Flat out gorgeous. Inky purple color with a sweet but matured perfume nose. Wonderfully aged black fruit and tannins softened to perfection with tertiary layers of pencil and tar; just a wonderful experience from such a beautifully aged Napa wine with a lasting finish. This experience drives home the fact that any kind of decant from years earlier could never have replicated the traits of this wine that the natural aging process brought out. I wish I had bought more than this single bottle. This wine is either entering its peak or darn near at it, and I think it can age for another several years if one really wants to test it, although I see little reason in doing so at this point.! Stored in my basement cellar under optimal conditions since its purchase in 2015. Paired with beef cutlets and pasta w-sausage and buttered broccoli. 12-17-23 in Seoul.
Black fruit and anise on the nose, with some dried herbs that emerge with air. A bit hot, with some alcohol showing. Fairly primary black fruit on the palate initially, but over time more nuance emerges. Smooth mouthfeel with tannins that start rough and smooth out with more air. A nice wine that benefits from some decanting time.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Losing a little since my last bottle 3 1/2 years ago. Still a very good wine—black berries on nose and palate. Deep purple color. Medium intensity on finish. I continue to like my Phelps cabs and blends in that 8-12 year range—then, for me, they begin to diminish.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Deep rich red burgundy color. Not an over expressive nose, but notes of pencil shavings, tar and dried figs. Layers of black peppercorns, ripe figs, cassis and black tea. The finish was nice, but short. Good QPR.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
This was quite good. A very easy drinking cab right now. Mellowed tannins, good black fruit but not super big. Well balanced, enjoyable cab. Lacking some complexity and the rich fruit of a Hall cab but the favorite of the night.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Approachable now with a minimal decant. Blackberry, savory notes and mineral on the nose, with mixed black fruits on the palate. Still quite tannic. Perhaps a little extracted for my tastes - generally enjoyable, but a little heavy and one-note. Lots of sediment.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
I think the drinking window guideline for drink by 2021 might have been fairly accurate. We had a bottle in March of 2021, and it was better than the bottle we just drank. So, our advice is that if one still has some 2012's, drink now.
Seemed a little smoky for some reason. Not bad with the steaks but the L'Aventure Optimus and the Aaron petite syrah blends were much better. A little disappointing for the price.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
At the tail end of its primary phase. Excellent fruit still, tannins integrated and light but noticeable acid. Not as ripe as I had expected after reading other reviews. A great start to my vacation.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Gave about 3h air. Inky ruby color. Complex and dark bouquet, offering blackberry, black cherry, clay dust, baking spice, leather, jalapeno, white pepper, and dark chocolate. Satiny texture, dark and opulent on the palate, with a frame of firm chalky tannins. Bright on the attack, mostly dark fruit, but a few red fruit notes peeking through, clay dust and spice in the expansive middle. This is a really exciting wine, robust and balanced, with just a few rough edges that will hopefully smooth with some additional time.
This is full of character and if you want a really enjoyable night, pop one open. But this should also keep for the next 5-10 years if you're the patient type.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
We are loving how the older Phelps regular Cab's are aging. We are long time Phelps wine club members, and, often, are not thrilled with the current release Cab they serve at their tastings. A whole lot of those bottles have been sitting unopened in our cellar. But we just started opening some of the older vintages, and they are aging extremely well. This 2012 has elegantly smoothed out, and it is an impressive bottle of wine
5 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Big heavy cab sauv, beautiful wine and still building. Decanted for over 30 mins. Dark heavy purple color. Nose of smokey chocolate and dark fruit. Smooth front end of plums and raspberries; builds to nice black pepper spice, tight tannins, smokey oak and licorice with the plums, blackberries and blueberries.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Drinking very well still. Nice bouquet of dark fruit, leather, cocoa with hint of vanilla and licorice on palate. Improves after 90 min of opening. Smooth tannins but enough acidity and structure to show this still has room to age. Impressive given age and price.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Definitely ready to drink. Sometimes the regular bottles of Cabernet from Phelps are just OK, and sometimes they are really good. When they are really good, they do indeed kind of taste fairly close to their Insignia. The 2012 right now is really good. Was good straight out of the bottle, and continued to smooth out and improve over the next hour.
Great wine that really shines after a 90 min decanting. Plenty of body with slightly tannic finish (that works well). Can age for many years but enjoyable now. Went well with grilled flank steak.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Same as my April'19 note. The wine is velvety smooth, but has a lot of body. This is a great bottle to bring to a dinner party. I opened and decanted for about 90 minutes before dinner.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Surprise surprise! Wow! After opening a 2010 I was nervous all my Cabernets from JP lost its beautiful nose along with flavor. This did not disappoint, and honestly, one of my favorite wines I have had from them. The 2016 Insignia is insanely amazing and this was reminiscent of it at a fraction of the price and of course holding it for a while.
