Double decanted for 2 hrs, deep ruby, black cherries on the nose & palate, med/firm tannins, long finish; delicious & just entering prime drinking, drink or preferably hold
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Decanted for 90 minutes+, and served alongside a 2013 Ovid Experiment R8.3 with Christmas dinner (prime rib). First impression was how deep and intense the nose was - deep, dark fruit with hints of herbal liquor, licorice and anise. Maybe the most deep and nuanced nose on a wine I've ever tasted, it felt like you could "fall in". And on the palate it (mostly) delivered on the nose: blackberries, black cherries, blue and purple fruit, with integrated tannins and a silky mouthfeel. For much of dinner I had it slightly ahead of the Ovid, despite my preference for that wine going into the night. As the night wore on the Insignia did seem to drop off some, and started to exhibit some bitter flavors and notes of green pepper. Nonetheless, a stupendous wine and a real treat. 94-96.
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This wine was good, but wasn’t as good as the wine next to it. I got mostly secondary flavors at 13 years - leather, bitter chocolate, and a hint of licorice. It was unique, I will give you that. I wanted to like this more than it was, as it was my first Insignia. I have a 2012 I will try soon to see how that compares.
Great wine that needed about 2 hour decant to really shine. Tannins are smooth. Paired great with bone-in filet and mushroom risotto at our favorite steakhouse. Actually enjoyed it more with food than without. Plenty of fruit left.
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The nose Was leather and dark fruit with a savory herbal essence. Flavors followed with black cherry and blackberry. Tannins were reserved with a long finish of the dark fruit! Beautiful wine!!
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"Dark purple, extract, purple fruit, tannic, rich, young." No wonder this turned out to be 2010, the youngest wine allowed in the blind tasting. DD Napa Cabs blind at Michaels. 8th fav by the group.
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Opened with a one hour decant. Cellared well for 10 years and so glad it was because it’s still drinking young with vibrant fruit, acidity and tannins. Soft nose but a mouthful of gripping black fruits. A well balanced wine with nuances of orange peel and eastern spices. (Went exceptionally well with lamb dinner.) Bravo.
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Nose of leather with notes of dark fruit like plum. Flavors were dry with dark fruit, black cherry, black raspberry and plum. Finish was delightful with soft tannins and a beautiful lengthy flavor of dark fruit! A beautiful wine hitting its stride right now!!
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Enjoying at 2010 Insignia and 2010 Groth Reserve with friends this evening. Opened both at 10am at the office to get them breathing LOL. After two hours, the nose on the Insignia is beautiful. The Groth is still a bit tight. My kind of aroma therapy. Won't be tasting until this evening. I'll report back tomorrow.
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Deep dark red, gives way to notes of tobacco, cedar and crushed flowers. Structured and layered, notes of earthy dark fruit, fine grained oak, minerality, and graphite. Wood pencil shavings, but a richness that is very pleasant. Hard to resist it now with some air.
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A very beautiful wine. Had it with dinner of rabbit and lamb. Opened up nicely in 30 minutes. Nose of deep black cherry surrounded with graphite oak and tobacco. The palate was full of primarily black cherry and other dark fruit. The tannins were gentle but impressive with a nice finish of fruit, graphite, vanilla and some chocolate. Totally enjoyable wine.
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decanted for about 2 hours, perhaps could've used another hour or so. Full-bodied wine as I've seen others describe, rich and smooth, not much tannin. Overall, this was excellent.
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I am not generally a fan of California wines, but this is so big, full of dark flavors, The wine looks garnet colored. The legs are slow. There is no sediment in the bottle. It smells like red currant and prune. It tastes like black currant (cassis), fig, forest floor, honeysuckle and chocolate.
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Decanted from bottle previously coravined for 1 glass. Decanted 1+ hours. Blackberry, cocoa, with earthy accents. Medium acidity. Resolving tannins. Nicely integrated and balanced. 93-94. Enjoyed with Sarah and Claire Christmas Eve. Preferred this slightly to the '16 Beringer PR cabernet.
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4th Saturday Group: Uptown Brown Bag: Double blind. Notes of green bell pepper, black and blue fruit. Full-bodied with fine, sweet tannin and flavors of black fruit dominating the palate. Good, if not particularly complex or exciting. (R&D)
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Very dark in the glass, no sign of any bottle age here. First whiff gives off lightly sweet purple and black fruit, cigar box, black licorice, jam, light oak. Lovely texture on the entry. Quite silky, almost inky. Big finish. Loads of ripe blackberries. Cocoa. Pretty hedonistic.
Showed a slight bit of evolution on night 2, becoming a bit more earthy and savory.
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Generally agree with Grinner's description of this wine, although I did not taste it on the second day. I would add that the blackberry lollipop element was quite goopy. Also, there was an oak-imparted, movie theater popcorn butter element that was decidedly off-putting. Tasted blind, I thought it could have been a New World styled Right Bank house (Saint-Émilion). By the style standards, rock solid. Otherwise, massively disappointing based on the wine's reputation, but I could have guessed that. (I had hoped for a style along the lines of the same vintage Opus One.) Drink anytime.
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The Nearly Annual Lyon 10 Year Retro Tasting (Lyon's Den): I knew this was the ringer in the flight but wasn't sure enough to call Insignia. Not their best but damn good! Jammy compared to the many "proper" wines this day, I wrote "blackberry lollipop"! Deep and dark with great fruit then herbal / minty / stony / mineral notes. The tannins were more obvious on day 2, "the iron fist is back": 95pts. Now-2026 would be best.
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Took to dinner so the bottle just got a very short decant. Excellent. Exceeded my expectations and was the best Insignia I have had. So well balanced and smooth, in it's drinking window now!
We left the bottle opened for over one hour and then decanted for around 30 min. Drinking nicely, not too complex right now, I think this wine is in sleeping face at the moment and should get to the level it belongs in 1-3 years.
Decanted in bottle for two hours and then in decanter for one This probably does not need the air, but it works. Had with Seared Strip Steak, Cauliflower Puree and Roasted Cocoa Carrots while Zooming with Allie Phelps. This is beginning to develop its secondary characteristics. Dark berries, currants and some leathery aspects on the palate. Great balance with tannins in check. This will probably have another 4 or 5 years of life.
Great wine. Had with prime rib and creamed spinach, and boy was that good. Rich black color, smooth and unctuous with muted fruit on all levels of the palate. No evidence of fading.
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This wine is very complex. Nose of graphite and some small floral with dark fruit. The taste was a blast of dried dark fruit and an earthy essence - the tannins were very dry and soft. Black cherry was the fruit identified with a beautiful balance of tannins and earthy elements - long finish with its earthy elements of graphite and wet earth or concrete. Beautiful wine!! Opened up in the bottle in 40 minutes to me!
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3rd Friday Group: Uptown Brown Bag (R&D's): Double blind. Dark color. Aromas of chocolate, black fruit, herb and pine. Full-bodied. Chocolate and black fruit flavors. Doesn't change very much with air, it just becomes a bit more amplified. Well-balanced, with a long finish. Guessed 2010 Napa Bdx blend. (R&D)
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Deep ruby,pronounced strawberry,black cherry,green bell pepper,fennel,liquorice,ripe fruit,dried fruit,charred wood,smoke,chocolate,dry,high acidity,chalky high tannin,medium alcohol,full body,long finish,outstanding wine,suitable for bottle ageing
Boom. Deep ruby color. Explosion of dried black fruit and heavy oak. Dry, mouth watering acidity, grippy tannins, taste of dried raisins, blackberry, vanilla, dark chocolate. Powerful body, above average balance (tart aftertaste) and long finish. 92 (Rank 3). GUESS Napa 10/ RESULT Napa Joseph Phelps Insignia 10 (Rank 1).
Wonderful floral aromatics with flavors of blackberry, plum and black cherry. Integrated layers of chocolate and firm tannins that take you through a 20-second finish. My last bottle unfortunately, but definitely a great vintage from Joseph Phelps Insignia.
