Haven’t tried this since 2020. This bottle was silky smooth and wonderfully mellow, but very enjoyable. It did not have the personality I remember from last time, either on the nose or palate, but was fantastic for a 20 yr old. For those of you with multiple bottles remaining I would try soon and determine for yourself where you think this is going. For my last bottle I think I will uncork within the next 2 years. Posted a new photo.
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One of the best napa wines I've had in some time and up there with the very best. Everything about this wine is pure and classic Oakville. Lots of life still left in the tank but excellent today
Initial decant of 2 1/2 hours. Held up nicely. Purple fruit and dark cherry… a little tobacco on the finish Fine grain and fully integrated tannins Easy to enjoy … and great with a medium rare filet with wild mushroom bordelaise.
Finish second half the next day and enjoyed just the same.
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One of the best wines I've ever had from the Oakville region and in general. Sweet cassis with a suave mouthfeel and long but semi sweet finish. Truly a spectacular wine in all aspects.
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Purple black and bold, much like a younger Malbec, this wine was dense and concentrated with a youthful core of blackberry, cedar, smoke and licorice. 5-7 good years of life left, will try again in 2024.
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A beautiful wine- hitting its stride now!! A full bodied wine with a nose of sweet floral, dark fruit and some oak. Flavors were full of fruit - black cherry and a load of plum. The finish was long and gentle with dark fruit and a sweet spice. Had it with a great ribeye which made this wine spectacular!!
I'm drinking my first Backus with a friend tomorrow over steaks. I have one of each bottle from 1997-2016. Planning on giving it 4+ hours of airtime. I'll probably open the bottle around noon and start a decant around 3. Open to thoughts ahead of time! I'll post after.
- Punted dinner to next day. - pulled cork @1. Noticed cork was very soft on putting in the cork screw. Despite being very careful, cork broke. - The immediate nose on this thing is MASSIVE. I won't taste yet. Just going to enjoy the bouquet the next few hours as I work some work done. :) I'll taste and consider decanting around 3.
Opened at noon and decanted for 30 min to be consumed around 2pm for lunch. This bottle is in a beautiful stage right now, it’s unbelievable balanced and complex. Mocha, tabaco, a hint of vanilla and jazmin. The mouthfeel is superb and let you begging for more. Very fair finish.
You can drink this now but will keep on going for at least 10 more years.
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The oak is a little pronounced at first but mellows with exposure to O2. Beautiful cherries and plum on the palate. Great mouth feel, rich and velvety tannins. Seriously long finish. Outstanding Napa cab! Stunner right now, though it can still benefit from a couple more years in the cellar. Drinks wonderful now with a nice decant (2-3 hrs) .
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Excellent cab, nicely balanced with great mouthfeel and long finish. Acidity, fruit, tannins all at just the right levels for my cab palate. Decanted for an hour before drinking which was just about right. Based on the single bottle I had in my cellar, I would say this wine is at its peak. Can't see it getting better so drink up.
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100% estate-grown Cabernet from Backus Vineyard in Oakville--across the Silverado Trail from Tench and Rudd. Aged 23 months in new French oak (Taransaud, Dargaud, Jaegle and Darnajou). 14.6% ABV. I let it breathe for an hour then drank over next 2.5. Lots of black cherry / dark fruit on the nose. Full bodied, with mellowed tannins. Excellent acidity levels. Ripe, but more elegant than powerful. Has a long, juicy finish.
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Paired with Fillet Mignon main, this is in my wheelhouse of wines I like. It is full bodied, rich yet not overripe, smooth, lots of rich blackberry and cherry, with mild tannins that complemented. 1 hour decant and consumed over 2 1/2 hours....got better and better. Glad I have a few left.
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Coming around nicely. Still has a little of the sweetness of its younger self. Be interesting to see how that develops with more time. You can tell this was a big fat baby when it was released but it is aging nicely.
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What a special treat this was after a rather long wine hiatus. No formal notes, but the 04 Backus is silky smooth and rife with gorgeous and compelling aromas and flavors. I would say this wine has many years ahead but is in prime form now.
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This is totally ready to drink but no hurry. Drank over 2 days. Really good, great balance, not excessive in any particular way - good acidity balancing tannins that are mature, dark elements offset by fruit, etc.