Great mineral flavor and smooth soft fruit flavors. Amazing. Could def sit on it, but for me it’s perfect now!
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
It has been a year since I tried a bottle and I can definitely see the improvement. Unfortunately this bottle was the last of the half case that I bought at release (the other half of the case being Insignia which is still untouched in the cellar) We opened let it sit for a while an then poured though a vintorio. Dark fruit on the nose. The palate is dark berries,plums, leather, mocha and a touch of licorice. I think that one of the differences is that the licorice is fading and the leather/mocha is coming through. Licorice is just not favorite flavor, my wife on the other hand loves it. The finish seemed deeper and lasted longer. If you have them in your cellar don't be afraid it sit on them for a while or if you decide to open a few hours in the decanter will probably do wonders. I am definitely leaving my 13's for a couple of more years.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Similar comments as six months ago. This has not changed. Originally wanted to wait another year to see evolution, but friends came over and I needed a good Cab.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Their basic Cab's have been somewhat inconsistent the last several years. The 2012 was a good year, and it is drinking very well right now. Did not need to air it out.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
The '12 is in a a great place right now. Enjoyable immediately after opening. 30 minutes later the wine was singing. My wife has a very good pallet and she loved it. Very good fruit with a nice balance of tannins. I believe the CT community is un-rating this cab. Fortunately we have 7 bottles left. This wine should be excellent thru 2022, if not longer. Nice job Ashley and team.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
After a lacklustre 2011, I feel a lot of Napa producers got a little excited during the 2012 vintage. This is a transition vintage for me between the early, ripe Napa Cab's and the more sophisticated 2013-2015's. I love the 2013 onward phelps cab, however I feel this is more on the full bodied, ripe front. A blend of 91% Cabernet Sauvignon, 6% Merlot, 1% Petit Verdot, 1% Cabernet Franc and 1% Malbec. a nose full of ripe blackberry, dark cherry and green pepper. The palate was full of ripe (nearly jammy) dark black and red fruits, soft tannins with additional notes of cocoa, liquorice and a little vanilla and spice. The finish is medium, however lacking the depth which I found with the 2013 Phelps Cab. I would say this is ready and will not significantly improve. Do not get me wrong, I love the way California Cab's and Phelps are heading but the 2012 is just not as good as more recent vintages, however still very much enjoyable. 92
3 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Berries and currants on nose and palate. Balanced and moderately complex. Decanted for about 1/2 hour. This paired with NY Strip/Lobster Tail and complemented nicely. Medium finish. With other bottles, want to see where this goes over next couple of years.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Classic Napa cab that's always consistantly dependable. I think this is balanced well now and at peak if you like to still enjoy some dark fruits before they fade. Very nice "round" mouth feel. Tannins suggest time left though for those looking for all the mature subtleties with minimal fruit. Excellent with prime rib.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
My comments are basically the same as my first almost two years ago except that time in the cellar has this wine showing the characteristics that took until day 2 or 3 to show up being present day 1 with a little air. Still really impressed with the overall quality. Really solid Napa cab at this price point. I will be interested to see if it improves with more time in the cellar - if it does I could see a 93-94 rating. Enjoy!
3 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Better than the bottle I had 6 months ago. The palate has filled out more. We opened and let sit for three hours before consuming. The nose was dark berries. The palate was blueberry, plum, licorice, a little pepper and some mocha. The finish was moderate to long and full. Served with grilled venison burgers on a nice NJ night.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Decanted for about an hour before consumption - went very nicely with lemon oregano lamb chops. Good bit of fruit on the nose for a cabernet, I got a bit of raspberry as well as oak, which was a prominent flavor in this wine. Secondary notes of blueberry. Tannin has softened a bit compared to some of the younger vintages, although the Phelps style typically leans towards approachability in youth as opposed to austerity. Touch of sweetness and oak on the finish that gave this bottle flexibility to sip pre-dinner as well as stand up to the lamb. No earth-shattering complexity, but a very nice bottle nonetheless.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Brought two bottles to Danielle and Serge before going to NYC for Xmas eve dinner. I opened one bottle 4 hours before I left and let it breathe. Had a glass when I got there. The nose was dark fruit. The palate was blueberry, blackberry, leather, a little licorice and some earth with just a hint of vanilla. The finish was moderate in length.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Fruit forward with a nice oak finish. Lots of tannins still... this can stay for several more years. A little earthiness, lots of dark cherry. Full bodied, nice mouth feel...a fantastic wine.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
This is just an amazing wine. Strong yet balanced, and always better on the second day. Tobacco and leather on the nose, cassis and spice on the palate. I'm impressed with how well the tannins have mellowed since the last time we opened a bottle.