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Dark ruby red color. Long legs. New french oak evident. Hints of berries and tobaco. Some spice. Tannins are still grippy. Mid to high acid. More mod to back palate. Paired great with a steak. Fat definitely helped smooth it out. Needs more age for sure.
Second day, slightly better but overall i would say it disapoints. Its like you are really trying to make good wine and charge a fourtune but the terrior is not cooperating. You can’t make up terrior you have it or not. There is definitely lot better wine to be had for this price unless you want in your face high alcohol wine thats over ridden by new oak barrels. Its the lazy way out. Unfortunate and very disappointing.
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Fantastic wine. Everything about it screams $$. Tannins still very prevalent at 10yrs of age. Big bold blackberry cassis, pepper, leather in the palate. Nice firm grip at the finish. A nose you can smell from across the room. A spectacular performance. Got better with time.
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A big muscular California icon. Two hour decant and consumed. Seriously better day two. Very fruit forward with chewy tannins. On day two developed many stunning secondary characteristics Red fruit up front, with hints of pencil shavings and cigar box notes. The finish became long with the tannins giving way to tobacco, leather and alluvial notes. Probably can cellar for another fifteen years. I would wait to open another bottle.
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Not sure you can say anything about this wine that hasn't already been said, just pure magic though I do think it should be drunk all in one sitting, as later in the 2nd night taste started to change a bit.
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Opened and slow ox'd for four hours then decanted using a vinturi and let it sit for another two hours. Dark fruit and coffee on the nose. The palate is dark berries, plums, cassis, figs and coffee. The finish is full and long. Getting better with age. I have one bottle of the 2010 left and am going to let it rest for a few more years before I open it.
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Very good wine that got better after a couple hour decant. Very smooth in the mouth, tannins still present to give body but smooth. Dark purple color. Dark fruit, currant, cocoa, slight tobacco. Good acidity that went well with grilled steak. Medium-long finish.
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Could easily age another 10 years. Everything pristine about the bottle right down to the cork. Opened up nicely within a few hours without decanting. Dark berry fruit dominates and balanced with an acid finish while tannins become more obvious with each taste. Very complex. Black currant is the predominate berry fruit which is accented with pops of graphite, green pepper and latent tobacco well after the anticipated finish.
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Insignia never disappoints. Drank together with Corison Kronos of the same vintage. Insignia showed more fruit perfectly balanced. Corison just a tad funky in a good way. Best of California blends.
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decanted about 4hrs and enjoyed over Christmas dinner of roasted beef tenderloin. Paired well with the food, dark fruits some wood toast and still drying on the long finish. Well done. Can be accessed today if decanted but some more time in the cellar may be worth it.
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Decanted for 90 minutes and drank over the next 90. Deep purple in color with floral aromatics mixed with dark fruit and light oak. Balanced and silky smooth flavors of blackberries, plums, black cherries and chocolate. This wine got better with time in the decanter. Will save my last bottle for 2021 or after.
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It has been 2 years since I last tried a bottle. Dark fruit with hints of coffee on the nose. The palate was dark berries, plums, figs and coffee. The finish was smooth. My fried Michael was saying the wine was still to young and has a long way to go. Also it was up against some heavy competition last night as the group (there were ten of us) drank an Audentia, a Realm BTK (the star of the show), and a Nicolas Catena Zapata all from the 2010 vintage along with some assorted whites.
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Score may reflect some personal preference. Deep dark color throughout. Nose showed dark fruits, cocoa and light tobacco. Tannins were plentiful, but smooth. Dark fruit continues on the palate with cherry coming through. Some tobacco and graphite. I even got a hint of Concord grape. And the finish was very long. First taste made me go back after five minutes and it finally faded. Wonderful wine, everything I wanted in Cab that night b
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Deep ruby red. Dark nose with cocoa, cinnamon, a bit herbal, cassis, light graphite and smoke. Medium plus tannins (7/10) and well integrated with a medium plus body. Really grips the back and sides of your mouth, even with two days being open. Layered flavors of smokiness, black currants, bramble, wood and black cherries. Long finish. Drink till 2030.
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Delayed entry. Youthful in character-- would benefit from significant decant. Rather smooth with more subtle characteristics of blackberry, chocolate, dried flowers. Reasonable mouthfeel and finish. Perhaps, not as interesting as I'd hoped.
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Very impressive. More recent vintages have been excessively jammy, but not here. Tannins still pretty grippy. Tons of depth without being excessively fruity. Could do with even more cellar time.
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Decanted, drank over 4 hours, opened up nicely in the last hour. Beautiful nose, violets, cherry, sweet tobacco. Well balanced on the palate, great middle through a long, elegant finish. Showed quite nicely. Slight herbal/bell pepper notes knocked this down a point relative to my palate. Very good with a steak dinner at El Gaucho, the style and time in the bottle made it work well with food.
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Decanted for over 2 hours, this bottle of Insignia was still more tight than I expected. The nose was of ripe cherry and blueberry fruit. Plum and currant flavors with licorice. The finish was not as smooth as I prefer, but may be great in another 2-3 years.
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A big, fully integrated wine. Blackberries, mocha, dried currant and cedar. Long, lingering finish. First of four bottles. Will keep others for future evolution, but this drinks superbly now. Paired with spice rubbed rib eyes.
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Deep and dark ruby red. Tight and stinky on the nose with a touch of pencil shavings, iron and dark berries. Well rounded even out of a coravin with medium plus tannins (7.5/10) and full bodied. Lush and dry palate with dark berries, dark cocoa, spices and gravel. Long and lingering finish. Drink till 2026.
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Had with friends along with a Kathryn Hall 2011 Diamond Mt. cabernet. The Insignia is deep purple in color, with black fruit on the nose. On the palate, the black fruits remain and are joined by dark chocolate and smoky notes. Solid and enjoyable, but I expected more of a "wow". The others in the group generally preferred the K Hall, which at this time, is the bigger, more muscular wine. Opened about an hour before serving, I would let the remaining bottles that I have spend more time before I serve.
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Time is working its magic and what a difference a year makes. We have not consumed a bottle since memorial day 2016. I slow ox'd the bottle for 6 hours and then decanted through a vinturi. It sat in the decanter another hour while we drank some chardonnay and started on the 2012 Realm Bard. The nose is dark fruit with perhaps a touch of wood. The palate was now more vibrant with dark berries, plums, olive, raisin and fig with a touch of oak. The finish was long and brought out hints of coffee. Last year I was stretching to give it a 93 and this year it almost got to a 95. I think what held it back was we drank it against a 2012 Realm Bard and that was a 95 almost a 96. Definitely will be interesting to see how it develops over the next few years. 94+
Opened this for my birthday. As many other CT reviewers have already said...this was more approachable than most vintages. It was practically pop n pour ready. Lots of typical Phelps oak and creme de cassis on the palate. Finishes with light to medium tannin. It's already very enjoyable but will gain some complexity down the road.
This vintage seems to need more time in the bottle than previous vintages I have had. If you must drink it soon, definitely decant whole heartedly. I would not open this for another 5-8 years though. Not showing half the potential it has to offer.
I have enjoyed other vintages of this wine but the 2010 was a huge disappointment. No fruit on the first day and no improvement on the second. My wife disliked it also.
I bought this in an auction after being blown away by the 2013 in a tasting at the J Phelps vineyard. In the meantime, I've got the 2013 on order. This vintage didn't seem as strong as I remember the 2013. Nonetheless, it was delicious and paired extremely well with fillet mignon and roast vegetables. Its a big wine with delicious dark fruits, integrated tannins, dense, dark & opaque. Its not subtle, and has a nice long finish.