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Decanted 3 hours. Had with Filet Mignon. Perfect match. Beautiful dark ruby almost violet color. Nose of dark fruit and currant. A hint of eucalyptus. Beautiful, elegant wine with dark chocolate notes. Silky smooth tannins still evident. Great finish leaves you wanting more. Though already 11 years old, seems as though this could easily go another 5 and be just as great. Compares very favorably to Insignia, which is a personal favorite.
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Tasted on its own, with some steak, and if I liked this kind of wine, I could probably see the virtue of it. But tasted alongside 08 Ducru-Beau. it was a bit ridiculous. Simple, overwhelmingly oaky, sugary, superficial. Two thumbs down from the whole table.
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Excellent! Tobacco, leather, currant and dark fruits. Perfect color. Decanted for about an hour, this wine was perfectly balanced, fruit and tannins well integrated. At peak, but will likely remain there for several more years. A true gem.
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Some glycerin on the nose along with cassis. This is a very integrated effort. Great sweetness and acidity mixed with very smooth tannins. This wine is plush with a great vanilla and current taste profile. The finish is long and lush. A fantastic effort.....
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Popped and v'd. Nice nose, but lacking a bit initially. Great color and legs. Tannins there a bit. Opened up, but slowly. Had an 02 a year or so ago and was best on day 3. Maybe they need to be decanted for a few days!! Good wine, confusing with price point.
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Fragrant red and black plum, cocoa, also on the nose. Evident ripeness on the nose here. Black plum flavors are intensely structured, some black currant pucker on the corners of the mouth, blackberry on the midpalate, and sweet black licorice on the finish. This starts very ripe, but stiffens up on the mid-palate. A lot of structure to resolve here, so if you are holding out, I would suggest more time (a couple years, at least).
The score I gave could prove absolutely conservative, because there is clearly an exceptional depth to the material, but also tannin to burn.
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Backus vs. Insignia (Atheneum Intercontinental Hotel, Athens, Greece.): Fantastic cab. Very dark purple. Complex nose of dark chocolate, dark berries, plums and sweet oak. Full-bodied, dense, with firm tannins of excellent quality, ripe but by no means stewed fruit and balancing acidity Very long aftertaste. Needs another 5 years to reach its peak but can be already enjoyed with a richly sauced meat dish.
(Deals/Genka Gastronomy Fair, J. Phelps Backus & Insignia mini vertical, Intercontinental Hotel) This is a blend of 96% CS, 3% Petit Verdot, 1% Malbec, fermentation in inox tanks and then 23 months ageing, total production 18.000 btl. The nose is complex, beautiful with ripe red and black cherries fighting each other, slightly herbal notes (by no means negative though). The oak has not been intergrated yet, hints of toast. The palate moves within the same lines, warm, intense and ripe, slightly drying tannins but it could my mouth trying to adjust, fat, concentrated and medium to long aftertaste. It still feels so young. A big life ahead of it and maybe 1-2 points to be had in the future (if I even have the chance of trying it again!)
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Nice body and color. After 20 minutes of breathing the wine was soft. Flavors of berries and earth tones from start to finish. Very nice drink, drinking at its prime now but will last a few more years.
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Masterful cab, starting to enter its prime. Did not have a decanter so popped and let sit for a few hours before serving with hickory bacon wrapped fillet. Nose was quite open after two hours, flavor was smooth fruit, almost like it was wrapped in milk chocolate, with extremely fine tannins and no bite at all and a lengthy finish. A treat and this is only the beginning!
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Outstanding wine. Drank while on heli ski trip. Had it with lamb chops and lentils. Pared wonderfully. Big nose and great finish. Did not stan up however to the Insignia that we had the night before.
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This is a very nice feminine wine. It has nice red fruits, that are open, and not too much tannin. It is a very approachable wine, with strawberry notes. It is ready now, and I don't think has the stuffing for beyond another 3-4 years. Drink up. You will enjoy now.
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Easter Sunday Dinner started with 05 Sobon Estate Zin, followed by 05 Cliff Lede Cab then 04 JP - Bacus. The Zin was a nice start lighter in body, good fruit went down very easy. The wine has held up well and good for another year or so. The Cliff Lede was served just before and during dinner. A bigger wine, nice color, full body cab. Many nice flavors from start to finish. The Backus durring and after dinner. Slightly bigger than the Cliff Lede wine, drinking very well able to age another two to four years with ease. The last two wines were equally enjoyable but I say the backus the ability to age longer.