Pairing note: grilled wagyu NY strip with blue cheese as an accompaniment. The biggest surprise was how well blue cheese brought out the fruit in the wine.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
A whiff of seashells, wood, and fruit. Cedar, plum, and some licorice, integrated very nicely. Refined mouthfeel, nice finish- altogether balanced and pleasant experience.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Ready to drink. It did balance out and taste a bit better after airing out an hour or so, but it was distinctive upon opening. Good color, aroma. Nice finish. Very nice bottle of wine
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Slightly cloudy, very deep garnet with no rim browning. Cedar, toasted oak, vanilla, black plum. Medium to low acids, medium tannins. White pepper. Long balanced finish.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Agree that this is a big wine with a smooth palette. Had with a nice NY steak which worked well. Full bodied and nicely balanced if perhaps on the pricey side.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
I get the feeling this has mellowed a bit since we last had a bottle. Much smoother on the front of the palate; the berry notes are very prominent and the acidity is more of a background note. That being said, it remains a big wine that makes one pause after taking a sip. We just love this wine.
3 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
This was the first Joseph Phelps regular cab that I have enjoyed. I had previously drank the 2008, and 2009. I believe I drank them to early and did not give them sufficient air. I decanted this bottle 3 hours and like most 2012's it is drinking very well right now. This is a big wine that I can still see getting a little better with a little more bottle time. Wouldn't say it was a deal at it's $55 price range but this bottle was worth the money.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
At this stage better than the Insignia 2011, but still in the primary notes modus, A lot of ripe tannins but still a little bit edgy, oak is palpable, but a good balance, 93+
Scoring this based on both nights -- first night was a 92-93 as with about 2 hours in the decanter, the wine picked up a velvety mouthfeel and added complexity with notes of dark chocolate and spice. It had a fragrant nose dominated by fruit and spice and a reasonably long finish. Unfortunately it fell apart over night and reverted to a purely fruit driven wine with drying tannins on the finish. Left me confused as to what the wine really will age like -- based on this bottle, I'd drink up and enjoy.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
This wine is always a good bet for the price and a go-to Cab for me. This version was a little disappointing, especially after all the hype for 2012 Cabs. Tannic, dark purple color, but not the fruit intensity I had expected. Pretty good. A wine I like, but only a little.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Second of the three year vertical (2004, 2010 and 2012). Dark ruby red. Layered nose with dark berries, cinnamon, cloves and light cassis. With some air came on some slightly savory notes and a little mesquite smoke. Moderate plus tannins (7.5/10) with a medium plus to a full body. Took some time to open up then had some cassis, blackberries, blueberries and some dark cocoa. Semi dry and medium plus finish. Was expecting a bit more from this. Drink till 2019.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
A timeless vintage that shows great age. You are safe to drink now, or hold off for the next 7-10 years. To me, this a steal. Drank over 2 days, and both nights were fantastic.
Deep purple color with a full body. Fragrant nose of cassis and violets. Flavors of cassis, a bit of plumb, tobacco in the background with a touch of earthiness and vanilla. Good balance between fruit, acidity, and a relatively strong alcohol component at 14.5% abv. But, not a fruit bomb. Medium strong tannins. May not be a long term ager, but a few more years should be an improvement.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Very dark color, deeper that purple - maybe garnet is better description. Bold fruit, but not overpowering. Clearly the flavors became more exposed as the bottle went from day 1, to 2, to 3. For example, the oak became for pronounced on the 3rd day, but not overpowering in any way. Integrated structure with a very smooth finish. Overall, a very nice high quality wine.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
dark garnet, purple hue. dense flavours with ripe dark fruits, black currant, liquorice, oak and tobacco. good length and weight. bold, jammy palate, smooth tannins. long finish with some mocha and sweet herbals. a typical California CS with high quality.
Decanted at Baker Street in Fort Wayne. Great nose of leather and tobacco, on the palate a great combination of red fruit, oak, leather. Smooth tannins. My personal favorite of the three California wines at dinner, tonight with prime rib.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Violet with black center and clear. Really, this wine could better be described as black, with violet/red edges. Super dark and concentrated. Wonderful blueberry, blackberry, black licorice, and violet notes on the nose and palate. Full with silky structure. No powdery tannins or jagged acidity. Long blueberry, licorice finish.
