrote: 92 Points
shared with a friend.1 hr decant. if you are looking for balance, this one has it bigtime. if you are looking for a reasonable finish, this one has it. if you are looking for in your face fruit, this one isnt there. a nice cab, i wouldnt call it big. i would call it smooth.
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12/6/2009 - hyork wrote: 95 Points
decanted for 45 minutes - dark, cassis flavors, smooth rich tasting, great finish - exceptional wine
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12/3/2009 - PJVineyards wrote: 97 Points
Exceptional. Still tannic and closed even after 12 years. Given 45 minutes to open up, the flavors just jump out at you. Great balance with wonderful when will it end finish. You can't stop drinking it. This wine has plenty of time left in it. I may wait another couple of years before opening another one
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11/27/2009 - Lakersguy wrote: 94 Points
Thanksgiving from Magnum. Decanted 1 hour to remove sediment. I've had this wine so many times and this is just started to show what it can be. The balance is perfect but it seemed a little one dimensional on this night. I still really liked it but would wait another few years to open another.
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11/26/2009 - steffenpelz wrote:
Thanksgiving Wines: From Magnum. This is still just a baby. Still has tremendous, focused cherry and blackberry fruit and shows great balance. I got a little leather and tobacco, but the fruit is still so big that it's difficult for me to see through the wall of fruit and detect the nuances beyond it. Needs more time. I actually liked the Regusci better last night.
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11/22/2009 - vintage61 wrote: 94 Points
Drank at Jordan's graduation party, wanted to share with Jennifer Dickinson. Popped and poured. I was shocked that this was still this much too young, and it was my last bottle. Excellent and certainly approachable, but could have coasted another 5 to 10 years, Deep dark eggplant to the rim, Moderate amount of dark fruit, on the nose and palate, all still primary. Definite tannin very present on the palate. Excellent structure and balance, should have had a long decant or several more years. Could warrant even higher score when mature.
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11/19/2009 - lanatolman wrote: 95 Points
Was drinking very nice last night....very approachable...Big wine
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11/14/2009 - Goshawk wrote: 95 Points
Absolutely extraordinary - Like all my wines this bottle had been cellared at 58F and 65%RH. It was still a bit tight to the taste and so it was decanted and allowed to stand for 60 minutes. It then continued to open up over the next hour as conversation on the merits of correct cellaring ensued. The soft tannins had yielded to elegantly orchestrated flavors of blackberry, scorched earth, plum and cherry. Wow!
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11/4/2009 - eric42 wrote: 98 Points
Spectacular!
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10/26/2009 - dbkitc wrote: 91 Points
Ruby / garnet. Red berries, soap, smoke and a touch of menthol. Good complexity. Light compared to other wines tonight but showed good punch and lift. This finished nicely. I liked this better than most. Winey, in a good way. (91)
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10/25/2009 - Wayne Richmon wrote: 96 Points
After 30 minute decant this wine was singing. The fruit was still fresh ripe and rich, offset by a powerful backbone that indicates it still has a few years of prime drinking. The finish was long and full. One of the best wines i have had to date.
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10/23/2009 - AdamWallstein wrote: 96 Points
At the peak of its powers indeed. Fruit, earth, cedar and chocolate; all generously proportioned and exquisitely balanced.
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10/11/2009 - psoals wrote: 95 Points
Served with dinner at Bella Vista, on Skyline. Seamless Cabernet. Lush red fruits, almost creamy tannins, 45 second finish. One of those bottles that you just wanted to go on all night. Drinking phenominal right now, certainly not in decline, but I wonder if it will improve.
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10/10/2009 - JJL wrote: 95 Points
I have been drinking this wine since its release and I must say that it has always been a great drinker. It has certainly mellowed since those first bottles, but it never fails to impress. I picked up another case at the Zachy's LA auction today and since we were cooking steak, I figured it was a good time to pop a bottle. The most notable feature of this wine is its drinkability, which may also be its downfall, since it was gone before we knew it. Great acidity, still good tannins, nice dark fruits. No heat issues at all - less than 14% alc. from a CA wine, who knew it? I will miss this wine when it all gone.
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10/9/2009 - wcacern wrote: 91 Points
Vintage Cult - California Ultra Luxury Table Wine (Learn About Wine lofts - Los Angeles): 13.8% alcohol. 83% Cab. Sav., 14% Merlot, 3% P. Verdot. RP 96 pts. Lovely deep garnet color. Bordeaux like nose, full of plum, cherry, cocoa, licorice, hint of caramel and molasses, coffee, earth, hint of leather bandage, and even a whiff of mushrooms. full bodied, sweet ripe fruit, yet dry and full of firm tannins that seem nicely polished.
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10/5/2009 - Wine2man wrote: 95 Points
I am a Bordeaux fan but I have to admit, this is a great wine. I bought a half case of this at the urging of friend who is a California wine advocate. Just opened my first bottle. It was at least as good as any Bordeaux I have had in the past few years.
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9/8/2009 - dea wrote: flawed
skunky corked what a shame
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8/30/2009 - bundydavis wrote: 96 Points
Amazing wine...Just spectacular. At it's peak, but still has a lot of life left. This wine has everything going for it. If you love California Bordeaux style blends, it doesn't get any better. Velvety, silky with smooth tannins. Wow!
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8/26/2009 - Mark wrote: 96 Points
My last tasting of this wine was four years ago, and it has certainly improved since then. In short, what a fantastic bottle of wine. Ready to drink 15 minutes after pulling the cork, this was singing. Fully resolved tannins, great fruit concentration, silky velvety in the mouth with a long finish. Cocoa, some tobacco, cedar, sweet rich. This was fantastic. Drinking great now, with much life ahead.
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8/25/2009 - Topper wrote: 96 Points
At the peak of its powers right now. Can't get much better than this.
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8/23/2009 - JJL wrote: 93 Points
Not as good as the bottle the other night, but still a good drinker.
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8/21/2009 - ews3 wrote: 96 Points
Cabernet Tasting at Chez Bonner (Annapolis): no note - many were talking about how this wine was the one that hooked them on wine, years back
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8/21/2009 - JJL wrote: 95 Points
Another great bottle of '97 Insignia and WOTN for some. No decant this time, just pop and pour and served with appetizers. Great body, nice dark fruits, cedar and pepper on nose. No heat to speak of.
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8/15/2009 - zinslurpie wrote:
Dinner at Madera/Rosewood Hotel (Palo Alto). In a word, fantastic. Drinking beautifully now and standing up wonderfully. Could have used an extra hour of decanting (drank with dinner after an hour open). Was just reaching a nice complexity as it continued to open up through our main courses.
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7/11/2009 - jeff nowak wrote: 95 Points
pop and pour, initially too cold. as it warmed, it became apparent that it would be a higher performing bottle than a few months ago. supple tannin, beautiful fruit, long finish, this is a wine at peak performance. fragrantly intoxicating, and not a harsh edge in any component.
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7/10/2009 - JJL wrote: 94 Points
Double decanted the night before. Much bigger wine when first opened, mellowed nicely 24 hours later. Green pepper, cedar, melon and cement dust on nose. It was a little syrupy when first opened, but the next day that had turned into nice fruit flavors of raspberry, cherry and blackberry. A little raisin on the finish, but not candied. Tannins were still big, drying and a tad bitter, which helped to balance the fruit. Really long finish of cherry and melon (after the raisin fades). This is a perfect steak wine and and easy drinker.
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7/5/2009 - rsepulve wrote: flawed
Obviously heat damaged. Impossible to drink.
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7/4/2009 - orcharddude22 wrote: 95 Points
This is outstanding. Sadly the last of the 97's wish I had more. In it's prime and very drinkable.
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7/3/2009 - Brett wrote: 96 Points
It is drinking better than the last bottle! A super wine!
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6/27/2009 - VCvino wrote: 93 Points
Wonderful wine - more bordeaux like than last remembered. Still going strong but I can't see it getting any better. Needed about 30 minutes in the decanter to open up.