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Drank with Pat and Trina, the wine is drinking really well and will get better. This is soft, complex and delicious! What sets this apart is the balance from start to finish. Soft dark fruit begining, suttle oak finish that stays for a while after finishing.
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Decanted. This is an amazing wine. Lush, silky and balanced. Deep purplish-red in color. Starts out with aromas of cinnamon, spice, charcoal, pine/cedar and cocoa dust. On the palette got buttery caramel, cherry cola, ripe dark fruit with hints of cedar and vanilla. Not overly oaked. More fruit became present after it was open for an hour or so. Long finish. Medium-fine tannins. Approachable now but will definitely benefit from a few years in bottle.
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Still a youngster, this wine smelled of deep dark raspberry, blackberry, and currant, and the taste was round and full bodied, with austere tannin structure, and a large mouthfeel which was highlighted by cassis, vanilla oak, coffee and mocha nuances, and some slight dusty minerality. Finish was long. Might wait a year or two before the next one.
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This wine continues to impress. The subtlety and elegance of this single vineyard, unreleased cab from Phelps is long, balanced, and extremely understated, especially from Napa in 04. Really a surprise.
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The 2004 Backus reveals generous flavors of dark fruit, black currant, graphite, baking spices, liquid mineral and dark rich chocolate. The wine lingers on the palate, is full of supple tannins and ends with a brilliant finish. An inky/purple color is followed by a big, oulent, full throtle bouquet of graphite, blackberries and acacia flowers. With fabulous fruit purity, richness, annd a savory expansive, full-bodied mouthfeel.
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Thought this was excellent. While austere, it still offered lots of vibrant fruit, hints of black tar, slate, and cedar. Lively acidity will give this some ageability. Will improve with bottle time.
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2/17/2024 - WineWright Likes this wine: 94 Points
Haven’t tried this since 2020. This bottle was silky smooth and wonderfully mellow, but very enjoyable. It did not have the personality I remember from last time, either on the nose or palate, but was fantastic for a 20 yr old. For those of you with multiple bottles remaining I would try soon and determine for yourself where you think this is going. For my last bottle I think I will uncork within the next 2 years. Posted a new photo.
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6/12/2023 - El Gato wrote:
Really really good and well worth the wait.
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8/13/2022 - tunaguy Likes this wine: 96 Points
One of the best napa wines I've had in some time and up there with the very best. Everything about this wine is pure and classic Oakville. Lots of life still left in the tank but excellent today
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8/6/2022 - Ecoenophile wrote: 93 Points
Initial decant of 2 1/2 hours. Held up nicely. Purple fruit and dark cherry… a little tobacco on the finish Fine grain and fully integrated tannins Easy to enjoy … and great with a medium rare filet with wild mushroom bordelaise.
Finish second half the next day and enjoyed just the same.
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7/2/2022 - gymnastpro wrote: 97 Points
One of the best wines I've ever had from the Oakville region and in general. Sweet cassis with a suave mouthfeel and long but semi sweet finish. Truly a spectacular wine in all aspects.
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4/6/2022 - Winedad53 wrote: 93 Points
Purple black and bold, much like a younger Malbec, this wine was dense and concentrated with a youthful core of blackberry, cedar, smoke and licorice. 5-7 good years of life left, will try again in 2024.
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12/24/2021 - Darwine Likes this wine: 96 Points
A beautiful wine- hitting its stride now!! A full bodied wine with a nose of sweet floral, dark fruit and some oak. Flavors were full of fruit - black cherry and a load of plum. The finish was long and gentle with dark fruit and a sweet spice. Had it with a great ribeye which made this wine spectacular!!
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11/17/2021 - JJN Likes this wine: 93 Points
Fruity. Not as much depth as I had hoped
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7/9/2021 - sfbikeguy Likes this wine:
I'm drinking my first Backus with a friend tomorrow over steaks. I have one of each bottle from 1997-2016. Planning on giving it 4+ hours of airtime. I'll probably open the bottle around noon and start a decant around 3. Open to thoughts ahead of time! I'll post after.
- Punted dinner to next day.
- pulled cork @1. Noticed cork was very soft on putting in the cork screw. Despite being very careful, cork broke.