As concentrated and intense as this wine was, it never seemed heavy or 'over-extracted'. Intense, focused, and precise, with complexity and exotic blueberry and anise.
Also, no obvious or obtrusive oak elements.
93-95pts.
3 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
This is a young Cab. It was opened to gauge the maturity. With 10 bottle in the cellar, the progression from youth to maturity can only aide this Cab. Its flavorful, but brash, powerful, yet course. Next bottle should be opened in a couple years, if no signs of continuing growth, maybe a more frequent visitor to the supper table.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
The wine looks garnet colored. The legs are medium. It smells like prune, cherry and black pepper. It tastes like cherry, black pepper, tobacco and fig. The body is medium. The wine has round texture. The wine finishes medium. The wine has medium acidity and medium tannin.
This is a nice cab, especially with a nice steak. This is a little dryer or higher in tannin that I would pick as my favorite, but it is very good and we greatly enjoyed this awesome wine!
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
I think this is on the uptick from the last time I had it. This bottle bloomed into a sweet tobacco leaf tinged cuve. It's more loamy and tobacco infested than before. This is all good if you like old world wines. Great marriage of Bordeaux funk and California's spicy and lush style Cabernet. Drink or hold
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
We love JP - the cabs are big and fruity. Strong on the palate from start to finish. This is our go-to Friday night wine after a good week. I just hope I can be patient enough to see this vintage reach its full maturity.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Go West! Tasting (The QEII Centre, Westminster, London): Big juicy fruit, toast, smoke, big spicy notes too. This follows in the palate, big tannins, full oaky, dense, ripe black fruit, a bit harsh (too fresh?), smoked long finish. Outstanding
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
The nose is somewhat underdeveloped, smelling of blackcurrant preserves and leather.
On the palate, the wine seems a little backward, with blue and red fruit, vanilla and oak. Medium acid and grippy tannins. Medium finish. Elements needed for aging are present. Let's try again in a few years.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Opened this last night and now finishing. Second day it is delicious, blackberry, black cherry, baking spices, cola, dust. Called it 89-90 last night but a day open really helped. Give it a generous decant.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Full bodied Cabernet, very deep, spicy and leathery aromas. Tannins are more supple than the 2012 Insignia, but right now the differences with Insignia are minimal...keep in mind that you can buy more than 2 bottles of the Napa Cab for the same price you'd pay for Insignia. Not worth it in 2012, stick to the regular cab.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Decanted for 30 minutes. Aromas and flavors of blackberry, cassis and chocolate. Full bodied, well balanced with good persistence. A solid, well made Napa cab.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Buttery, dark fruit (plum, currant) on the nose. Solid length, but tannins on the finish were a bit abrupt and harsh. Should mellow out and be great in a few years.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Lots of dark fruit on the nose, wood smoke, spices. Powerful and big, very spicy, grippy and tight with a slight metallic note on the palate. Decent length. I felt that the Insignia was surprisingly the more approachable wine at this stage. Needs time. 87-89
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Very bold Cab. Earthy, tobacco, oak, there is nothing subtle about this wine. White pepper dances on the tongue. The tannins keep this wine very tight.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Medium bodied, with just enough depth of fruit to earn a 90 Pt score, the wine is already open and displaying its sweet and tart, black and fruits, earth, a bit of mocha. The wine is elegant in style and will drink great young.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
A lot of wines (Raj's Birthday); 9/25/2015-9/26/2015 (Cleveland Heights): Sometimes, this gets overlooked when talking about this winery. Very nice showing, and while this is not cheap, there is still some room for improvement. The 2012's are so soft and accessible that some think they won't develop. I disagree but time will tell. Right now, this is purple in color. The nose is classic Napa; cassis, vanilla, slight fresh oak and slightly sweet. On the palate, easy ripe cassis fruit. Lovely texture. Mild tannins. Some depth. Just a delicious glass of wine.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
A satisfying, down-the-middle Napa Cabernet. Deep purple in color, full in body, nose of menthol and blackberry. Tastes of cherry, licorice, and leather, with a pleasantly lingering finish and mouth-coating tannins. 14.5% alcohol. This won't change your life, but it is a well-made, pleasing wine.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Dark red-violet. Complex nose: fresh ground Colombian coffees in the best way, pipe tobacco, chocolate, vanilla, plum, cherry, bay leaf, olives, mint - wow, it's all in there. Gets stronger after two hours air. On arrival, gobs of fine, soft tannins and balanced acidity. Flavors echo the nose, the fruit well in front of savory and oak elements but not overripe. Harmonious oak treatment, rising slightly in a medium, slightly drying finish. Yes, more please ! Bottle #1 of one.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Opened this bottle along with a 2012 Orin Swift papillon. This wine was the clear favorite among the crowd of 6. Richly extracted, dark fruits, tobacco leaves, earthy, medium to long finish, velvet tannins.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Brilliant, deep red colored. Muted, shy nose of cocoa, black currant, and smoking cedar. Glossy polished texture and palate. Rich raspberries and cream. Laser-like tannins. Finish of warm cedar. This is somewhat closed and very young, especially for Joseph Phelps. It's seamless and very well made, and has a lot of life left.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Cruising the Oceans; 5/17/2015-5/24/2015: Very dark red. Classic Napa cab nose. Tobacco leather Cassis dry tannins 7/10. Still young and very dark chocolate in the finish.