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6/9/2009 - dream wrote: 88 Points
Fine ruby color. Pretty nose of blackberry bramble, ultra-ripe cassis and alcohol. Very soft and plush texture but with a good spine of acidity underneath. Really ripe, decadent fruit flavors of cassis, blackberries and licorice. Finishes with quite an alcoholic hit that sort of obliterates any potential complexity on the finish. This wine possesses such lovely fruit but is ultimately too ripe for its own good. Perhaps an off-bottle or an off-night for my mouth since it's been so good on other occasions.
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6/4/2009 - torcams wrote: 96 Points
Qquite possibly the single best California Cabernet I have ever had. Incredible concentration, it poured an inky purple. Loads of sweet black currant, cherry/berry fruit with well integrated vanillin oak flavors. Still quite young, I'll probably give my next bottle a few more years.
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4/28/2009 - psmith wrote:
1994 and 1997 California Cabernet Retrospective (Chicago, IL): Syrupy dark fruits with maple syrup oaky notes and some VA. Porty and a bit blowsy, but certainly not bad. Rounds out a bit with time. Rated 14/20.
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4/24/2009 - suttonri wrote: 92 Points
From Magnum, decanted about an hour before drinking. Very smooth with typical cab fruits, chocolate, a fair amount of anise, a bit of bell pepper, and hints of graphite and tobacco. Going strong about 4 hours after opening, and really sang with lamb chops. I was sad when my glass was finally empty. Outstanding wine that will easily go another decade in magnums.
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4/14/2009 - Phin wrote: 94 Points
Fat and soft. Juicy black cherry, cassis. Ready to drink, age will fade.
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4/5/2009 - grossie wrote: 94 Points
At Blackbird w Stu and Gine. Drank very well, silky, refined with primary and secondary characteristics. This still rocks.
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3/29/2009 - KeithAkers wrote: 94 Points
King Grape- california cabernets (cafe pyrennes, libertyville IL): nose: fairly tight at first and took a while to unravel. As it opened up beautiful and well balanced tones of red fruits, red cherries, black berries, small mixed berries and bits of cedar and smokey tones. Very sultry nose that becomes almost intoxicating
taste: lovely and pure with a smooth medium+ feel providing rich tones of red fruits, cedar, smoke, black berries and red cherries
overall: a very classy and elegant wine. This has a long way to go and posseses beautiful purity of fruit with wonderful balance
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3/29/2009 - cobbpa wrote: 94 Points
King Grape Dinner (Cafe Pyrennes, Libertyville, IL): Anise, burnt cherries, rich ripe cherries & wood . All those flavors come through in the mouth plus some smoky, earthy tones. Great rich fruit. Finish is very dry yet gorgeous with great flavors carrying through--dry cherries, tobacco hints, etc. Lots of life left for sure, though absolutely gorgeous now in its mid-life. 94+
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3/29/2009 - Vin de Florin wrote:
Deep, opaque color. Expressive nose from the start evolves over time; giving scents of decadent dark berry fruit, sandalwood, some bell pepper, and accents of tobacco. On the palate, this cab is firm and youthful for being almost twelve years old. A little alcohol shows in the beginning, but after 3 hours it comes into balance with the fruit and tannin showing well. The most impressive attribute of this wine is the ending; offering a great finish with tremendous length and flavor.
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3/7/2009 - WetRock wrote:
San Diego Mini Offline (Wine Vault, San Diego): Nose shows some ripeness as well as some signs of vanilla oak. A big fat wine of concentrated berry sauce. Still plenty of tannin here. A very hedonistic wine right now and well done for the style. Not sure the kind of path this style of wine will take to maturity but will please many right now.
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3/7/2009 - ggkemp wrote: 93 Points
Classic & still young.
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2/22/2009 - jeff nowak wrote: 93 Points
pop and pour. an excellent wine, but i've had better bottles. nevertheless, i consider this wine fully mature, and in it's relatively long drinking window. my guestimate is drink by 2012.
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2/22/2009 - JOJ wrote: 94 Points
Great showing. Still something of a youngster, this did not begin to show much until 60 minutes in the decanter. Then . . . boom, the fruit appeared -- luscious cherry, blackberry, and blueberry, with well-integrated tannin and decent acidity. Hints of leather and vanilla add interesting nuance.
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2/15/2009 - g-man wrote: 94 Points
Just a great bottle of wine. Starting to enter the mature stages with more tobacco and leather inter-mixed with the black fruit. This still has a long life ahead of it.
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2/14/2009 - bpcmusic wrote: 97 Points
Spectacular wine; our first Insignia and it didn't disappoint. It had rich, complex flavors that were in the blackberry realm with a nice balance of tannins. The finish was wonderful and lasted for days...
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2/1/2009 - stevedg wrote: 95 Points
great wine drinking very nicely well balanced smooth tannins.
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1/17/2009 - Tom_B wrote: 96 Points
Sitting on 12 years old, this wine was showing almost no signs of age. The color was still dark ruby in color. Very concentrated, with dark fruits and spice.
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12/23/2008 - Ibetian wrote: flawed
Alas, mildly corked
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12/21/2008 - 2loyal wrote: 94 Points
Not quite as fruit-forward as the last bottle I tried several months ago, but still very much in its prime, and this one seemed much prettier, so I'm taking my Rating up a point.
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12/14/2008 - gmat5497 wrote: 92 Points
Nice smooth, balanced with long finish. Just what I expected.
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12/5/2008 - AllRed wrote: 90 Points
The Blind Drunks 1997 California Cab Retrospective Dinner (Dunham Woods Riding Club, Wayne, Illinois): Notes of red currant, plum and forest floor. Flavors of blackberry and plum on the well-balanced palate, finishing slightly thin.
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12/1/2008 - clayfu wrote: 93 Points
Nice nose, dusty earth with rich cocoa and strawberry. Very lush fruit forward with fresh vanilla sticks, hints of mint with a really nice acidity balanced with nice gripping tannins. Still pretty young. As good as everyone says it is!
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11/30/2008 - G SQUARED wrote: 93 Points
Lunch at Wasserman's. Out of Mag.
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11/14/2008 - dbg wrote:
Dark red to rim, shy nose at first but opens over one hour to rich, ripe dark berry fruits, full body, nice finish, firm tannins, even better on day 2 as tannins mellow a bit and palate feel becomes more layered and plush. Still young.
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11/5/2008 - Ibetian wrote: 94 Points
Not much to add to the 100+ notes on this wine. Drinking great now, with a combination of alluring complexity on the nose and palate and a smoothe, mature mouthfeel. One of my favorite CA wines.
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10/12/2008 - jeffm_fla wrote: 97 Points
Excellent wine. Big, smooth, balanced flavor. As good as advertised.
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9/27/2008 - hfindlay wrote:
This remains one of our all-time favorite bottles of wine. Still young and fine, with a developing flash of blueberry-blackberry-licorice in the middle, smooth, with an endless finish. Plush, but not as much oak as some of the later vintages. Love this wine. We drank it with marinated flank steak and it did its best to hold up to all the spice.
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9/27/2008 - guitarguy wrote: 94 Points
Even though we only paid $80 for this wine, it still is perhaps the most "valuable" wine we have drunk ever (and we drink a lot of wine) so rating it is a challenge. You know, objectivity? Anyhow, my first impressions. stll at cellar temps and decanted for 5 minutes were that it had that "explosive" nose I read others talking about. Sometimes I think that is BS, but in this case, the wine did jump out of the glass with a hint of skunk, earth, anise/licorice and berry. On warming, the skunk, thankfully, blew off quite quickly (reduction?) to reveal a more even nose, not actually quite as nice or complex but still good. That nose was more minty/licorice with a slighty musty, earthy odor that was not unpleasant, despite my description. Very well integrated, mature but still bright flavors of blue fruit, mint, oak, scotch (barrel?) with quite refined and pleasant, easy finishing tannin and just enough acidity to make it zing. Really quite nice, although I would not spend $200 retail on it, maybe in a restaurant if someone else was paying.