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Again while better than it was 6 months ago when I last tried a bottle I cannot see the 94 and higher given this wine. We drank it alongside a 2009 Beringer Private Reserve Cabernet and personally I like the Beringer better. The nose on the Insignia was dark fruit, the palate again as blueberry, raisin and mocha. It was a long finish. The only reason that I am upping my score to a 93 as my friends who shared the bottle really were enamored by it, I would have kept it at a 92. As I said last November, I have had better wines and a much lower price point.
84% Cabernet Sauvignon, 10% Petit Verdot and the rest Merlot and Malbec. Intense on the nose with of cedar and forest floor, black currants, blackberries, and subtle smoke. On the palate it is smooth, big and rich, with soft tannins. still has a bit of acidity which should mellow over time. We had the 2006 Signorello Padrone the night before which was only slightly better, but this Insignia will only improve with age.
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Drank at same dinner as SMHALPS. This wine is a big, tannic monster, but with great fruit and brooding depth. I generally like to drink wine young, but this one really needs a couple more years to come into its own. I expect the score will be much higher when I revisit this beauty.
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This was so much better than its 2011 counterpart that it was almost hard to believe it was the same producer. My WOTN. A lot going on here, and it will continue to get better with age, if you can stand to wait!
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Inky purple in color. The rich nose shows plum, black currant, graphite, and mocha. Dark fruit, florals, and chocolate on the palate leads to a 60+ second finish, although it offers a slightly bitter, metallic note. Sweet, decadent, and intense without being overripe. 84% Cabernet Sauvignon, 10% Petit Verdot, 4% Merlot, 2% Malbec. Drink starting 2020.
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I opened and let it sit for three hours then decanted through an aerator, almost purple in color, nose of dark sweet fruit, the palate was blueberry, raisins and mocha, the finish was long and full. It is a very good wine but unless time helps our I don't see the 94's and 95's or the 96+ given by Vinous. As someone else wrote I have had better at a lot lower price point.
Very intense and rich, but without being heavy. Perfect tannic structure, with aromas of violet blackberries, tar and notes of violet (petit verdot). Still extremely young, will probably be at its peak in 10-20 years. In a way, similar to the 2005 Lafite-Rotschild I had this week. Grand vin...just not ready yet.
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Opaque purple color with a grainy violet rim. The nose is highly effervescent with fumes of chocolate-coated dark berries, liqueur, raisin, and vanilla. The palate is full-bodied with an ultra-velvety texture. Flavors of blackberry, blueberry compote, dark cherry, cardamom, spice, dark chocolate, espresso and tobacco notes. Finishes for 40 seconds with hints of pepper, scorched earth and smoke. Joseph Phelps has really come through in this terrific vintage. Very decadent, hedonistic, supple and hearty; powerful but polished. Drink now with a 2-hr. decant until 2030.
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Decanted 1.5 hours, opened up but needed more time. Still spectacular wine that opens with smoke leading into fresh cherry aroma. Wet stone and earth on the nose as well.
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We did a small taste with my Coravin & let the glass decant for 2 hours. The 3 of us that each had a 2oz taste thought it was fantastic. Deep black'ish- purple in color, Rich subtle layers, smokey under taste & the fruit came out on top as it aerated & opened up. Laying this down for another year or so but even young you can taste the excellence. Decant if opening in the next few years & you won't be disappointed!
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This bottle, 10' Insgnia, reminded me of a lesson I once learned about the "Napa Valley Consensus." The idea was that within the Napa Valley, winemakers used the same base line practices in wine making, but tweaked them along the way to distinguish their wines. You can taste this idea in every tasting room along the Silverado trail, from Oakville to St. Helena, to Callistoga and beyond. The 2010 Insignia is a signature, a stamp, of this consensus. This Cab taste like Napa......
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Need 3 hour or more decant .after 4 hour wine open up black fruit mocha . And some kind like fresh vegetables bell pepper celery .tanning chewy and sweet good mid finish .but I think need more time still young .is it worth for 180 buck No . May be in next 5 year
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Wonderful inky color with classic cabernet nose. Easy spices with pepper. Cherry notes with good wood across the palate. Good spices. Wants a heavy BBQ. Will go with many different spice meal. Young but really nice.
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Tasted blind: "Very dark; soft muted nose; tannic! with cocoa and coffee; unbridled acidity, young and expensive. Hot." Easily my favorite in a blind Cabernet Sauvignon tasting. Most expensive by far. What can I say, I'm not a cheap date.
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Aged Bordeaux, Cali Cabs and more with the Benchmark Wine Group in Greenwich (The Ginger Man in Greenwich, CT): This was brought out at the end of the night and was a pop and pour. Very difficult to judge this wine because it clearly required a few hours of air to really open up. Almost a waste. Still always a treat to try the Insignia. Didn't get a whole lot of fruit on this, which could be a result of not enough air. Basically shut down. Not a lot on the nose either. This is going to require a lot of time to come around. Still, wine exhibited nice balance and good structure. Just needs some patience either in the cellar or decanter.
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I got lots and lots of coffee on the nose along with black fruit and to some extent forest flor. The wine I found it extremely balanced and although it is definitely a Napa style wine, I found it a Little bit vegetal. It is a very good wine although not excellent for me. The QPR is below normal , if this wine were $120-$130 it would be in a sweet spot for me.
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Decanted about 10 hours then consumed over the next 5. Very small amount of very fine sediment. Surprisingly soft and approachable (that's for you, Dace) at this early age. Typical Insignia profile, nice fruit flavors, very enjoyable, but you have to wonder if it is really worth the price.
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Tasted at Joseph Phelps (Freestone): Deep dark purple. Amazing nose of black currant, dark berries, sweet spices, minerals, coffee. Full bodied and very dense. Medium- high acidity with medium- high tannin. Great complexity and beautiful freshness. Amazing length. This is a super complex Insignia with great concentration, balance and length. From my perspective, it's always one of the best Wines of Napa Valley and 2010 is one of the best vintages I have had in a while. Love it!
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Tight, this needs air, decanting or both, before it once again offers its sweet, blackberry jam, licorice, oak and vanilla tinged fruits. Soft, polished and round, the end notes deliver plums, blackberry and cocoa powder. I'd wait 3-5 years before popping a bottle.
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Popped and poured this beauty accompanied by rib-eye steak. Expected this to be archetypical big Napa cab and was not disappointed. The aroma alone will smack you in the face with jammy red fruit, tobacco spice (one taster was reminded of smell of blood!) Almost as powerful in the mouth and very unctuous, with similar strains of spice, leather, tobacco. For me, not quite as remarkable as Caymus SS, but same league. Some in our party found it too intense. With steak, however, it meshed beautifully.
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Far from JPV's best effort ever (at least as it drinks for now), this wine is best left to age for 3 to 5 years before trying again. Much thinner and less refined than most vintages.
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dark red body, purple rim, in the color. dark fruit, blackberry, blueberry, plum, floral, sweet, vegetative, spice, pepper, saline, oak, on the nose. medium acid, high tannins, on a cherry filled finish.
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Tasted at a Joseph Phelps tasting at Artisan Wine Depot in Los Altos, CA. Dark, nearly opaque garnet. Nose of black currants, blackberries, and a graphite quality (like a broken pencil), along with some forest floor. Full bodied, black fruit notes with good acidity to balance. Tannins are still grippy but beginning to integrate. I'd put this away for several years but would expect it to improve for as much as 10+ years.
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Phelps Insignia is the most consistent, high scoring, Cabernet Sauvignon from the Napa Valley for the last 20 years. 2010 continues that trend with its deep color, smoky black fruits, licorice, jammy berries, truffle and earthy style. Long, fat, rich and intense, this can be enjoyed young, if you prefer primary fruit, or you can it age it for decades.
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Heavier and less exciting than the 08, this has a thick, liqueur-like quality, but it's not necessarily sweet or over the top...there's some freshness here, and it may turn out fantastic.