- The immediate nose on this thing is MASSIVE. I won't taste yet. Just going to enjoy the bouquet the next few hours as I work some work done. :) I'll taste and consider decanting around 3.
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11/13/2020 - WineWright Likes this wine: 97 Points
This was so smooth and pure. Stellar, with room to run. Posted a new photo.
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7/7/2020 - gteran76 Likes this wine: 97 Points
Opened at noon and decanted for 30 min to be consumed around 2pm for lunch. This bottle is in a beautiful stage right now, it’s unbelievable balanced and complex. Mocha, tabaco, a hint of vanilla and jazmin. The mouthfeel is superb and let you begging for more. Very fair finish.
You can drink this now but will keep on going for at least 10 more years.
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5/14/2020 - DWStyle Likes this wine: 96 Points
The oak is a little pronounced at first but mellows with exposure to O2. Beautiful cherries and plum on the palate. Great mouth feel, rich and velvety tannins. Seriously long finish. Outstanding Napa cab! Stunner right now, though it can still benefit from a couple more years in the cellar. Drinks wonderful now with a nice decant (2-3 hrs) .
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8/6/2019 - Marsman Likes this wine: 95 Points
Excellent cab, nicely balanced with great mouthfeel and long finish. Acidity, fruit, tannins all at just the right levels for my cab palate. Decanted for an hour before drinking which was just about right. Based on the single bottle I had in my cellar, I would say this wine is at its peak. Can't see it getting better so drink up.
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7/11/2019 - Brett wrote: 99 Points
Love it! Perfect wine!!
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5/19/2019 - mdvillaverde Likes this wine: 95 Points
100% estate-grown Cabernet from Backus Vineyard in Oakville--across the Silverado Trail from Tench and Rudd. Aged 23 months in new French oak (Taransaud, Dargaud, Jaegle and Darnajou). 14.6% ABV. I let it breathe for an hour then drank over next 2.5. Lots of black cherry / dark fruit on the nose. Full bodied, with mellowed tannins. Excellent acidity levels. Ripe, but more elegant than powerful. Has a long, juicy finish.
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1/27/2019 - Elkcims Likes this wine: 96 Points
Paired with Fillet Mignon main, this is in my wheelhouse of wines I like. It is full bodied, rich yet not overripe, smooth, lots of rich blackberry and cherry, with mild tannins that complemented. 1 hour decant and consumed over 2 1/2 hours....got better and better. Glad I have a few left.
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7/22/2018 - Agreenblatt wrote: 95 Points
In its peak. Drink now. 1-2 hour decant
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6/9/2018 - Nanda wrote:
Disappointing. I found this cloyingly sweet and alcoholic. Not my cup of tea. An '01 Insignia at the same lunch was far better.
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6/10/2017 - Rob MacKay wrote: 93 Points
Coming around nicely. Still has a little of the sweetness of its younger self. Be interesting to see how that develops with more time. You can tell this was a big fat baby when it was released but it is aging nicely.
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2/19/2017 - WineWright Likes this wine: 95 Points
What a special treat this was after a rather long wine hiatus. No formal notes, but the 04 Backus is silky smooth and rife with gorgeous and compelling aromas and flavors. I would say this wine has many years ahead but is in prime form now.
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6/28/2016 - ruchottalex Likes this wine: 95 Points
This is totally ready to drink but no hurry. Drank over 2 days. Really good, great balance, not excessive in any particular way - good acidity balancing tannins that are mature, dark elements offset by fruit, etc.
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3/20/2016 - coreywb Likes this wine: 94 Points
Decanted 3 hours. Had with Filet Mignon. Perfect match. Beautiful dark ruby almost violet color. Nose of dark fruit and currant. A hint of eucalyptus. Beautiful, elegant wine with dark chocolate notes. Silky smooth tannins still evident. Great finish leaves you wanting more. Though already 11 years old, seems as though this could easily go another 5 and be just as great. Compares very favorably to Insignia, which is a personal favorite.
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11/22/2015 - yofog wrote:
Tasted on its own, with some steak, and if I liked this kind of wine, I could probably see the virtue of it. But tasted alongside 08 Ducru-Beau. it was a bit ridiculous. Simple, overwhelmingly oaky, sugary, superficial. Two thumbs down from the whole table.