The day of air was valuable
4 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
This had the unmistakable Phelps flavor profile...you know it when you taste it. Smooth and velvety on the palate, broad, and with good density and balance.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Purple-black in the glass, dark garnet on the rim. Reticent nose at first, opens with time. Medium/full bodied, sweet abundant fruit, rich on the attack. Very fine balance of elegance and strength. Finish of firm but soft tannins, just a bit of a pucker to offset the richness. Not as strong through the mid-palate as might be desired but more than decent. No doubt will improve; a real thoroughbred. Lovely winemaking.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
A lot of complexity for a young cab - cassis, plum, sweet smokey wood, licorice, pipe tobacco. Full bodied, high tannin and acidity. Drinking nicely now for a cab this young, but will certainly benefit from some bottle age.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
With a nose packed with licorice, blackberries and smoke, the round textured, open wine ends with sweet, ripe, black cherries. For Napa, this represents a very good value.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Awesome nose of fermentation funk, coming across as mineral tinged habana fruit and warm chocolate. Great balance and very soft tannin profile make this wine easy drinking, but memorable. Stands up to wines 2X its cost, making it a good value. I wouldn't hold this long, but happy to enjoy it all...night...long
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
I like this almost as much as the Araujo, which costs 10x as much. Smells like chocolate covered espresso beans. Sweet fruit on the palate, mint, tannins on the short finish.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
93+? Nose: vanilla. Very concentrated. Solid tannins. Looks like the balance is great. Long finish but need to see how it will develop- very young wine. Tasted at the winery.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
2/5/2024 - gpcoleman Likes this wine: 93 Points
Exceptional Cab
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
12/17/2023 - stschutz Likes this wine: 95 Points
Flat out gorgeous. Inky purple color with a sweet but matured perfume nose. Wonderfully aged black fruit and tannins softened to perfection with tertiary layers of pencil and tar; just a wonderful experience from such a beautifully aged Napa wine with a lasting finish. This experience drives home the fact that any kind of decant from years earlier could never have replicated the traits of this wine that the natural aging process brought out. I wish I had bought more than this single bottle. This wine is either entering its peak or darn near at it, and I think it can age for another several years if one really wants to test it, although I see little reason in doing so at this point.! Stored in my basement cellar under optimal conditions since its purchase in 2015. Paired with beef cutlets and pasta w-sausage and buttered broccoli. 12-17-23 in Seoul.
3 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comments (1)
11/3/2023 - bwillia Likes this wine: 93 Points
Wine of the night with the wine club and against some stiff competition too. So classic and good. Phelps makes quality juice.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
9/7/2023 - JCGuthrie wrote: 91 Points
Black fruit and anise on the nose, with some dried herbs that emerge with air. A bit hot, with some alcohol showing. Fairly primary black fruit on the palate initially, but over time more nuance emerges. Smooth mouthfeel with tannins that start rough and smooth out with more air. A nice wine that benefits from some decanting time.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
9/3/2023 - DVMT wrote: 92 Points
Delicious probably at peak
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
4/2/2023 - Bisket wrote:
Vin très très bon, parfaitement près à boire !