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Darkest purple; big Cabernet and berry nose (84% Cabernet, 10 Petite Verdot, 3 Merlot, 3 Malbec); big tannins; intense fruit; tight from start to finish; needs five to 10 years. w/beef
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This wine was pure, unadulterated, concentrated tannin. The dark fruits and cassis were hidden under layer after layer of tannin. Not my style, and not sure how this wine could ever integrate these tannins before the fruits waste away. People love this wine, so apparently it will or else my style is not "people's style"
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Pure fruit notes initially with cassis, dark cherry, menthol, tar. The tannins here are better integrated. The palate is ultra-concentrated with a long finish. A bit, plush, concentrated wine that is well made and with time will probably be quite good.
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Tasted at the 2013 New York Wine Experience Dark red color, quite impenetrable. on nose some whiff of phenols, on palate at first quite round, then come the tannins. Still very closed. Should turn into a nice bottle in 7+ years
Had at a JP dinner. Really tight nose. Smooth light raspberry. Dark chocolate raspberry liked dipped fruit in chocolate. Dark cherry nose. Very perfumie nose. Dry tannins, good flavors. A bit tight on the end . Mellow fruit really nice strong acid. I think I prefer some of the older vintages.
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Tasted at Joseph Phelps dinner. 93-94 pts. Another great Insignia that needs some serious time to fully develop. For now, it is still excellent, and has a tremendously concentrated and rich taste of dark chocolate, raisins and black currant, some blueberry jam, black licorice. As always, very well made, delicious, and one of my favorite wines from California.
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Tasted at the cabfest at the Winehouse in LA...a step above most other wines tasted including Pineridge Fortis, Hillside Select (2009) and La Verite (the Dominus Estate was just as good) Deep, dark red and black fruit on the palate with an amazing structure and long finish. Excellent wine!!!!
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At Gary's tasting, finished the Phelps flight with the 2010, drank right after the 09. Similar charchterisitics, with a little eucalypts on the nose that I didnt pick up on the 09. Aromotic, dark fruits. A lighter mouthfeel than the 09.
Blackberry, currant, chocolate, espresso. Very nice wine, approachable now. I suspect not as long-lived as most Phelps wines
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À l'aveugle. Un nez mentholé, de fruit noir, qui évoque le nouveau Monde. La bouche est ronde et très mûre, veloutée, moderne. Un peu trop maquillé a mon goût, mais je reconnais une qualité de tanins admirable. Bien fait, mais d'une richesse qui me lasse un peu. 90 pts
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2/3/2024 - jsmorris707 Likes this wine: 95 Points
Double decanted for 2 hrs, deep ruby, black cherries on the nose & palate, med/firm tannins, long finish; delicious & just entering prime drinking, drink or preferably hold
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12/25/2023 - DizzyOneCheck Likes this wine: 95 Points
Decanted for 90 minutes+, and served alongside a 2013 Ovid Experiment R8.3 with Christmas dinner (prime rib). First impression was how deep and intense the nose was - deep, dark fruit with hints of herbal liquor, licorice and anise. Maybe the most deep and nuanced nose on a wine I've ever tasted, it felt like you could "fall in". And on the palate it (mostly) delivered on the nose: blackberries, black cherries, blue and purple fruit, with integrated tannins and a silky mouthfeel. For much of dinner I had it slightly ahead of the Ovid, despite my preference for that wine going into the night. As the night wore on the Insignia did seem to drop off some, and started to exhibit some bitter flavors and notes of green pepper. Nonetheless, a stupendous wine and a real treat. 94-96.
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11/11/2023 - sean7711 Likes this wine: 91 Points
Opened this wine next to a 2016 Amici Old Bull.
This wine was good, but wasn’t as good as the wine next to it. I got mostly secondary flavors at 13 years - leather, bitter chocolate, and a hint of licorice. It was unique, I will give you that. I wanted to like this more than it was, as it was my first Insignia. I have a 2012 I will try soon to see how that compares.
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10/14/2023 - Markie_Sharkie Likes this wine: 93 Points
Great wine that needed about 2 hour decant to really shine. Tannins are smooth. Paired great with bone-in filet and mushroom risotto at our favorite steakhouse. Actually enjoyed it more with food than without. Plenty of fruit left.
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9/24/2023 - Darwine Likes this wine: 96 Points
The nose Was leather and dark fruit with a savory herbal essence. Flavors followed with black cherry and blackberry. Tannins were reserved with a long finish of the dark fruit! Beautiful wine!!
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6/19/2023 - Slippman303 wrote: 92 Points
Excellent but not a crazy outlier. Fruit forward and nice texture but not a ton of body
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2/8/2023 - peternelson Likes this wine: 92 Points
"Dark purple, extract, purple fruit, tannic, rich, young." No wonder this turned out to be 2010, the youngest wine allowed in the blind tasting. DD Napa Cabs blind at Michaels. 8th fav by the group.
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12/19/2022 - MrWineQ Likes this wine: 95 Points
Opened with a one hour decant. Cellared well for 10 years and so glad it was because it’s still drinking young with vibrant fruit, acidity and tannins. Soft nose but a mouthful of gripping black fruits. A well balanced wine with nuances of orange peel and eastern spices. (Went exceptionally well with lamb dinner.) Bravo.
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9/9/2022 - Darwine Likes this wine: 96 Points
Nose of leather with notes of dark fruit like plum. Flavors were dry with dark fruit, black cherry, black raspberry and plum. Finish was delightful with soft tannins and a beautiful lengthy flavor of dark fruit! A beautiful wine hitting its stride right now!!
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8/20/2022 - cubswinws Likes this wine: 93 Points
Nice balanced cab blend with soft tannins and fruit forward appeal.
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6/27/2022 - Jerry 3 Likes this wine: 94 Points
Decanted 1 1/2 hours
Elegant
Great nose
Perfect tannins
Last one
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6/10/2022 - sfbikeguy wrote:
Enjoying at 2010 Insignia and 2010 Groth Reserve with friends this evening. Opened both at 10am at the office to get them breathing LOL. After two hours, the nose on the Insignia is beautiful. The Groth is still a bit tight. My kind of aroma therapy. Won't be tasting until this evening. I'll report back tomorrow.
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6/9/2022 - P.A. Cross wrote:
Deep dark red, gives way to notes of tobacco, cedar and crushed flowers. Structured and layered, notes of earthy dark fruit, fine grained oak, minerality, and graphite. Wood pencil shavings, but a richness that is very pleasant. Hard to resist it now with some air.
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5/26/2022 - gteran76 Likes this wine: 96 Points
Opened for 5 hours. Big wine, lots of dark fruits and minerals, the wine is complex and excellent finish.
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4/17/2022 - Darwine Likes this wine: 96 Points
A very beautiful wine. Had it with dinner of rabbit and lamb. Opened up nicely in 30 minutes. Nose of deep black cherry surrounded with graphite oak and tobacco. The palate was full of primarily black cherry and other dark fruit. The tannins were gentle but impressive with a nice finish of fruit, graphite, vanilla and some chocolate. Totally enjoyable wine.
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4/16/2022 - moega Likes this wine: 93 Points
decanted for about 2 hours, perhaps could've used another hour or so. Full-bodied wine as I've seen others describe, rich and smooth, not much tannin. Overall, this was excellent.
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1/15/2022 - JonathanFP Likes this wine: 96 Points
I am not generally a fan of California wines, but this is so big, full of dark flavors,
The wine looks garnet colored. The legs are slow. There is no sediment in the bottle.
It smells like red currant and prune. It tastes like black currant (cassis), fig, forest floor, honeysuckle and chocolate.
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12/25/2021 - Jerry 3 Likes this wine: 93 Points
Decanted two+ hours, big nose, elegant fruit including black berries and smooth finish . enjoyed with a tenderloin and fennel gratin potatoes.
still have one 2010 bottle left and plan to hold for another 1-2 years.