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11/11/2015 - Highlander wrote:
Excellent! Tobacco, leather, currant and dark fruits. Perfect color. Decanted for about an hour, this wine was perfectly balanced, fruit and tannins well integrated. At peak, but will likely remain there for several more years. A true gem.
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9/19/2015 - Agreenblatt wrote: 94 Points
Great out of the bottle. Let breath for 2 hours. Starts to lose body at 4 hours.
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9/13/2015 - CV Griz Fan Likes this wine: 96 Points
Some glycerin on the nose along with cassis. This is a very integrated effort. Great sweetness and acidity mixed with very smooth tannins. This wine is plush with a great vanilla and current taste profile. The finish is long and lush. A fantastic effort.....
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7/2/2015 - BlindontheVine01 Likes this wine: 95 Points
Still young, but nevertheless great wine!
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2/14/2015 - Brett wrote: 95 Points
Great wine
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1/12/2015 - IGN WINESNOB Likes this wine: 92 Points
Popped and v'd. Nice nose, but lacking a bit initially. Great color and legs. Tannins there a bit. Opened up, but slowly. Had an 02 a year or so ago and was best on day 3. Maybe they need to be decanted for a few days!! Good wine, confusing with price point.
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8/22/2014 - FieldingYost wrote: 94 Points
Fragrant red and black plum, cocoa, also on the nose. Evident ripeness on the nose here. Black plum flavors are intensely structured, some black currant pucker on the corners of the mouth, blackberry on the midpalate, and sweet black licorice on the finish. This starts very ripe, but stiffens up on the mid-palate. A lot of structure to resolve here, so if you are holding out, I would suggest more time (a couple years, at least).
The score I gave could prove absolutely conservative, because there is clearly an exceptional depth to the material, but also tannin to burn.
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12/29/2013 - Brett wrote: 94 Points
Great wine!
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8/3/2013 - Agreenblatt wrote: 95 Points
Let this decant for 4 hours. Drinking great now with structure to age for years to come. Drank with a porterhouse. What a treat!
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8/3/2013 - Agreenblatt wrote: 95 Points
I would decant for at least 4 hours. Drinking very well now with structure to age for years to come. Drank with a porterhouse.
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4/15/2013 - Yiannis wrote: 96 Points
Backus vs. Insignia (Atheneum Intercontinental Hotel, Athens, Greece.): Fantastic cab. Very dark purple. Complex nose of dark chocolate, dark berries, plums and sweet oak. Full-bodied, dense, with firm tannins of excellent quality, ripe but by no means stewed fruit and balancing acidity Very long aftertaste. Needs another 5 years to reach its peak but can be already enjoyed with a richly sauced meat dish.
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4/14/2013 - kostaslonis Likes this wine: 96 Points
(Deals/Genka Gastronomy Fair, J. Phelps Backus & Insignia mini vertical, Intercontinental Hotel)
This is a blend of 96% CS, 3% Petit Verdot, 1% Malbec, fermentation in inox tanks and then 23 months ageing, total production 18.000 btl.
The nose is complex, beautiful with ripe red and black cherries fighting each other, slightly herbal notes (by no means negative though). The oak has not been intergrated yet, hints of toast.
The palate moves within the same lines, warm, intense and ripe, slightly drying tannins but it could my mouth trying to adjust, fat, concentrated and medium to long aftertaste. It still feels so young. A big life ahead of it and maybe 1-2 points to be had in the future (if I even have the chance of trying it again!)
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2/9/2013 - InflationHedge Likes this wine: 95 Points
Don't have my notes, but this handily outshone the 2006 Insignia.
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7/29/2012 - bryon m wrote: 93 Points
Nice body and color. After 20 minutes of breathing the wine was soft. Flavors of berries and earth tones from start to finish. Very nice drink, drinking at its prime now but will last a few more years.
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7/6/2012 - jonwill wrote: 94 Points
Masterful cab, starting to enter its prime. Did not have a decanter so popped and let sit for a few hours before serving with hickory bacon wrapped fillet. Nose was quite open after two hours, flavor was smooth fruit, almost like it was wrapped in milk chocolate, with extremely fine tannins and no bite at all and a lengthy finish. A treat and this is only the beginning!