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8/30/2008 - bubbachumps wrote: 94 Points
I've now had this wine 4 times since release. It's the wine that got me into wine so it holds a special place for me. The fact that its a great wine helps too. The last time was in 2006 for our anniversary and my wife and I thought at that time it was in peak form. We were so sad when the bottle was gone, we'd wish there was more. This time it did not disappoint, saddle leather, rich raspberry, charred cedar and cassis on the nose. In the mouth, the tannins are totally resolved and the wine is smooth as silk. The wine has held up well. I believe it is now on the back side of its peak drinking shape for 750 ml bottles. The 97 will bring enjoyment for another 5 years, but the fruit is losing its vibrancy and now the more mature bordeaux like charactersitics (with a cali flair) are coming through.
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8/26/2008 - zgray wrote: 94 Points
Hit the spot this time around. Still some time to consume.
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8/17/2008 - Cheryl wrote:
Nano and Claudia's BBQ Blow Out (Manalapan, NJ): This was pop and pour. At first, there was alcohol on the nose that blew off quickly. This remains one of my preferred California Cabs. Sweet and fruity, but not too much. Lots of balance.
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8/1/2008 - buckeye76 wrote: 92 Points
BLACKBERRIES AND BLACK CURRANTS IN THE NOSE. NICE FRUIT IN THE FLAVOR BUT FELL OFF IN THE MOUTH WITH A SHORT TO MEDIUM FINISH AT BEST. NICE NOSE AND FIRST IMPRESSION BUT DISAPPOINTING OVERALL
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7/15/2008 - MT3 wrote: 96 Points
True to the 97 vintage, this was a wonderful red blend out of Napa. Extremely structured and well balance, plenty of dark, rich fruit with aromas of chocolate, espresso, cola and wonderful hints of vanilla and cedar. The tannins were firm yet smooth, and the finish captured the cassis and black cherry. Needed an hour or 2 to decant, great bottle of wine.
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7/8/2008 - Ki Punwar wrote: 95 Points
Dark Ruby, deep nose of shoe polish, cassis and cedar. Rich, full bodied Napa Cabernet, chocolate notes, luxurious and very balanced...sure to age well but very enjoyable now.
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7/7/2008 - shaferguy91 wrote: 95 Points
Decanted 2 hours.
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7/6/2008 - wineismylife wrote: 95 Points
WIML95
Tasted July 6, 2008 at an offline.
I believe this wine was decanted about 2 hours before being brought to the restaurant. Purple color in the glass, clear hue throughout. Nose of laquer (not offensive), melted black licorice, plums and currants. Flavors of berries, cherries and currants. Medium acidity, moderate turning towards integrated tannins, medium to full body. Drink or hold. I'll stick with my previous rating of WIML95 but this might have been just a half step behind the previous bottle.
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6/19/2008 - win wrote: 92 Points
A bit muted today, but more refined that prior bottles. Interesting time of this wine's life, where it reminds me more of a nice aged Bordeaux as opposed to a California Cabernet blend. Cork was very well preserved. I really think you should drink these within the next few years.
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6/13/2008 - knelsfk wrote: 93 Points
Dark inky purple color; nose of currants, spice, cigar box and tobacco; medium to full body; tannins were silky smooth and perfectly integrated with the dark berry fruit; not as complex as I would have expected but an outstanding wine which should only get bettter as it takes on some secondary flavors.
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6/9/2008 - hudamang wrote: 96 Points
Weekend in the Bay Area: 97 insignia, 04 Matriarch, 05 Seven Stones, and much more! (Bay Area): What a wine. Thank you Paul and Stacey for sharing. It's still young imo but starting to see some secondary flavors. Lots of cassis, dark fruit on both the nose and palate. The creamy finish on this wine is incredible. Goes on and on and on. Why pay over $200 for the new vintages of Insignia when you can get this wine for the same price? Amazing wine that is complex, well balanced, and what a CA Cab should be like with over 10 years of age.
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5/26/2008 - Rob MacKay wrote: 97 Points
An all around fantastic bottle of wine. My wife and I had this for our anniversary dinner with some good friends of our who got married the day before we did. We opened this along with a 1990 Cos d'Estournel and a 1994 Angelus and despite the fact that both of those other bottles were stunning, the 97 Insignia was the wine of the night. So much going on with the nose and flavors in perfect harmony. Black cherries, chocolate, vanilla and new leather flowing from start to finish with an amazing smooth texture and a long long finish. The best vintage of Insignia we have had. 97+
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5/25/2008 - jhannah27 wrote: 97 Points
My first taste of the Insignia was the 2003 vintage about a year ago. At that time I was not impressed and felt that this wine was not worth the price tag, so I never went out of my way to have it again. When a friend of mine pulled this 97 out as a "follow-up" to two superb bordeauxs we had with dinner, I didn't know what to expect. At first sip, my mouth came alive with flavors but then settled into the warm embrace of this wine. Lush dark fruits are balanced excellently with cinnamon, smoke, and cedar. This wine was perfect from start to finish. I now understand what all the fuss is about Insignia, and am now a converted fan. I was jaded by the youth of the 2003, but I promise never to be deceived again. This was without question the wine of the night and a great cap off to a very hedonistic weekend.
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5/21/2008 - Cheryl wrote:
05 Kistler, 82 Dunn, 97 Insignia, 01 Verite, 02 Quintessa, 98 Kracher (Ox, Jersey City, NJ): Good golly this is a fantastic wine. I've had it before and like it but it really caught my attention tonight. This was served "pop and pour" and was ready to go right out of the bottle. Balanced, young, fresh. Really lovely.
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5/21/2008 - norsktorsk wrote: 95 Points
Just right, dark, rich, mellow tannins, long finish. Horizontal with a Montelena estate.
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4/23/2008 - dream wrote: 93 Points
Silky smooth with good ripeness of cassis and black fruits. Complex on the finish with notes of chocolate, blackberries and a hint of dill. Medium-to-full bodied with the perfect intensity to stand up to kobe beef steaks. Not over the top at all. Seems perfectly ready now.
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4/22/2008 - toomuchwine wrote: 97 Points
Amazing bottle with great balance, but still enough acid and tannin to last for another decade. Gentle nose of cassis and black cherries with a soft palate and finish. Wifey loved this, which is high praise. FWIW, she did not enjoy this wine the last time we opened one, six years ago.
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4/12/2008 - 2loyal wrote: 93 Points
Decanted 90 minutes and drank over approximately 90 minutes. Still incredibly think, unctuous, and fruit-forward, with lots of tobacco and leather through to a pretty long finish. Not terribly nuanced, but I guess I didn't expect it to be. Perfect for showing up a simple steak!
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3/21/2008 - markellen.foodies@gmail.com wrote: 93 Points
From magnum wine was much tighter than recent French Bakery BYO Napa Dinner, although decanted for 2-3 hours. We all preferred the 97 Backus, which was surprisingly more forward than the Insignia. Half bottle left over, and had at Michael's Geniuine next evening, when ito my palate it showed much better. Sweet herbal notes, quite good 2nd night.
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2/23/2008 - eastover wrote:
One of two bottles drunk on "open that bottle night" with the Steve and Sue, Lisa and Lee and John and Linda. Very enjoyable - will keep the remaining bottles a while longer before drinking.
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1/11/2008 - johnphinney8 wrote: 93 Points
Currants and red fruit on the nose, with a hint of a nutmeg like spice. Great texture on the palate, with just a touch of heat. More red fruit, with nice acidity to lift the finish. Bit of chocolate as well, but very bitter. Actually is a little young still.
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1/11/2008 - Train_de_Nuit wrote: 95 Points
Pretty amazing bottle of wine. We had Rib Eye, Wide Pasta Noodle Alfredo, Ceasar Salad. Soft, a little leathery, nice fruit.
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12/24/2007 - Rob A wrote: 97 Points
Beautiful!