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12/24/2021 - ralaspech wrote: 94 Points
Decanted from bottle previously coravined for 1 glass. Decanted 1+ hours. Blackberry, cocoa, with earthy accents. Medium acidity. Resolving tannins. Nicely integrated and balanced. 93-94. Enjoyed with Sarah and Claire Christmas Eve. Preferred this slightly to the '16 Beringer PR cabernet.
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11/27/2021 - AllRed wrote: 91 Points
4th Saturday Group: Uptown Brown Bag: Double blind. Notes of green bell pepper, black and blue fruit. Full-bodied with fine, sweet tannin and flavors of black fruit dominating the palate. Good, if not particularly complex or exciting. (R&D)
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11/19/2021 - 87tellub Likes this wine: 92 Points
PnP and enjoyed over 2 nights.
Very dark in the glass, no sign of any bottle age here. First whiff gives off lightly sweet purple and black fruit, cigar box, black licorice, jam, light oak. Lovely texture on the entry. Quite silky, almost inky. Big finish. Loads of ripe blackberries. Cocoa. Pretty hedonistic.
Showed a slight bit of evolution on night 2, becoming a bit more earthy and savory.
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11/13/2021 - Motz wrote: 91 Points
Generally agree with Grinner's description of this wine, although I did not taste it on the second day. I would add that the blackberry lollipop element was quite goopy. Also, there was an oak-imparted, movie theater popcorn butter element that was decidedly off-putting. Tasted blind, I thought it could have been a New World styled Right Bank house (Saint-Émilion). By the style standards, rock solid. Otherwise, massively disappointing based on the wine's reputation, but I could have guessed that. (I had hoped for a style along the lines of the same vintage Opus One.) Drink anytime.
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11/6/2021 - Grinner wrote: 95 Points
The Nearly Annual Lyon 10 Year Retro Tasting (Lyon's Den): I knew this was the ringer in the flight but wasn't sure enough to call Insignia. Not their best but damn good! Jammy compared to the many "proper" wines this day, I wrote "blackberry lollipop"! Deep and dark with great fruit then herbal / minty / stony / mineral notes. The tannins were more obvious on day 2, "the iron fist is back": 95pts. Now-2026 would be best.
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9/4/2021 - michigan dogs Likes this wine: 97 Points
Took to dinner so the bottle just got a very short decant. Excellent. Exceeded my expectations and was the best Insignia I have had. So well balanced and smooth, in it's drinking window now!
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4/17/2021 - familydoc Likes this wine: 95 Points
decanted 1 hour, nice fruit, violets (floral), vanilla, some leather, delicious with a nice finish, this was a stellar wine.
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2/14/2021 - gteran76 Likes this wine: 92 Points
We left the bottle opened for over one hour and then decanted for around 30 min. Drinking nicely, not too complex right now, I think this wine is in sleeping face at the moment and should get to the level it belongs in 1-3 years.
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1/23/2021 - gew71walsh wrote: 93 Points
Decanted in bottle for two hours and then in decanter for one This probably does not need the air, but it works. Had with Seared Strip Steak, Cauliflower Puree and Roasted Cocoa Carrots while Zooming with Allie Phelps. This is beginning to develop its secondary characteristics. Dark berries, currants and some leathery aspects on the palate. Great balance with tannins in check. This will probably have another 4 or 5 years of life.
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1/19/2021 - Margaux Bro Likes this wine: 95 Points
Nice eucalyptus/menthol notes on the finish. Surprisingly approachable for a wine this young. I really enjoyed it.
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12/31/2020 - denniswdern@gmail.com Likes this wine: 94 Points
Delicious. Decanted for two hours before serving. Smooth, mocha and cedar notes.
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12/26/2020 - dfcrutcher Likes this wine: 96 Points
Great wine. Had with prime rib and creamed spinach, and boy was that good. Rich black color, smooth and unctuous with muted fruit on all levels of the palate. No evidence of fading.
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11/22/2020 - BRSAustinTex wrote: 93 Points
Delicious! Much more balance than I was expecting from this Napa delight. Wine of the night!
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11/14/2020 - Darwine Likes this wine: 96 Points
This wine is very complex. Nose of graphite and some small floral with dark fruit. The taste was a blast of dried dark fruit and an earthy essence - the tannins were very dry and soft. Black cherry was the fruit identified with a beautiful balance of tannins and earthy elements - long finish with its earthy elements of graphite and wet earth or concrete. Beautiful wine!! Opened up in the bottle in 40 minutes to me!
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9/18/2020 - AllRed wrote: 94 Points
3rd Friday Group: Uptown Brown Bag (R&D's): Double blind. Dark color. Aromas of chocolate, black fruit, herb and pine. Full-bodied. Chocolate and black fruit flavors. Doesn't change very much with air, it just becomes a bit more amplified. Well-balanced, with a long finish. Guessed 2010 Napa Bdx blend. (R&D)
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9/15/2020 - lion@corewines.com Likes this wine: 94 Points
What a beauty. Perfectly ripe now with a very long deep blue berry finish.
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9/4/2020 - MarshallLi Likes this wine: 95 Points
Deep ruby,pronounced strawberry,black cherry,green bell pepper,fennel,liquorice,ripe fruit,dried fruit,charred wood,smoke,chocolate,dry,high acidity,chalky high tannin,medium alcohol,full body,long finish,outstanding wine,suitable for bottle ageing
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8/28/2020 - Costes76 Likes this wine: 95 Points
Boom. Deep ruby color. Explosion of dried black fruit and heavy oak. Dry, mouth watering acidity, grippy tannins, taste of dried raisins, blackberry, vanilla, dark chocolate. Powerful body, above average balance (tart aftertaste) and long finish. 92 (Rank 3). GUESS Napa 10/ RESULT Napa Joseph Phelps Insignia 10 (Rank 1).
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8/21/2020 - jcampano Likes this wine: 94 Points
Wonderful floral aromatics with flavors of blackberry, plum and black cherry. Integrated layers of chocolate and firm tannins that take you through a 20-second finish. My last bottle unfortunately, but definitely a great vintage from Joseph Phelps Insignia.
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8/18/2020 - bigbass250 Likes this wine:
loved it brought to a sushi party at a friends house
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7/27/2020 - jjagtap wrote: 85 Points
Dark ruby red color. Long legs. New french oak evident. Hints of berries and tobaco. Some spice. Tannins are still grippy. Mid to high acid. More mod to back palate. Paired great with a steak. Fat definitely helped smooth it out. Needs more age for sure.
Second day, slightly better but overall i would say it disapoints. Its like you are really trying to make good wine and charge a fourtune but the terrior is not cooperating. You can’t make up terrior you have it or not. There is definitely lot better wine to be had for this price unless you want in your face high alcohol wine thats over ridden by new oak barrels. Its the lazy way out. Unfortunate and very disappointing.
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6/23/2020 - Keeping It Real wrote: 96 Points
Fantastic wine. Everything about it screams $$. Tannins still very prevalent at 10yrs of age. Big bold blackberry cassis, pepper, leather in the palate. Nice firm grip at the finish. A nose you can smell from across the room. A spectacular performance. Got better with time.
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6/19/2020 - garrigue65 Likes this wine: 93 Points
A big muscular California icon. Two hour decant and consumed. Seriously better day two. Very fruit forward with chewy tannins. On day two developed many stunning secondary characteristics Red fruit up front, with hints of pencil shavings and cigar box notes. The finish became long with the tannins giving way to tobacco, leather and alluvial notes. Probably can cellar for another fifteen years. I would wait to open another bottle.
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5/15/2020 - bigbass250 Likes this wine:
Not sure you can say anything about this wine that hasn't already been said, just pure magic though I do think it should be drunk all in one sitting, as later in the 2nd night taste started to change a bit.
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4/25/2020 - markcic Likes this wine: 94 Points
Opened and slow ox'd for four hours then decanted using a vinturi and let it sit for another two hours. Dark fruit and coffee on the nose. The palate is dark berries, plums, cassis, figs and coffee. The finish is full and long. Getting better with age. I have one bottle of the 2010 left and am going to let it rest for a few more years before I open it.