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
3/8/2023 - gew71walsh wrote: 90 Points
Losing a little since my last bottle 3 1/2 years ago. Still a very good wine—black berries on nose and palate. Deep purple color. Medium intensity on finish. I continue to like my Phelps cabs and blends in that 8-12 year range—then, for me, they begin to diminish.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
1/8/2023 - Snag One Likes this wine: 91 Points
Deep rich red burgundy color. Not an over expressive nose, but notes of pencil shavings, tar and dried figs. Layers of black peppercorns, ripe figs, cassis and black tea. The finish was nice, but short. Good QPR.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
7/3/2022 - ftsai71@gmail.com Likes this wine: 91 Points
This was quite good. A very easy drinking cab right now. Mellowed tannins, good black fruit but not super big. Well balanced, enjoyable cab. Lacking some complexity and the rich fruit of a Hall cab but the favorite of the night.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
3/12/2022 - Blauweiss Likes this wine: 91 Points
Smooth, rich and lush. Plenty of fruit despite 10 years, I would say it feels younger than it is. Classic Napa-cab as far as I´m concerned.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
3/5/2022 - JCGuthrie wrote:
Approachable now with a minimal decant. Blackberry, savory notes and mineral on the nose, with mixed black fruits on the palate. Still quite tannic. Perhaps a little extracted for my tastes - generally enjoyable, but a little heavy and one-note. Lots of sediment.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
2/2/2022 - jzebrack Likes this wine: 90 Points
I think the drinking window guideline for drink by 2021 might have been fairly accurate. We had a bottle in March of 2021, and it was better than the bottle we just drank. So, our advice is that if one still has some 2012's, drink now.
3 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comments (1)
1/4/2022 - LCHammer wrote: 88 Points
Seemed a little smoky for some reason. Not bad with the steaks but the L'Aventure Optimus and the Aaron petite syrah blends were much better. A little disappointing for the price.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
12/16/2021 - jonboy74 Likes this wine: 92 Points
At the tail end of its primary phase. Excellent fruit still, tannins integrated and light but noticeable acid. Not as ripe as I had expected after reading other reviews. A great start to my vacation.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
11/30/2021 - signotim wrote: 90 Points
Very nice cab but a bit too ripe for my taste
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
10/17/2021 - Wine Lover 1964 Likes this wine: 92 Points
Drinking beautifully right now. Decant for 1hr and let approach room temp to get all flavors.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
8/29/2021 - deekmon wrote: 91 Points
91% Cabernet Sauvignon, 6% Merlot, 1% Petit Verdot, 1% Malbec, 1% Cabernet Franc
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
7/14/2021 - daveyk39 wrote: 93 Points
Gave about 3h air. Inky ruby color. Complex and dark bouquet, offering blackberry, black cherry, clay dust, baking spice, leather, jalapeno, white pepper, and dark chocolate. Satiny texture, dark and opulent on the palate, with a frame of firm chalky tannins. Bright on the attack, mostly dark fruit, but a few red fruit notes peeking through, clay dust and spice in the expansive middle. This is a really exciting wine, robust and balanced, with just a few rough edges that will hopefully smooth with some additional time.
This is full of character and if you want a really enjoyable night, pop one open. But this should also keep for the next 5-10 years if you're the patient type.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
3/28/2021 - jzebrack Likes this wine: 93 Points
We are loving how the older Phelps regular Cab's are aging.
We are long time Phelps wine club members, and, often, are not thrilled with the current release Cab they serve at their tastings. A whole lot of those bottles have been sitting unopened in our cellar. But we just started opening some of the older vintages, and they are aging extremely well. This 2012 has elegantly smoothed out, and it is an impressive bottle of wine
5 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
2/27/2021 - mobile_vito Likes this wine: 92 Points
A classic California Cabernet. Rich with dark fruits, noticeable but soft tannins. Very smooth with layers of enjoyment.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
1/9/2021 - glou.sf Likes this wine: 90 Points
Solid Napa Cab, not too ripe, good structure. But also not too complex.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
11/8/2020 - ralaspech wrote: 91 Points
Agree with previous notes describing this wine. Starting to come into its own, but still benefited from a 2 hour decant.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
10/2/2020 - Robben’s Nest wrote:
Average.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
9/6/2020 - MRGeo Likes this wine: 92 Points
Big heavy cab sauv, beautiful wine and still building. Decanted for over 30 mins. Dark heavy purple color. Nose of smokey chocolate and dark fruit. Smooth front end of plums and raspberries; builds to nice black pepper spice, tight tannins, smokey oak and licorice with the plums, blackberries and blueberries.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
7/18/2020 - Markie_Sharkie wrote: 92 Points
Similar to prior bottle. Drinking nicely but needs a decent decant to really shine.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
7/18/2020 - Thief Likes this wine: 93 Points
BlackBerry jam, green peppers, forest floor, cocoa powder and dust. Fine tannins, chewy, rich and decently long finish.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
6/30/2020 - Tonyboons33 Likes this wine: 92 Points
Other peoples recent tasting notes spot on. Drinking great right now. Big, rich, chocolaty earth.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
6/29/2020 - hfindlay Likes this wine:
A big, chocolatey, delicious Napa cab. Just sorry it’s my last bottle!