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12/20/2007 - markellen.foodies@gmail.com wrote: 94 Points
French Bakery BYO 1990's Cali Cab Sauv dominant wines; 12/19/2007-12/20/2007: My wine. Shared the honors w the 97 Caymus in this flight, and also one of the WOTN's, for which there was no clear cut winner. Double decanted in am, when it paled next to the 96 Hillside Select. At dinner it showed its balance and complexity, and it and the 97 Caymus were preferred over the 97 Della Valle. Over the years this wine has consistently shown well with food. Still have a couple of bottles, and a magnum left
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12/16/2007 - AllRed wrote: 93 Points
Tasted double blind. Garnet color. Wonderful woody, dark fruit and herb aromas. Well balanced, with black cherry, blackberry and plum flavors. Nice, lengthy finish. Correctly identified '97 CA cabernet.
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12/9/2007 - grossie wrote: 95 Points
At North Pond with the Radis's and Taylors. A lovely bottle of wine indeed. Sweet bright fruit, tannins resolved, great length. If it had a little more depth it would score into the high 90s. This botle was about as good of one of these as I've ever had.
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12/1/2007 - carnyc wrote: 97 Points
BYO Dinner at Maloney and Porcelli (Organized by Acker Merrall): Incredible. (No Notes Taken)
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12/1/2007 - dream wrote: 94 Points
Gorgeous nose of blackberry bramble, rips cassis and and a hint of bitter chocolate. Soft and unctuous on the palate with delicious flavors of blackberries, bitter chocolate and sweet plums. An elegant wine with a finely concentrated, structured finish. Classy Napa Cab that just about perfectly ready tonight.
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11/27/2007 - Grinner wrote: 96 Points
#1 of 25 '97's tasted blind on 11/18. Just a great combination of fruit, texture, and tannins. The 'ol "iron fist in a velvet glove" cliche. Some wines need a microphone to be heard, this one needs a silencer, it's born to kill. Lots of time left, 94 pts on day 2.
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11/24/2007 - Thralow wrote: 90 Points
The worst bottle of Insignia we have ever had. Which is to say it was still outstanding.
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11/22/2007 - JB&KB wrote: 95 Points
This wine still had a hint of tannins. It can stay in the cellar for a few more years. We decanted for over an hour. We did a comparison tasting with the 1997 Cinq Cepages. If you made me choose between the two I thought the Cinq Cepages was the better of the two but it would be splitting hairs. It's whether you prefer a little more tannins to a softer supple wine. I would not cellar the Cinq Cepages much longer. The Insignia was a great wine. It was our last bottle of the '97 so it was that much more enjoyable. One of the best Insignias ever (not quite as good as the '02 but right there).
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11/16/2007 - tacman wrote: 92 Points
Smooth as silk, with dark cherry tones. Not super-concentrated, I think this is probably at its peak now.
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11/13/2007 - swazi wrote: 95 Points
drinking beautifully right now. velvety finish. i started with a dozen of these and have had one a year for the last 4 years. the last 3 bottles, the wine still tasted young to me.
this bottle seemed to mark a transition into a new phase of drinkability. nice smooth finish. the only fault of this wine that prevents it from scoring higher is
that the intensity of flavor is not as dense as i have tasted in higher scoring wines from 97, such as bryant, shafer hillside, harlan.
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11/4/2007 - win wrote: 93 Points
At Half Moon Bay with friends at the Ritz Carlton. Minimal notes. Showing very nicely tonight - smooth, refined, with just a hint of vanilla and oak as an accent.
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10/20/2007 - Harry Cantrell wrote: 94 Points
Deep garnet. The nose initially showed some VA, but it settled down, but never completely left, which took points off for me. Tasted with 2 other vintages of Insignia, it certainly had its supporters. It opened the most of the three (91, 2002, 97) over the course of the evening. Great, but just with that one caveat.
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10/16/2007 - ajjar wrote: 95 Points
Beautiful fruit showing bouquet and flavors, decanted for 3 hours and still a wonderful live tanic spine. Blackberry, cherry and deep licorice accents. Very nice, aging wonderfully, not a silky carmely mature yet.
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10/13/2007 - Dave Dalluge wrote: 94 Points
Thirty Years of Phelps Insignia (1974 through 2004): Expressive nose of dark fruit and mineral. Extremely concentrated fruit augmented with some oak. Expansive and interesting on the palate. Very tannic. Needs time, but should develop into something special. MY WOTF.
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10/13/2007 - Siggy wrote:
Insignia Vertical Tasting 1974-2004 (WA Frost, St. Paul): Rich black fruit, soy, purple flowers, and smoke. Deep and rich and primal, yet already showing layers of complexity. Very dark, intense, and backward. Young; showing a lot of vanilla/oak. WOTF for me.
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9/10/2007 - ove wrote: 98 Points
At first a bit closed and disappointing but around the second glass and one hour later it opens up and reveals itself as a truly fantastic and memorable Cabernet. Lovely, fruity and superbly well balanced. .I think it will hold its own for at least five years to come.
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9/7/2007 - jwsmith wrote: 99 Points
I almost never drink CA cabernet, however, this wine is flat out on fire good. Thick and unconcious pure black currant raspberry nose. So thick the sugar almost stains the crystal. A finish that lasts for 30 minutes. Bad to the bone special year of 97... reminds me of pichon lalande... This was purchased at in Napa back in 2000.
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9/5/2007 - BradA wrote: 90 Points
Night 4 dinner in Black Creek. BC
Well, we served up a dinner of roasted halibut and grilled salmon with fresh greens and beans. Dad just lapped this up, but I was underwhelmed. Modest weight, fine tannins and balanced fruit and a rather linear finish-- nothing that made it stand out.
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8/18/2007 - VAGenius wrote: flawed
No tasting notes, but unfortunately corked! Still could tell it was good underneath though.
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8/13/2007 - 6831 wrote: 93 Points
Elegantly balanced with beautiful structure and length. Drinking well now with the sense that the wine is in it's prime drinking window.
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8/4/2007 - JScott wrote: 90 Points
Gave it another chance based on the other notes. Certainly has a nice balanced core of fruit, but - at least from my cellar - not ready. My last look for at least a couple of years.
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6/26/2007 - JScott wrote: 91 Points
This bottle seemed fairly primary to me. All the right components are there for a nice bottle, but this isn't ready. I keep the cellar cold and have owned these since release, so maybe mine aren't as developed, but I plan on holding a bit before opening the next one.
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6/19/2007 - chrisraub wrote: 96 Points
Great in all phases (nose, palate and finish)
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6/3/2007 - old tractor wrote: 96 Points
One of the great CA Cabernet blends. This vintage is phenomenal. Dark color, smoky, softened tannins. Perfect to consume now.
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4/21/2007 - MarkC wrote: 94 Points
Has a great, complex, classic nose that seems to hint of Bordeaux. Almost shows some grilled meats, but not like Syrah. I also get some soy. Palate shows warm, velvety red and black fruit - strawberry and plum. Tannins are starting to be nicely integrated, but this still has several years at this stage.
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4/21/2007 - J @ y H @ c k wrote: 91 Points
Oak cedar and chocolate. Spilled some wine on note sheet and can't read it - Note to self . . . do not bring pen with water based ink to offline when you are drinking 10+ wines.
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4/15/2007 - beaunehead wrote: 93 Points
Stunning - still very youthful in appearance and on the palate. The aromas and flavors are all wrapped up, with silky, cool fruit and subtle spices. Tannins are ripe and polished, and the finish is very elegant. Wish I had decanted, didn't have the patience. Still has years of evolution left.
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4/1/2007 - gjberdy wrote: 94 Points
Aromas of blackberry, cassis, chocolate. Rich, velvety, still with sweet tannins. Flavors or cherry liquor, cassis, blackberry and chocolate. Flavors linger for a long time. Wonderful wine, still fresh.
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3/7/2007 - Cheryl wrote:
Second time I had this. First time June 2006. I really enjoyed it. Big fruit.
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3/7/2007 - kstoddard wrote: 94 Points
Phoenix eRP Offline - California Cabernet Sauvignon (Backstreet Wine Salon, Phoenix): Vanilla, charred earth, blackberries and violets. Firm tannins. Layered, complex mid palate. Rich finish. Beautiful acidity. Very young wine.