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3/22/2020 - Markie_Sharkie wrote:
Very good wine that got better after a couple hour decant. Very smooth in the mouth, tannins still present to give body but smooth. Dark purple color. Dark fruit, currant, cocoa, slight tobacco. Good acidity that went well with grilled steak. Medium-long finish.
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2/12/2020 - Topsoil Likes this wine: 96 Points
Could easily age another 10 years. Everything pristine about the bottle right down to the cork. Opened up nicely within a few hours without decanting. Dark berry fruit dominates and balanced with an acid finish while tannins become more obvious with each taste. Very complex. Black currant is the predominate berry fruit which is accented with pops of graphite, green pepper and latent tobacco well after the anticipated finish.
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1/19/2020 - chanukha Likes this wine: 94 Points
Insignia never disappoints. Drank together with Corison Kronos of the same vintage. Insignia showed more fruit perfectly balanced. Corison just a tad funky in a good way. Best of California blends.
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12/27/2019 - Rgentile wrote: 92 Points
decanted about 4hrs and enjoyed over Christmas dinner of roasted beef tenderloin. Paired well with the food, dark fruits some wood toast and still drying on the long finish. Well done. Can be accessed today if decanted but some more time in the cellar may be worth it.
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10/1/2019 - EM_MB wrote: 92 Points
One hour decant. Checked all the boxes, very good but no real wow factor. Just a bit boring.
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8/7/2019 - jcampano Likes this wine: 95 Points
Decanted for 90 minutes and drank over the next 90. Deep purple in color with floral aromatics mixed with dark fruit and light oak. Balanced and silky smooth flavors of blackberries, plums, black cherries and chocolate. This wine got better with time in the decanter. Will save my last bottle for 2021 or after.
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7/6/2019 - markcic Likes this wine: 94 Points
It has been 2 years since I last tried a bottle. Dark fruit with hints of coffee on the nose. The palate was dark berries, plums, figs and coffee. The finish was smooth. My fried Michael was saying the wine was still to young and has a long way to go. Also it was up against some heavy competition last night as the group (there were ten of us) drank an Audentia, a Realm BTK (the star of the show), and a Nicolas Catena Zapata all from the 2010 vintage along with some assorted whites.
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6/18/2019 - PolarBear22 wrote: 97 Points
Score may reflect some personal preference. Deep dark color throughout. Nose showed dark fruits, cocoa and light tobacco. Tannins were plentiful, but smooth. Dark fruit continues on the palate with cherry coming through. Some tobacco and graphite. I even got a hint of Concord grape. And the finish was very long. First taste made me go back after five minutes and it finally faded. Wonderful wine, everything I wanted in Cab that night b
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1/31/2019 - chanukha Likes this wine: 94 Points
Wow. Just powerful but so balanced.
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1/1/2019 - Millennial Drinkers wrote: 93 Points
Deep ruby red. Dark nose with cocoa, cinnamon, a bit herbal, cassis, light graphite and smoke. Medium plus tannins (7/10) and well integrated with a medium plus body. Really grips the back and sides of your mouth, even with two days being open. Layered flavors of smokiness, black currants, bramble, wood and black cherries. Long finish. Drink till 2030.
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12/17/2018 - dlcass Likes this wine: 94 Points
Delayed entry. Youthful in character-- would benefit from significant decant. Rather smooth with more subtle characteristics of blackberry, chocolate, dried flowers. Reasonable mouthfeel and finish. Perhaps, not as interesting as I'd hoped.
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9/9/2018 - webbaker Likes this wine: 97 Points
Very impressive. More recent vintages have been excessively jammy, but not here. Tannins still pretty grippy. Tons of depth without being excessively fruity. Could do with even more cellar time.
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8/19/2018 - EricLi wrote: 95 Points
Much better showing than last bottle. Will be benifited with some decant to open it up. Drink or hold.
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8/2/2018 - jimyeni Likes this wine: 92 Points
Decanted, drank over 4 hours, opened up nicely in the last hour. Beautiful nose, violets, cherry, sweet tobacco. Well balanced on the palate, great middle through a long, elegant finish. Showed quite nicely. Slight herbal/bell pepper notes knocked this down a point relative to my palate. Very good with a steak dinner at El Gaucho, the style and time in the bottle made it work well with food.
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5/31/2018 - jcampano wrote: 92 Points
Decanted for over 2 hours, this bottle of Insignia was still more tight than I expected. The nose was of ripe cherry and blueberry fruit. Plum and currant flavors with licorice. The finish was not as smooth as I prefer, but may be great in another 2-3 years.
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5/2/2018 - gew71walsh wrote: 95 Points
A big, fully integrated wine. Blackberries, mocha, dried currant and cedar. Long, lingering finish. First of four bottles. Will keep others for future evolution, but this drinks superbly now. Paired with spice rubbed rib eyes.
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4/15/2018 - cab blends wrote: 94 Points
PnP. a light stinky cellar nose which I don't remember on an Insignia.
Nicely integrated and dry as expected (not overly dry) N7 F5 D6 B6 F8
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4/15/2018 - Millennial Drinkers wrote: 93 Points
Deep and dark ruby red. Tight and stinky on the nose with a touch of pencil shavings, iron and dark berries. Well rounded even out of a coravin with medium plus tannins (7.5/10) and full bodied. Lush and dry palate with dark berries, dark cocoa, spices and gravel. Long and lingering finish. Drink till 2026.
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12/25/2017 - EricLi wrote: 90 Points
Too young. Only get some hints what is yet to come. Lay down for at least 3 years.
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11/27/2017 - xboomer wrote: 94 Points
Absolutely delicious. One of my favorite Red wines.
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7/14/2017 - wine4lux Likes this wine: 93 Points
Had with friends along with a Kathryn Hall 2011 Diamond Mt. cabernet. The Insignia is deep purple in color, with black fruit on the nose. On the palate, the black fruits remain and are joined by dark chocolate and smoky notes. Solid and enjoyable, but I expected more of a "wow". The others in the group generally preferred the K Hall, which at this time, is the bigger, more muscular wine. Opened about an hour before serving, I would let the remaining bottles that I have spend more time before I serve.
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7/7/2017 - clugodmd Likes this wine: 92 Points
Jam, berry overtones, still very powerful without tannins at the end.
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7/5/2017 - haluyoung wrote: 91 Points
香气很强，离开酒杯几十公分都能闻到，虽然浓郁但却并不太复杂。单宁重，口感并不算太出色，过几年会更好。
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7/1/2017 - markcic Likes this wine: 94 Points
Time is working its magic and what a difference a year makes. We have not consumed a bottle since memorial day 2016. I slow ox'd the bottle for 6 hours and then decanted through a vinturi. It sat in the decanter another hour while we drank some chardonnay and started on the 2012 Realm Bard. The nose is dark fruit with perhaps a touch of wood. The palate was now more vibrant with dark berries, plums, olive, raisin and fig with a touch of oak. The finish was long and brought out hints of coffee. Last year I was stretching to give it a 93 and this year it almost got to a 95. I think what held it back was we drank it against a 2012 Realm Bard and that was a 95 almost a 96. Definitely will be interesting to see how it develops over the next few years. 94+
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3/29/2017 - andrewdl Likes this wine: 97 Points
Massive fruit bomb. Incredible fruit.
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3/27/2017 - Dasher wrote: 94 Points
Good but not the best I have had from JP.
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2/12/2017 - wineotim Likes this wine: 94 Points
Opened this for my birthday. As many other CT reviewers have already said...this was more approachable than most vintages. It was practically pop n pour ready. Lots of typical Phelps oak and creme de cassis on the palate. Finishes with light to medium tannin. It's already very enjoyable but will gain some complexity down the road.
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12/1/2016 - DrinkEverything702 wrote: 94 Points
This vintage seems to need more time in the bottle than previous vintages I have had. If you must drink it soon, definitely decant whole heartedly. I would not open this for another 5-8 years though. Not showing half the potential it has to offer.