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
6/13/2020 - Markie_Sharkie wrote: 92 Points
Drinking very well still. Nice bouquet of dark fruit, leather, cocoa with hint of vanilla and licorice on palate. Improves after 90 min of opening. Smooth tannins but enough acidity and structure to show this still has room to age. Impressive given age and price.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
6/8/2020 - LARich Likes this wine: 91 Points
Classic and drinking well.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
3/30/2020 - ralaspech wrote: 91 Points
Lovely Napa cab showing the benefits of a little age.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
3/17/2020 - Polindz Likes this wine: 92 Points
A smooth Cabernet with a full body, medium bouquet and luscious finish.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
11/28/2019 - jzebrack Likes this wine: 92 Points
Definitely ready to drink. Sometimes the regular bottles of Cabernet from Phelps are just OK, and sometimes they are really good. When they are really good, they do indeed kind of taste fairly close to their Insignia. The 2012 right now is really good.
Was good straight out of the bottle, and continued to smooth out and improve over the next hour.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comments (1)
10/14/2019 - Markie_Sharkie wrote:
Great wine that really shines after a 90 min decanting. Plenty of body with slightly tannic finish (that works well). Can age for many years but enjoyable now. Went well with grilled flank steak.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
10/8/2019 - sfbikeguy Likes this wine: 93 Points
Same as my April'19 note. The wine is velvety smooth, but has a lot of body. This is a great bottle to bring to a dinner party. I opened and decanted for about 90 minutes before dinner.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
9/21/2019 - ev3rthesame wrote: 96 Points
Surprise surprise! Wow! After opening a 2010 I was nervous all my Cabernets from JP lost its beautiful nose along with flavor. This did not disappoint, and honestly, one of my favorite wines I have had from them. The 2016 Insignia is insanely amazing and this was reminiscent of it at a fraction of the price and of course holding it for a while.
Great mineral flavor and smooth soft fruit flavors. Amazing. Could def sit on it, but for me it’s perfect now!
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
9/1/2019 - EvanRose Likes this wine: 95 Points
Opened slowly to reveal a red cherry, fruit forward delight. Solid but subtle tannic backbone, umami and a touch of acid on the back end.
I’ve forgotten how much I love Phelps
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
8/16/2019 - markcic Likes this wine: 92 Points
It has been a year since I tried a bottle and I can definitely see the improvement. Unfortunately this bottle was the last of the half case that I bought at release (the other half of the case being Insignia which is still untouched in the cellar) We opened let it sit for a while an then poured though a vintorio. Dark fruit on the nose. The palate is dark berries,plums, leather, mocha and a touch of licorice. I think that one of the differences is that the licorice is fading and the leather/mocha is coming through. Licorice is just not favorite flavor, my wife on the other hand loves it. The finish seemed deeper and lasted longer. If you have them in your cellar don't be afraid it sit on them for a while or if you decide to open a few hours in the decanter will probably do wonders. I am definitely leaving my 13's for a couple of more years.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
8/12/2019 - Jnihols7 wrote: 93 Points
Dark opaque crimson, opulent lush palate with red berries, soft sweet tannins, very classy entry level wine of a superior producer.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
8/2/2019 - Lakeview Likes this wine: 93 Points
First nose and taste remind me of why we like this wine. Still plenty of tannins to keep in the cellar, but this will drink well tonight!
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
7/14/2019 - nicolemwilson619 Likes this wine: 92 Points
Delicious, but a little sediment
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
5/27/2019 - gew71walsh wrote: 91 Points
Similar comments as six months ago. This has not changed. Originally wanted to wait another year to see evolution, but friends came over and I needed a good Cab.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
4/22/2019 - jzebrack Likes this wine: 91 Points
Their basic Cab's have been somewhat inconsistent the last several years. The 2012 was a good year, and it is drinking very well right now. Did not need to air it out.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
4/8/2019 - sfbikeguy Likes this wine: 93 Points
The '12 is in a a great place right now. Enjoyable immediately after opening. 30 minutes later the wine was singing. My wife has a very good pallet and she loved it. Very good fruit with a nice balance of tannins. I believe the CT community is un-rating this cab. Fortunately we have 7 bottles left. This wine should be excellent thru 2022, if not longer. Nice job Ashley and team.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
12/15/2018 - Alexander Smith Likes this wine: 92 Points