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3/2/2007 - Thralow wrote: 94 Points
With Rob and Rebecca.
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2/8/2007 - darrel_f wrote: 93 Points
Everything I expected. Decanted for 2 hours, consumed at Postino's in Lafayette, CA with friends. Still has plenty of life ahead. Beautiful garnet color. Nose shows all the promise of great cab based wine, oak, tar, tobacco. Very nice mouthfeel, tannins are still solid but not overwhelming. Flavors run the spectrum, dark berries, cassis, tar. Balance is there. Lovely long finish. My last bottle !
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2/4/2007 - zinslurpie wrote: 90 Points
I've had this wine many times, and have several in the cellar, but this bottle was not up to the vintage's standards. Not sure, maybe in a shut period. Over five hours the bottle never improved.
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1/30/2007 - RomanKJ wrote: 92 Points
90s California Cabs (MA): Another obviously classic California cab and the paperbag couldn’t hide the short, stocky bottle so we knew what we were drinking. It compared most closely to the Maiden IMO. I found it a bit monolithic but I think others liked it more. A fantastic wine, to be sure. Only in hindsight when I think “geez, I got to try the 97 Insignia” that I feel like I would have guessed a more mind-blowing experience.
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1/12/2007 - win wrote: 93 Points
Refining nicely, with the oak component pretty much dissipated by now. Smooth finish, with nice notes of blueberry and black currants that no longer hit you in the face. I really wonder how many years this has left. Will it get better? That is what I thought upon initially opening the wine, but since I had a whole bottle to myself, I kept it for 3 more days, sampling each day—recorked and stored at 55 degrees. It was better on day 3, at which point I shared it with friends, who really enjoyed it. It opened up with more fruit notes, yet had good complexity. I think it has quite a few years left in it, but sometimes I miss the young 97 Insignia, when I had it 6 years ago.
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1/8/2007 - JamesSanders wrote: 90 Points
Drank this with the 1997 Chateau Montelena and the Insignia didn't show as well. The telltale Napa fruit was there, both on the nose and in the mouth, with nice hints of eucalyptis and some cigar box/tobacco. Where the Insignia came up short, in comparison with the Montelena, was in the structure and the finish. Flavors were wonderful, but they dissipated quickly and seemed to lose all form in the short finish. A good wine, but not more than that.
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1/7/2007 - DaveF wrote:
Still banging away on all 12-cylinders. I think this thing is around it's peak, but will be good for years to come.
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12/26/2006 - Brett wrote: 96 Points
Great bottle, it is still drinking fantastic! Great fruit, great nose. I'm just sorry I only have two bottles left!
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12/25/2006 - Ibetian wrote: 95 Points
From mag at C-P Christmas eve dinner. Rich and smoothe, drinking well but should continue to evolve and improve for years. I didn't find the oak to be intrusive, as some others have. Just the delightful, complex chocolate covered cherries nose and clean lingering finish. Probably my fav CA wine.
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12/25/2006 - CLDWLL wrote:
Beautiful on the nose. Somewhat tight on the palate . If I could do it all again, I'd wait a few years to touch this one. The 1994 I had several weeks back had a much stronger showing. Served with big, juicy Porterhouse steaks -- hoped for more with such a good pairing.
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12/16/2006 - La Cave d'Argent wrote: 96 Points
Consumed from magnum at 910 Restaurant (Grande Colonial Hotel, La Jolla) as part of my 50th birthday celebration. The magnum was taken from my personal cellar. Although a formal note was not made, it can be said that the wine showed intense black fruit, good structure and was delicious (albeit young). It was well received by the guests and was excellent with the venison and flat iron steak.
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12/3/2006 - grossie wrote: 93 Points
A good bottle this time, pure, long, silky. It didn't have the wow that other bottles have had for me.
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11/20/2006 - obwine wrote: 93 Points
Tried immediately out of the decanter - oaky, a bit clipped (what one would probably expect). After two hours this wine was singing with much more balance and concentration of dark fruits. Glad I had a chance to try it, but this wine has a long life ahead of it and would benefit from many more years of sleep.
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11/13/2006 - Employee500 wrote: 92 Points
Relatively balanced, but a bit oaky. Still quite youthful...
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11/10/2006 - Russell Faulkner wrote: 92 Points
Trip to Dallas - 89/90 Bordeaux and Older Cali Cabs; 11/7/2006-11/10/2006 (Dallas, Texas): More restrained, full bodied with a strict acid backbone, tannins a little solid on the finish. I thought this very different to the last time I tried it over a year ago, more balanced.
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11/6/2006 - vintage61 wrote: 96 Points
Drank from my cellar at a friends home with a great steak and easily my WOTN. Poped and poured. Delicious right now, but could conceviebaly be better with a few more years under its belt. Will try to resist that last bottle in the cellar.
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11/4/2006 - wineismylife wrote: 95 Points
WIML95,WA96,WS96
Tasted November 4, 2006 at home. Opened and served immediately in a Spiegelau Authentis Magnum glass. Dark garnet to purple color in the glass, clear hue throughout. Big nose of dark plums, black cherries, crushed black berries and just a touch of expresso. Flavors of juicy plums, cassis, mixed cherries and a little raspberry. Medium acidity, medium tannins and definitely full bodied. Drink now with a minimal decant or hold another 10 + years. Slamming good wine. My favorite of the night.
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10/28/2006 - Thilo wrote: 96 Points
This was a truly spectacular California Cabernet. Color is dark garnet with slight lightening at the rim. On the nose, cherry, cassis, smoke, and a hint of chocolate. The palate reveals cherry, chewy cassis, spice, toasty wood, and smooth tannins. Beautifully balanced and a pleasure to drink. Matt Bair delivers again!
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10/15/2006 - nvandyk wrote: 97 Points
A spectacular bottle. Decanted 2 hours and continued to improve over the following 2 hours. Seamless, complex and well-structured. There's a lot of chocolate to go with the dark fruits and a bit of earth. Deep ruby red...many years to go, but singing now.
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10/14/2006 - win wrote: 93 Points
Blind Birthday Tasting (Win's House - Texas): Upon initial opening, amazing aromas of blueberries and raspberries with a bit of oak. Background of some pine and eucalyptus, coupled with solid tannins. After two hours, wine started to show very well—opened at the same time as a 2001 Château Latour—the Latour, at the two hour point was still more complex overall. Corked, and served 8 hours after opening—still showing very well. (Mustangs)
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9/18/2006 - moutondoc wrote: flawed
Clearly atypical bottle. No nose and no finish.
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8/16/2006 - DaveF wrote: 97 Points
Absolutely wonderful. Wine of the night. Drinking so well right now. Totally integrated.
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7/20/2006 - Vette Z06 wrote: 96 Points
Decanted 1.5 hours. Excellant! Great deep dark purple color. Nose was what a great red wants to be when it grows up! First taste introduces chocolate, cherry and dark berry flavors. Powerful but smooth. Firm wonderful tanins. Long smooth finish. Absolutely awesome from start to finish! A good friend shared from his cellar. What did I do to deserve this?
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6/8/2006 - Cheryl wrote:
Yes. 83 cab, 14, merlot, 3 PB,
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6/8/2006 - bsherwin wrote:
Cab Lovers of NYC Insignia Vertical (Zoe): Phenomenal wine. Dark, super rich and concentrated. Ripe, plush black fruits that come in wave after wave. Hints of vanilla, espresso and herbs and, after a bit, I picked up some crushed mint as well. Sweet tannins that are fully resolved. How long was the finish? I'll tell you when it ends. A real blockbuster of a wine. I'm not sure how this is going to look in 10 years, but who cares when it is drinking so well now. WOTF. My WOTN.
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5/30/2006 - luvbubba wrote: 95 Points
This is everything that people have said. Decant only to lose the sediment. Then drink away. This is my last bottle and I concur that I don't see this getting any better. Great taste, mouthfeel and finish. Bravo!
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5/28/2006 - Screameagle wrote: 95 Points
Consistantly a terrific cabernet. So glad I've got a bunch more.