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8/23/2016 - pozzo5 Does not like this wine: 83 Points
I have enjoyed other vintages of this wine but the 2010 was a huge disappointment. No fruit on the first day and no improvement on the second. My wife disliked it also.
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5/31/2016 - ElSol Likes this wine: 93 Points
I bought this in an auction after being blown away by the 2013 in a tasting at the J Phelps vineyard. In the meantime, I've got the 2013 on order. This vintage didn't seem as strong as I remember the 2013. Nonetheless, it was delicious and paired extremely well with fillet mignon and roast vegetables. Its a big wine with delicious dark fruits, integrated tannins, dense, dark & opaque. Its not subtle, and has a nice long finish.
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5/28/2016 - markcic Likes this wine: 93 Points
Again while better than it was 6 months ago when I last tried a bottle I cannot see the 94 and higher given this wine. We drank it alongside a 2009 Beringer Private Reserve Cabernet and personally I like the Beringer better. The nose on the Insignia was dark fruit, the palate again as blueberry, raisin and mocha. It was a long finish. The only reason that I am upping my score to a 93 as my friends who shared the bottle really were enamored by it, I would have kept it at a 92. As I said last November, I have had better wines and a much lower price point.
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3/12/2016 - fritza wrote: 93 Points
84% Cabernet Sauvignon, 10% Petit Verdot and the rest Merlot and Malbec. Intense on the nose with of cedar and forest floor, black currants, blackberries, and subtle smoke. On the palate it is smooth, big and rich, with soft tannins. still has a bit of acidity which should mellow over time. We had the 2006 Signorello Padrone the night before which was only slightly better, but this Insignia will only improve with age.
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2/18/2016 - jeffm_fla Likes this wine: 93 Points
Drank at same dinner as SMHALPS. This wine is a big, tannic monster, but with great fruit and brooding depth. I generally like to drink wine young, but this one really needs a couple more years to come into its own. I expect the score will be much higher when I revisit this beauty.
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2/17/2016 - SMHalps Likes this wine: 94 Points
Vintage Comparison 2011 vs. 2010 Napa Cabernet Sauvignons (83 1/2 Restaurant, 345 E. 83rd Street, NY, NY 10028): Had this at a 2011 vs. 2010 Napa Cabernet Sauvignon tasting dinner.
This was so much better than its 2011 counterpart that it was almost hard to believe it was the same producer. My WOTN. A lot going on here, and it will continue to get better with age, if you can stand to wait!
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2/13/2016 - rlove wrote: 92 Points
Inky purple in color. The rich nose shows plum, black currant, graphite, and mocha. Dark fruit, florals, and chocolate on the palate leads to a 60+ second finish, although it offers a slightly bitter, metallic note. Sweet, decadent, and intense without being overripe. 84% Cabernet Sauvignon, 10% Petit Verdot, 4% Merlot, 2% Malbec. Drink starting 2020.
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12/31/2015 - brianofthevine wrote: 90 Points
Red and black cherry with tar and licorice notes. Firm chewy tannins right now (as expected). Definitely needs to sit a few years.
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11/15/2015 - markcic Likes this wine: 92 Points
I opened and let it sit for three hours then decanted through an aerator, almost purple in color, nose of dark sweet fruit, the palate was blueberry, raisins and mocha, the finish was long and full. It is a very good wine but unless time helps our I don't see the 94's and 95's or the 96+ given by Vinous. As someone else wrote I have had better at a lot lower price point.
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6/20/2015 - Francois Le Mouel Likes this wine: 94 Points
Very intense and rich, but without being heavy. Perfect tannic structure, with aromas of violet blackberries, tar and notes of violet (petit verdot). Still extremely young, will probably be at its peak in 10-20 years. In a way, similar to the 2005 Lafite-Rotschild I had this week. Grand vin...just not ready yet.
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4/15/2015 - Life At Your Leisure 🍷 Likes this wine: 97 Points
Opaque purple color with a grainy violet rim. The nose is highly effervescent with fumes of chocolate-coated dark berries, liqueur, raisin, and vanilla. The palate is full-bodied with an ultra-velvety texture. Flavors of blackberry, blueberry compote, dark cherry, cardamom, spice, dark chocolate, espresso and tobacco notes. Finishes for 40 seconds with hints of pepper, scorched earth and smoke. Joseph Phelps has really come through in this terrific vintage. Very decadent, hedonistic, supple and hearty; powerful but polished. Drink now with a 2-hr. decant until 2030.
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4/11/2015 - Thirsty1 Likes this wine:
Fantastic. Sweet dark fruit. Great depth. Never disappoints.
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4/4/2015 - Brichardson001 Likes this wine: 98 Points
Decanted 1.5 hours, opened up but needed more time. Still spectacular wine that opens with smoke leading into fresh cherry aroma. Wet stone and earth on the nose as well.
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11/24/2014 - smileBD Likes this wine: 93 Points
We did a small taste with my Coravin & let the glass decant for 2 hours. The 3 of us that each had a 2oz taste thought it was fantastic. Deep black'ish- purple in color, Rich subtle layers, smokey under taste & the fruit came out on top as it aerated & opened up. Laying this down for another year or so but even young you can taste the excellence. Decant if opening in the next few years & you won't be disappointed!
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11/7/2014 - Medicusa79 Likes this wine: 93 Points
This bottle, 10' Insgnia, reminded me of a lesson I once learned about the "Napa Valley Consensus." The idea was that within the Napa Valley, winemakers used the same base line practices in wine making, but tweaked them along the way to distinguish their wines. You can taste this idea in every tasting room along the Silverado trail, from Oakville to St. Helena, to Callistoga and beyond. The 2010 Insignia is a signature, a stamp, of this consensus. This Cab taste like Napa......
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10/20/2014 - Wicked Panda wrote: 84 Points
Just don't see it. Have had better for a lot less.
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9/21/2014 - thi nguyen Likes this wine: 92 Points
Need 3 hour or more decant .after 4 hour wine open up black fruit mocha . And some kind like fresh vegetables bell pepper celery .tanning chewy and sweet good mid finish .but I think need more time still young .is it
worth for 180 buck No . May be in next 5 year
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9/20/2014 - vln626 Likes this wine: 92 Points
Very smooth
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9/13/2014 - ebad wrote:
Did a blind taste test and it won hands down.
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9/10/2014 - Glenn92 Likes this wine: 92 Points
Wonderful inky color with classic cabernet nose. Easy spices with pepper. Cherry notes with good wood across the palate. Good spices. Wants a heavy BBQ. Will go with many different spice meal. Young but really nice.
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8/27/2014 - Jbod wrote: 93 Points
Fantastic bottle! Needs to open up and need to leave on the shelf for 4/5 years! Can't wait two left! Incredible wine with my lover!
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7/28/2014 - buckeye76 wrote: 94 Points
RICH FRUIT IN THE NOSE AND FLAVOR, BLACK CURRANTS AND BLACKBERRIES WITH HINTS OF LICORICE AND CHOCOLATE. COMPLEX WINE WITH A LONG FINISH.
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6/3/2014 - Racer117 Likes this wine:
Tasted blind: "Very dark; soft muted nose; tannic! with cocoa and coffee; unbridled acidity, young and expensive. Hot." Easily my favorite in a blind Cabernet Sauvignon tasting. Most expensive by far. What can I say, I'm not a cheap date.
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5/24/2014 - slywka7 Likes this wine: 92 Points
Aged Bordeaux, Cali Cabs and more with the Benchmark Wine Group in Greenwich (The Ginger Man in Greenwich, CT): This was brought out at the end of the night and was a pop and pour. Very difficult to judge this wine because it clearly required a few hours of air to really open up. Almost a waste. Still always a treat to try the Insignia. Didn't get a whole lot of fruit on this, which could be a result of not enough air. Basically shut down. Not a lot on the nose either. This is going to require a lot of time to come around. Still, wine exhibited nice balance and good structure. Just needs some patience either in the cellar or decanter.