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7/26/2011 - melli0 wrote: 89 Points
Typical Phelps and typical Cali Cab. Not unpleasant, but strikes the same note...over and over. Was hoping for more from this single vineyard.
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3/30/2011 - Bakeman wrote: 93 Points
Outstanding wine. Drank while on heli ski trip. Had it with lamb chops and lentils. Pared wonderfully. Big nose and great finish. Did not stan up however to the Insignia that we had the night before.
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2/12/2011 - A&C wrote: 93 Points
This is a very nice feminine wine. It has nice red fruits, that are open, and not too much tannin. It is a very approachable wine, with strawberry notes. It is ready now, and I don't think has the stuffing for beyond another 3-4 years. Drink up. You will enjoy now.
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2/11/2011 - Grinner wrote: 95 Points
Blackberry and graphite bomb, not for the feint of heart nor lovers of subtle wines. Great structure and long finish. Has at least a decade...
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4/26/2010 - jeffm_fla wrote: 94 Points
Excellent cabernet. Deep rich, plush and complex
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4/5/2010 - bryon m wrote: 92 Points
Easter Sunday Dinner started with 05 Sobon Estate Zin, followed by 05 Cliff Lede Cab then 04 JP - Bacus. The Zin was a nice start lighter in body, good fruit went down very easy. The wine has held up well and good for another year or so. The Cliff Lede was served just before and during dinner. A bigger wine, nice color, full body cab. Many nice flavors from start to finish. The Backus durring and after dinner. Slightly bigger than the Cliff Lede wine, drinking very well able to age another two to four years with ease. The last two wines were equally enjoyable but I say the backus the ability to age longer.
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10/9/2009 - rmcnees Likes this wine: 94 Points
Dark garnet color. Smooth, polished symphony of nicely integrated flavors - black cherry, black berry, currant, mocha, soft oak, silky tannins.
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7/26/2009 - jeffm_fla wrote: 93 Points
A nice big cabernet. Not a lot of nose, but great flavor -- soft and plush.
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6/20/2009 - bryon m wrote: 93 Points
Drank with Pat and Trina, the wine is drinking really well and will get better. This is soft, complex and delicious! What sets this apart is the balance from start to finish. Soft dark fruit begining, suttle oak finish that stays for a while after finishing.
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2/14/2009 - Wineholio wrote: 95 Points
Decanted. This is an amazing wine. Lush, silky and balanced. Deep purplish-red in color. Starts out with aromas of cinnamon, spice, charcoal, pine/cedar and cocoa dust. On the palette got buttery caramel, cherry cola, ripe dark fruit with hints of cedar and vanilla. Not overly oaked. More fruit became present after it was open for an hour or so. Long finish. Medium-fine tannins. Approachable now but will definitely benefit from a few years in bottle.
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8/6/2008 - mmyette wrote: 94 Points
Still a youngster, this wine smelled of deep dark raspberry, blackberry, and currant, and the taste was round and full bodied, with austere tannin structure, and a large mouthfeel which was highlighted by cassis, vanilla oak, coffee and mocha nuances, and some slight dusty minerality. Finish was long. Might wait a year or two before the next one.
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5/11/2008 - redpine42 wrote: 96 Points
Medium body, smooth, well integrated oak. This bottle was showing real nice, just wish there was a little more weight.
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1/26/2008 - krlee1029 wrote: 94 Points
Absolutely awesome. You should wait until you drink this.
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11/14/2007 - mmyette wrote: 95 Points
This wine continues to impress. The subtlety and elegance of this single vineyard, unreleased cab from Phelps is long, balanced, and extremely understated, especially from Napa in 04. Really a surprise.
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10/30/2007 - Winetree wrote: 95 Points
The 2004 Backus reveals generous flavors of dark fruit, black currant, graphite, baking spices, liquid mineral and dark rich chocolate. The wine lingers on the palate, is full of supple tannins and ends with a brilliant finish. An inky/purple color is followed by a big, oulent, full throtle bouquet of graphite, blackberries and acacia flowers. With fabulous fruit purity, richness, annd a savory expansive, full-bodied mouthfeel.
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10/21/2007 - mmyette wrote: 95 Points
Thought this was excellent. While austere, it still offered lots of vibrant fruit, hints of black tar, slate, and cedar. Lively acidity will give this some ageability. Will improve with bottle time.
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