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5/20/2006 - SacredCow wrote: 96 Points
Drank at a restaurant after about a one hour decant. Absolutely beautiful wine. Insignia has always been a very slutty wine to me, and this is no exception.
On the nose, blackberries, raspberries and vanilla oak. On the palate, silky and velvety, with chocolate and creamy vanilla mixing on the long finish. Tannins are very well integrated right now.
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5/20/2006 - goofy Yno wrote: 92 Points
decanted and drank immediately.nice rich nose leather, red fruits,vanilla. nice feel, balanced, with fine grain tannins. subdubed fruit. very balanced wine. I enjoy drinking it at this stage where there is still a little tanninic bite at the end, some may want to wait a little longer.
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5/7/2006 - neil wrote: 96 Points
Drank with wine guys at private party. Big, fruit forward and well balanced. Should be better in a few years. Terrific wine.
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4/24/2006 - jdtonic wrote: 94 Points
Boulevard neglected to open our bottle two hours before our 7:30 table, as I had requested at 3pm -a rook move, to be sure, rudely punctuated by their demanding corkage fees none-the-less...Ergo: Next Year It's Quince. The '97 Insignia was tight out of the bottle, and showed only mossy cedar, then some cassis with coaxing. As our sweetbreads and oysters were well matched by their passable voignier, putting the glasses aside was easy. The Hess chardonnay is not "dry" but "bland," of course. My foul, that, but who's counting the follies of a confirmed jackass on a Mondag?
Somewhere between my rude, but necessary and delicious, mid-course cigarette, and my first mouthful of slightly overcooked "ivory" king salmon, (which wanted more balsamic vin.), the cassis had shifted to currants and black cherries. This was at about the hour's mark.
The wine improved steadily for the next hour and one half, showing more cherry, mocha and roasted strawberries, which turned up on the dessert menu, just like that.
A very delicious wine, if uncomplicated, and will show more fruit with another year or two. A finish of 50 seconds, still tannic, still youthfull. Ruby/Purple to the rim. Attempt to hold, and find ye the 2001, is my conseil...
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4/3/2006 - Mackenzie wrote: 95 Points
Drank with duck and venison at martini bar in napa. So big in taste and texture was so soft. The finish was very long. Tons of fruit wish there was a bit more of coffee or minerals. But terrific.
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3/28/2006 - GreenDrazi wrote: 95 Points
Atlanta Vielles Vignes – Bone’s and Cabs (Bone's Restaurant, Atlanta, GA): Nose of cassis and spicy blackberry. Great depth of fruit with rich cassis and black fruits that dance on the tongue and are wonderfully balanced with anise, light notes of mocha, and graphite. Consistent throughout the full bodied palate, this has rich, fine tannins and a nice lingering finish.
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3/27/2006 - Tubbs wrote: flawed
ESTG Does '94 - '97 California Cab's (Roy's Place): Corked!
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3/19/2006 - TashNYC wrote: 93 Points
Shared the wine with Anja (from Germany) & Jen & Tash, and served with filet mignon steaks. The wine was initially quite concentrated, but was delicious with just a few minutes of air time (no decanting). It showed notes of berry, black fruit, cassis, some chocolate, and more mature cabernet notes of herbs and expresso. Very smooth, rich, concentrated and decadent, the wine was delicious! Even better than in 2004.
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3/13/2006 - grossie wrote: 93 Points
Terrific sweet ripe nose. Smooth as silk on the palate. This one had a hint of bitterness at the end- it may have only been in relation to the food, but this bottle was a notch down from the last. Still a great wine though.
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3/2/2006 - G SQUARED wrote: 94 Points
Out of magnum. Decanted for 3 hours before drinking. Beautiful nose after about 2 hours. Lots of blackberry, chocolate, and coffee aromas. Mouthfuls of black fruits, bitter chocolate and expresso with a super silky LONG finish. Very polished and integrated, but very Napa. Could not be confused with old world. This is a beautiful wine that still has lots of great years left. I would say it hasn't even fully developed yet.
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2/20/2006 - Cilantro wrote: 96 Points
Decanted 15 minutes. Deep garnet color, rich fruit aroma with some earthiness. Full-bodied, tasty ripe fruit with cedar, some chocolate. This was so concentrated, almost like a port without being as sweet. Soft tannins, long finish...just delicious and one of my all-time favorites.
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1/27/2006 - win wrote: 92 Points
Slightly herbaceous, and very smooth. Less oak than I remember from previous bottles. Should Insignia be drunk younger? Originally tasted single blind.
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1/1/2006 - djblake1 wrote: 95 Points
Incredible bottle. Not decanted, opened and poured. Rich fruits, chocolate....continued to get better as time went on.
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12/31/2005 - la turque wrote: 95 Points
Gorgeous wine. Rich, thick, black, lots of new oak on the nose, rich with black fruits and cassis. Lovely wine.
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12/19/2005 - otisabdul wrote: 95 Points
Tasted as part of a blind tasting of five "cabs 1999 or older". This wine was voted the clear favorite. The nose was a little reticent at first, but after 20 minutes was gushing forth cedar, coconut, blackberries and mint. Fantastic balnace. It seemed like one velvety homogenous mass as it glided through the mouth. No disjointed parts or seams. A flamboyant "don't hate me because I'm beautiful" wine. Not a very complex Insignia, but undeniably delicious. I think this is right near its peak. Will drink my last bottle in 2006.
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12/10/2005 - archer752000 wrote: 92 Points
Ripe and jammy fruits, chocolate and cedar. Light and nice.
However, I didn't see anything that would allow me to give "extraordinary" rating to this wine.
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12/8/2005 - Burgundy Al wrote: 94 Points
Phelps Insignia Vertical 15+ Years: Vertical tasting. Really impressive fruit, still getting better (vs. many 97s that seem to be fading). Very concentrated fruit, black cherry and currant, with interesting cocoa and espresso elements as well. Wish the finish were a bit longer.
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12/7/2005 - la turque wrote: 94 Points
A sublime bottle of wine. Rich sweetness, yet with balancing acidity. Soft tannins, rich black fruits and lush on the palate. Drinking nicely.
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12/4/2005 - KevinS wrote: 97 Points
Absolutley spectacular. Incredibly ripe and jammy, with black cherries, blackberry jam and anise. Great complexity and long, elegant finish. Tannins fully integrated. Spectacular.
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12/2/2005 - psmith wrote:
Dark black chery, cassis, and some graphite notes. Ripe and full-bodied with fine tannins but sharp, unclean acids on the end and significantly advanced/unbalanced compared to other bottles of this I've had. Cooked at some point. **/5
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11/27/2005 - Mark wrote: 95 Points
Wow, great cab. Sweet, rich, thick, syrupy with chocloate, current some cassis and dark red fruit. Big tannins but pretty soft. This wine drank very well, and drank equally well on day two - very impressive. Very good bottle of Insignia.
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11/26/2005 - 97mjr wrote: 95 Points
[Steak] Consistent notes. However this--the 3rd or 4th bottle--just seemed better than the others. Looking forward to more.
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11/25/2005 - jeff nowak wrote: 97 Points
wednesday evening after the initial carping about insignia getting WS WOTY, i took a (bonus #2!) 97 insignia over to a friends house. paired beautifully with a take home pizza, not decanted. this was a remarkable california cab. i happen to think that drinking these wines with 7-10 years of aging is optimal, and this was a poster child for that way of thinking. straight up fabulous. ultra silky mouthfeel and totally integrated tannin. i thought the petite verdot component was the key to it's showing, providing that little added kick to the usual cab/ merlot combination. if the 02 develops like this vintage did, purchasers will be awfully happy.
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11/5/2005 - VAGenius Likes this wine:
Absolutely unbelievable. Vibrant and filled with mouthwatering layers of complex fruit and spice. Smooth, supple tannins. This magnum tasted fresh and young and could hold for years... but it was a great wine with friends and family.
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10/30/2005 - AlexHop wrote: 95 Points
Very nice- better than previous bottles I've had. Showed very elegant.