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5/20/2014 - RayOB wrote: 93 Points
Drank at Joseph Phelps Dinner
Still very young but this has the beginning of a classic wine. Rich deep and brooding. Need to come back in 5 years.
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5/12/2014 - webbaker Likes this wine: 95 Points
Multiple tastings with consistent notes. Dark rich fruit flavors, touches of esters. Opened up after 24 hours in the decanter.
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4/21/2014 - webbaker Likes this wine: 95 Points
Second tasting with consistent notes. Typical Insignia profile, dark rich fruit flavors, but not a blockbuster.
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4/19/2014 - Jbod wrote: 94 Points
Incredible incredible incredible!
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3/24/2014 - wren460 Likes this wine: 93 Points
I got lots and lots of coffee on the nose along with black fruit and to some extent forest flor. The wine I found it extremely balanced and although it is definitely a Napa style wine, I found it a Little bit vegetal. It is a very good wine although not excellent for me. The QPR is below normal , if this wine were $120-$130 it would be in a sweet spot for me.
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3/17/2014 - webbaker Likes this wine: 95 Points
Decanted about 10 hours then consumed over the next 5. Very small amount of very fine sediment. Surprisingly soft and approachable (that's for you, Dace) at this early age. Typical Insignia profile, nice fruit flavors, very enjoyable, but you have to wonder if it is really worth the price.
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3/10/2014 - NostraBacchus Likes this wine: 97 Points
Tasted at Joseph Phelps (Freestone): Deep dark purple. Amazing nose of black currant, dark berries, sweet spices, minerals, coffee. Full bodied and very dense. Medium- high acidity with medium- high tannin. Great complexity and beautiful freshness. Amazing length. This is a super complex Insignia with great concentration, balance and length. From my perspective, it's always one of the best Wines of Napa Valley and 2010 is one of the best vintages I have had in a while. Love it!
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3/2/2014 - bugdoced wrote: 92 Points
had a week ago so no formal notes except it was terrific
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2/3/2014 - Jeff Leve wrote: 95 Points
Tight, this needs air, decanting or both, before it once again offers its sweet, blackberry jam, licorice, oak and vanilla tinged fruits. Soft, polished and round, the end notes deliver plums, blackberry and cocoa powder. I'd wait 3-5 years before popping a bottle.
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1/7/2014 - jorge48 Likes this wine: 92 Points
Popped and poured this beauty accompanied by rib-eye steak. Expected this to be archetypical big Napa cab and was not disappointed. The aroma alone will smack you in the face with jammy red fruit, tobacco spice (one taster was reminded of smell of blood!) Almost as powerful in the mouth and very unctuous, with similar strains of spice, leather, tobacco. For me, not quite as remarkable as Caymus SS, but same league. Some in our party found it too intense. With steak, however, it meshed beautifully.
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12/31/2013 - JMLoree Likes this wine: 90 Points
Far from JPV's best effort ever (at least as it drinks for now), this wine is best left to age for 3 to 5 years before trying again. Much thinner and less refined than most vintages.
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12/27/2013 - affordableCollector wrote: 91 Points
dark red body, purple rim, in the color. dark fruit, blackberry, blueberry, plum, floral, sweet, vegetative, spice, pepper, saline, oak, on the nose. medium acid, high tannins, on a cherry filled finish.
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12/18/2013 - raypedia Likes this wine: 90 Points
Tasted at a Joseph Phelps tasting at Artisan Wine Depot in Los Altos, CA. Dark, nearly opaque garnet. Nose of black currants, blackberries, and a graphite quality (like a broken pencil), along with some forest floor. Full bodied, black fruit notes with good acidity to balance. Tannins are still grippy but beginning to integrate. I'd put this away for several years but would expect it to improve for as much as 10+ years.
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11/23/2013 - affordableCollector wrote: 90 Points
dark red, in color. blackberry, blueberry, currants, floral, earth, forest floor, spice, oak, on the nose. medium acid, high tannins, on the finish.
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11/16/2013 - Jeff Leve wrote: 96 Points
Phelps Insignia is the most consistent, high scoring, Cabernet Sauvignon from the Napa Valley for the last 20 years. 2010 continues that trend with its deep color, smoky black fruits, licorice, jammy berries, truffle and earthy style. Long, fat, rich and intense, this can be enjoyed young, if you prefer primary fruit, or you can it age it for decades.
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11/14/2013 - yofog wrote: 91 Points
Heavier and less exciting than the 08, this has a thick, liqueur-like quality, but it's not necessarily sweet or over the top...there's some freshness here, and it may turn out fantastic.
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11/2/2013 - sdwineguru Likes this wine: 93 Points
Darkest purple; big Cabernet and berry nose (84% Cabernet, 10 Petite Verdot, 3 Merlot, 3 Malbec); big tannins; intense fruit; tight from start to finish; needs five to 10 years. w/beef
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10/27/2013 - joekroe Does not like this wine: 86 Points
This wine was pure, unadulterated, concentrated tannin. The dark fruits and cassis were hidden under layer after layer of tannin. Not my style, and not sure how this wine could ever integrate these tannins before the fruits waste away. People love this wine, so apparently it will or else my style is not "people's style"
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10/27/2013 - jnewman77 wrote:
Pure fruit notes initially with cassis, dark cherry, menthol, tar. The tannins here are better integrated. The palate is ultra-concentrated with a long finish. A bit, plush, concentrated wine that is well made and with time will probably be quite good.
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10/25/2013 - Bandreas wrote: 87 Points
Tasted at the 2013 New York Wine Experience
Dark red color, quite impenetrable.
on nose some whiff of phenols, on palate at first quite round, then come the tannins.
Still very closed. Should turn into a nice bottle in 7+ years
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10/19/2013 - RickyT12 Likes this wine: 93 Points
Had at a JP dinner. Really tight nose. Smooth light raspberry. Dark chocolate raspberry liked dipped fruit in chocolate. Dark cherry nose. Very perfumie nose. Dry tannins, good flavors. A bit tight on the end . Mellow fruit really nice strong acid. I think I prefer some of the older vintages.
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10/19/2013 - SonnyChiba wrote: 93 Points
Tasted at Joseph Phelps dinner. 93-94 pts. Another great Insignia that needs some serious time to fully develop. For now, it is still excellent, and has a tremendously concentrated and rich taste of dark chocolate, raisins and black currant, some blueberry jam, black licorice. As always, very well made, delicious, and one of my favorite wines from California.
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10/6/2013 - T.O.Wineaux Likes this wine: 94 Points
Tasted at the cabfest at the Winehouse in LA...a step above most other wines tasted including Pineridge Fortis, Hillside Select (2009) and La Verite (the Dominus Estate was just as good) Deep, dark red and black fruit on the palate with an amazing structure and long finish. Excellent wine!!!!
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10/3/2013 - walkerjfw wrote: 90 Points
At Gary's tasting, finished the Phelps flight with the 2010, drank right after the 09. Similar charchterisitics, with a little eucalypts on the nose that I didnt pick up on the 09. Aromotic, dark fruits. A lighter mouthfeel than the 09.
Blackberry, currant, chocolate, espresso. Very nice wine, approachable now. I suspect not as long-lived as most Phelps wines
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4/24/2013 - d'Artagnan wrote: 90 Points
À l'aveugle.
Un nez mentholé, de fruit noir, qui évoque le nouveau Monde. La bouche est ronde et très mûre, veloutée, moderne. Un peu trop maquillé a mon goût, mais je reconnais une qualité de tanins admirable. Bien fait, mais d'une richesse qui me lasse un peu. 90 pts
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5/18/2012 - AlexHop wrote:
Sweet nose. Cassis & espresso flavors. Long finish. Tasted at Insignia Day 2012 (some of my notes were damaged)
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