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10/8/2005 - pkwoods wrote: 93 Points
Had a blind lineup of cabs in the Finger Lakes with Chuck and Emily to celebrate their anniversary. This wine showed nicely in a tough lineup of blindly tasted wines. WOTN for everyone. I imagine the nose would have benefitted from more air (pop and pour-but had a chance to evolve in the glass over a couple of hours). Best nose and palate. The length finish was decent, but was overshadowed by a '94 Diamond Creek-Red Rock Terrace. Limited notes....but I do remember it was oustanding. Anxious to try this again and take some more detailed notes.
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10/8/2005 - grossie wrote: 95 Points
I have tried this wine 3 or 4 times and while I've always thought it was a very good wine, I never thought it merited the 95+ that everyone talks about. I have typically found this too obvious and even a little sweet.
Tonight at North Pond this wine was singing. Without decanting this was an absolutely beautiful drink- slightly sweet nose but not oaky, the palate was so rich, smooth, silk, with a little spice. The beautiful rich cassis flavor was present without being sweet. There was a subtle spicy side, terrific acidity and not much tannin.
Tonight this was a WOW wine. My wife looked at me after the first sip and commented, and even our friends who are complete non-winos (Alyssa and Jeremy) remarked what an excellent wine this was. To me, worthy of 95pts, or even more. I just shudder to think this could be a 96 or 97 pt wine, I just don't give out those kind of scores.
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10/8/2005 - phantphant wrote: 97 Points
Tremendous...very drinkable. Flavors abound and as soft as any wine thoruhgout the tasting. The finish was remarkable. A confluence of wonderful tastes.
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9/18/2005 - EricBe wrote: 95 Points
Still a bit young - heavy oak and tannins, but this one is a keeper. Give it some more time in the bottle and it will be stunning.
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9/18/2005 - amred wrote: 95 Points
10/03: IWFS tasting: Was best wine of the night vs. 1985 opus, Ojai syrah, 1974 BV Latour, etc. Very rich, to me much chocolate, tobacco, incredible. Still will go for awhile, but drinking very well. Wish I had more.
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9/4/2005 - Spencer wrote: 97 Points
Saturated black purple color. Explosive nose full of rich, ripe dark fruit, bitter chocolate, espresso, and a hint of cedar mulch. Balanced and full on the palate, with an incredibly sexy, voluptuous mouthfeel. Very long, complex finish. Whenever I start to feel down on California cabs, Insignia always seems to remind me of what there is to love about them. Great wine that should last a very long time, but there's no reason in the world why it can't or shouldn't be drunk now.
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8/26/2005 - otisabdul wrote: 95 Points
Terrific fruit, depth, and finish. Showing great right now, especially if you like rich full Napa fruit. Not as tannic as many Insignias at this age level, just a pretty and delicious mouthful of wine.
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8/25/2005 - Siggy wrote: 96 Points
Dinner w/ Kevin & family. Wow, this was a beautifully balanced wine, exploding with layer after layer of nuanced flavor, including blueberries, chocolate, and mocha. Lots of structure and backbone to back up the fruit, and a super-long finish. Ultra-fine, well integrated tannins. Drinking superbly now, with perhaps some upside potential.
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7/14/2005 - Screameagle wrote: 96 Points
Absolutely fabulous bottle. One of the best wines I consumed this year. This wine has everything. A great nose, fabulous mouth feel and long finish. This wine must be at or near it's peak since it's drinking so great.
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7/10/2005 - Russell Faulkner wrote: 95 Points
Gary Margol Offline (Bentley Hotel London): Gorgeous red liquorice nose, very sweet but not confected. Opulent rich brooding cherry on palate, in no way excessive though. Nice acid structure, if anything, lacking alittle tannin as its 'third leg'. Superb wine though, on a normal day this could be WOTN.
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6/5/2005 - AndrewH wrote: 96 Points
NICE! Silky smooth, well integrated tannins. Spicy with tobacco and cassis. 96 for sure, maybe a 97. So 96.5.
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5/9/2005 - Screameagle wrote: 97 Points
Opened this on Mother's Day and so glad I did! The best word I could use to describe this wine is "Velvet". I loved this wine early in it's life but it's even better now. Hard to believe that Joe Phelps could produce such a high quality wine in such a large quantity. So glad that I have nine bottles left. Although it's great now it's got a long future ahead of it. Definitely one of the best Insignia's I've had the opportunity to drink. May be as good at the wonderful '95.
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5/4/2005 - Eric wrote: 94 Points
Steaks at the Metropolitan Grill (Seattle, WA): We started out with this fantastic wine. At first it was all plush and loaded with chocolate, but with air some notes of tobacco came forth. Round, rich, long and powerful, it is both uncomplicated and irresistible at the same time.
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4/30/2005 - rudylai wrote: 97 Points
Magnum tasted with dinner at Gary Danko in San Francisco. The wine was served at cellar temperature and decanted within 30 minutes of the first course. This wine is drinking beautifully at this point. Incredible aromas including black fruits, floral and perfume qualities. The tanins were supple to begin with, but are now even more silky and integrated after some years of bottle age (8 at this point). The wine showed impressive structure and was tremendously big. I offered the somelier a taste and he agreed that the wine was still young and lively. He was at Charlie Trotter's in Chicago before joining Danko so I really trust his palate. This wine is ready to drink now and seems like it will continue to improve for the forseeable future.
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3/31/2005 - Winetex wrote: 94 Points
This bottle was incredibly pristine and showed very few signs of aging. The only hint of secondary characteristics was on the nose. If I had more of them I would wait at two more years before drinking another bottle. This wine had amazing concentration. Too bad it yelled louder than the other bottles to get out of the cellar. <smile>
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3/23/2005 - jonnyoro wrote:
We bought a half case on release; we drank one way back then (i think 2000) and noted that it was just too young to get a read on. Well, we opened one last night for my birthday and it was JUST as YOUNG; great nose; blueberrry, raspberry, chocolate, big sweet tannins and a very long finish but still very closed... but it seemed almost like a barrel sample; deep purple/red, it left my teeth clearly purple... even the waiter at the restaurant (lark creek inn) noted that my teeth had turned purple. we finished the bottle tonight (3/24/2005) and it had opened up beautifully but still seemed very youthful... we have 4 more left and i will wait another few years before opening the next one. Excellent!
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3/13/2005 - grossie wrote: 93 Points
It showed very well, no hard edges, very lush and round. Sweet cassis, a little tobacco and slight pepper. It's drinking well, and went great with beef short ribs in a red wine sauce. I still wish it had more secondary characteristics. I'll try again at some later date. 93pts, I was frankly hoping for more.
Drunk at "Spring" 3/12/05 with AG and my parents.
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3/6/2005 - shaferguy91 wrote: 95 Points
Decanted for 2 hours and it was outstanding. Still seemed very young. It had a beautiful nose of black berries and chocolate. Very full bodied and rich with a very long finish. It was a 95 for me.
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1/1/2005 - winefool wrote: 94 Points
Deep opaque purple. Big concentrated aromas . Big black fruit with tons of concentration and some structure. 1/05
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12/27/2004 - CharlesM wrote: 95 Points
Still young, this was decanted an hour in advance. A rich purple colour. A glorious nose of chocolate coated black cherry with a hint of kirsch. A rich, sweet palate, with rich blackfruits. I can see why people refer to this as having a chocolate milkshake like character. Intense, concentrated, with rich rich fruit and sweet tannins. Lovely.
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12/26/2004 - 97mjr wrote: 93 Points
[belated Christmas in NYC] Decanted for 3 hours. Deep purple color. Distinctive Insigna taste sweet fruit, liquor, gum, and smoke. On the palate, chocolate, red fruit, new oak, and smoke. Interestingly though it was remarkable for 3 hours. At the six hour mark, it morphed, being predominantly cola with some fruit; corroborated by others.
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12/24/2004 - TripDaddy wrote: 97 Points
Opened on Xmas Eve. Perfect example of CalCab at its finest. Rich, dark fruit, sweet tannin, great depth and purity of Fruit. This one is a winner on every scale. My only regret is that it was my only bottle. Drink now through 2015.
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12/11/2004 - Burgundy Al wrote: 93 Points
Kensington Wine Tasting, Before and During Auction (The Pump Room - Chicago IL): Wine tasting. Lots of black cherry aromas with some cedar elements. Same black fruit on palate with good array of spice and fresh herbs, particularly coming through well on long, evolving finish. Probably better in a few more years.
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12/4/2004 - VAGenius Likes this wine:
Unbelievable. Still fresh and young with fantastic fruit and smooth finish. Can easily hold for quite some time.
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11/28/2004 - RickG wrote:
From a friend's cellar, this was dense, lush, but not soft. Dark purple fruits with a note of currant and smoke. Smooth, round, this opened in the glass for as long as I could leave some there (about 90 minutes). Cassis and choclate with just a hint of crushed herbs in the background. A great young Cab, this has the material to be awesome if it develops with age.
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11/13/2004 - MarkC wrote: 95 Points
Motley Cru Wine Tasting 2004.4 (San Marcos, CA): Killer Cab - great structure, loads of primary fruit - currant, strawberry, blackberry. Tannins still pretty big, but the fruit really shined through. Long finish with hints of sage, tar, and leather.
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10/22/2004 - Mark wrote: 93 Points
The last time I tried the Insigina was on release in 1999, back then, it was an explosive wine with a massive nose of chocolate. It was impressive. Fast forward five years, and this wine is still a blockbuster. Big nose of chocolate, some cassis, and dark cheery liquor notes. Full bodied in the mouth, with a silky long finish. I just love the lingering jammy cherry finish which lasts quite a while. I was a little surprised, however, how quickly the nose receded after opening. An hour or so after pulling the cork, the nose diminished markedly. In it’s place, the wine showed a bit more alcohol and a slight steely edge. The finish, however, developed an even more jammy character. Great wine.
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9/18/2004 - Burgundy Al wrote: 94 Points
Wine tasting. Huge concentrated fruit, very impressive. Great flavors of black cherry nicely complemented by good herbs, coffee and a hint of chocolate on the finsih. Still getting better.
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8/1/2004 - TashNYC wrote: 92 Points
drank w/ kimberly Turner, Jackie Bryks, Jen & Tash @ K&J's house upstate. The wine was terrific. Good length, fruit and lots of chocolate flavors. Very smooth.
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7/11/2004 - CharlesM wrote: 96 Points
Still purple black. A super nose of smoke and ripe black and red fruit. The palate and mouthfeel was just so opulent. Beautifully rich, lush, dense and concentrated, the tannin present but so sweet. Oaked but well integrated. This was stunning. Years of development to go. 96+ points.
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4/17/2004 - Jason wrote: 94 Points
The nose shows graham crackers and chocolate. The palate is massive and very young. The tannins hide behind the fruit at first but come through at the finish.
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4/17/2004 - Eric wrote: 95 Points
Seattle Tasting Group does 22 years of Phelps Insignia (Bellevue, WA, USA): The nose shows oak and chocolate. Oh my goodness, the palate is so ripe, almost clumsy like a puppy, but it pulls it off. This shows chocolate and very ripe cassis. This is just so lush!
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4/6/2004 - EricBe wrote: 95 Points
Wow, this was good. Had with steak at the Metropolitan grill. Big wine, complex nose, great finish. Had along with a '99 Duckhorn Cab which was also good, but much less interesting.
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2/3/2004 - Nuray wrote:
Portfolio Ref # USA D1
Setting: Offline
Appearance: bright opaque purple core, with a barely visible ruby red rim
Nose: sweet toasty oak and black berries on the nose
Palate: a lovely, integrated wine with full body, long finish, solid tannins, fresh red berries on the dry, creamy palate
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11/22/2003 - cybergod wrote:
One of the most complex wines I have had. Parker's review is very accurate, but I would have given it an even higher score. It's almost perfect, the only slight detraction was a slight, but not unpleasent nail polish/acetone note.
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4/12/2003 - timewithwine wrote:
Saturday, April 12, 2003 A Tale of Two Bottles of One Wine, a Pickle and a Dumb Ringer Thanks to some good folks on this board three years ago, I was able to direct a colleague of mine to some very helpful wine stores in San Francisco. My colleague is decidedly not a wine geek, but does enjoy wine occasionally. So he thought that as long as he was in SF, why not find a bottle or two. Armed with a list of wines I’d suggested, he picked up two bottles of the ‘97 Insignia, one for me and one for him. No plans were made for either bottle. Occasionally, he’d ask about my bottle, whether I’d had it or when I might plan on having it, and expressed concern that his bottle might accidently be grabbed by his wife to supply one of her Friday afternoon Gathering-of-Mothers-temporarily-free-of-children-&-in-need-of-attitude-adjustments. Apparently, he’d had some close calls. The wine started burning a hole in my cellar, due in no small part to some of the controversial comments made here on the board. Was it an overdone oak bomb or was it another home run by Phelps? I had to have it. Sure enough, my colleague still had his bottle, and yes, he’d love to open both bottles over dinner. Plans made, dinner arranged: thyme rubbed beef tenderloin roasted to rare and served with a port&beef broth reduction sauce with bacon and roasted shallots. They arrived - our guests and their bottle. The corks of both were pulled consecutively. We decanted my bottle and set aside. His, we opened and poured a little, just for quality control. Both wines were deep, clear purple. One of the corks had tartrates and the other didn’t. Neither showed any sign of even a drop seeping; both had perfect little ’dials’ of wine at the business end. About an hour an half later we started dinner. In the meantime, we enjoyed Champalou Vouvray Brut with various cheeses from the Loire, some smoked oyster spread in wan-ton wraps and other things. The Champalou is much as I recalled it a month ago (link below - no need to repeat) http://www.westcoastwine.net/forum/read.php?f=13&i=367506&t=367506 The Insignia from the bottle was poured all around. When we finally sat down, we noticed the room filling with the scents vanilla, blackberries and oak. The blackberry was unmistakable. Deep and rich, but not jammy. Much the same on the palate along with currants and leather from beginning to midpalate. All very extracted and powerful. Several other notes, but none particularly focused. Too much oak for my taste, but a nice, big gripping wine nonetheless that carries through the midpalate. And then, the wine kinda ’clunks’. No one else noticed it and all disagreed with me when I mentioned it. Hey, whadda they know! But for me, the wine was not seamless; no where close to it. It had a distinct disconnect on the finish; a disjointed finish that I cannot accurately describe. We moved on to the decanted bottle of Insignia. Not nearly as much oak. Both the oak and vanilla are more in the background; not nearly as pronounced, but structural bass notes present from start to finish. But this is still a big wine and expresses layers of flavors - mocha, chocolate, currents, leather and plum - in addition to the blackberries. Yet, still on the finish was that unmistakable ’clunk’. Decanting had been beneficial, but had not resolved the disjointed quality. The table still didn’t agree with me on this, but then several at the table preferred the more oaky quality of the wine in the bottle than the wine in the decanter. More than one person commented that it was like drinking two different wines. I couldn’t go that far, but the difference was distinct. One person summarized that the Insignia had enough tannins to go 60 years. Six more would be the max of my estimate. In short time this wine will fall apart. Undoubtedly, the Insignia would blow away a lot of wines, and did later that night. However, it should have been more - what exactly I can’t say, but it just had an empty space that shouldn’t have b
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2/20/2003 - otisabdul wrote: 96 Points
Brief note from my 2003 Cellar Diminishment Party: I would rank this alongside the 1974 and 1985 as the best vintages of Insignia I've had the opportunity to try. Great nose, fruit, mouthfeel, and finish. A 4-tool wine.
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5/1/2001 - OneLastSyrah wrote:
($110) The First Big DFW Tasting, Casa Vineyard: Delicious stuff, as were all the Insignias. Chocolate cherry milkshakes that are low in acid, ripe, concentrated and very supple. Aimed at a wide audience and succeeding. DFW Tasting.
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