After a lacklustre 2011, I feel a lot of Napa producers got a little excited during the 2012 vintage. This is a transition vintage for me between the early, ripe Napa Cab's and the more sophisticated 2013-2015's. I love the 2013 onward phelps cab, however I feel this is more on the full bodied, ripe front. A blend of 91% Cabernet Sauvignon, 6% Merlot, 1% Petit Verdot, 1% Cabernet Franc and 1% Malbec. a nose full of ripe blackberry, dark cherry and green pepper. The palate was full of ripe (nearly jammy) dark black and red fruits, soft tannins with additional notes of cocoa, liquorice and a little vanilla and spice. The finish is medium, however lacking the depth which I found with the 2013 Phelps Cab. I would say this is ready and will not significantly improve. Do not get me wrong, I love the way California Cab's and Phelps are heading but the 2012 is just not as good as more recent vintages, however still very much enjoyable. 92
3 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
12/13/2018 - gew71walsh wrote: 91 Points
Berries and currants on nose and palate. Balanced and moderately complex. Decanted for about 1/2 hour. This paired with NY Strip/Lobster Tail and complemented nicely. Medium finish. With other bottles, want to see where this goes over next couple of years.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
12/2/2018 - Wine Lover 1964 Likes this wine: 92 Points
Classic Napa cab that's always consistantly dependable. I think this is balanced well now and at peak if you like to still enjoy some dark fruits before they fade. Very nice "round" mouth feel. Tannins suggest time left though for those looking for all the mature subtleties with minimal fruit. Excellent with prime rib.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
11/8/2018 - greedy wrote: 91 Points
Decent. Very typical of high end Napa cab. But nothing special for $107 cad.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
9/1/2018 - danielbleier Likes this wine: 88 Points
nice and friendly, whit black fruit and toasty oak notes
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
9/1/2018 - dfcrutcher wrote: 90 Points
Nice smooth cab. A little lacking on acidity, leaving the finish a bit flat. Good fruit.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
7/7/2018 - Skibank114 Likes this wine: 92 Points
My comments are basically the same as my first almost two years ago except that time in the cellar has this wine showing the characteristics that took until day 2 or 3 to show up being present day 1 with a little air. Still really impressed with the overall quality. Really solid Napa cab at this price point. I will be interested to see if it improves with more time in the cellar - if it does I could see a 93-94 rating. Enjoy!
3 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
6/19/2018 - markcic Likes this wine: 91 Points
Better than the bottle I had 6 months ago. The palate has filled out more. We opened and let sit for three hours before consuming. The nose was dark berries. The palate was blueberry, plum, licorice, a little pepper and some mocha. The finish was moderate to long and full. Served with grilled venison burgers on a nice NJ night.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
6/1/2018 - ChrisLauzon wrote:
G
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
5/27/2018 - DougSamuel Likes this wine: 92 Points
Dark, jammy, fruit forward cab. Currant dominates. Juicy, but chewy tannins. Moderate complexity. Imminently enjoyable!
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
5/12/2018 - Lyubomir Lefterov wrote:
DIscover VINO - Fine wines corner; 5/11/2018-5/12/2018 (Sofia): I see the quality but not really fan of this style, could be misjudging here but would like to see more savoriness and tension along with that quality fruit.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
4/8/2018 - Phillybadger Likes this wine: 91 Points
Decanted for about an hour before consumption - went very nicely with lemon oregano lamb chops. Good bit of fruit on the nose for a cabernet, I got a bit of raspberry as well as oak, which was a prominent flavor in this wine. Secondary notes of blueberry. Tannin has softened a bit compared to some of the younger vintages, although the Phelps style typically leans towards approachability in youth as opposed to austerity. Touch of sweetness and oak on the finish that gave this bottle flexibility to sip pre-dinner as well as stand up to the lamb. No earth-shattering complexity, but a very nice bottle nonetheless.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
2/3/2018 - Ken G wrote: 92 Points
Pretty good Cab. nice nose, but at $54 a bit much. My team liked the Camus much better.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
1/1/2018 - Gail and Len Likes this wine: 93 Points
Had with grilled porterhouse on New Year's Eve with Lenny and Wendy. Beautiful balance. Jammy. Full bodied. Long finish.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
12/24/2017 - markcic Likes this wine: 90 Points
Brought two bottles to Danielle and Serge before going to NYC for Xmas eve dinner. I opened one bottle 4 hours before I left and let it breathe.
Had a glass when I got there. The nose was dark fruit. The palate was blueberry, blackberry, leather, a little licorice and some earth with just a hint of vanilla. The finish was moderate in length.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
11/22/2017 - kaichungc Likes this wine: 92 Points
Balanced, typical Cal Cap. medium finish.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
10/21/2017 - Kdad Likes this wine: 91 Points
Tight at first.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
9/16/2017 - Blatina Likes this wine: 93 Points
Fruit forward with a nice oak finish. Lots of tannins still... this can stay for several more years. A little earthiness, lots of dark cherry. Full bodied, nice mouth feel...a fantastic wine.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
9/15/2017 - handyjason Likes this wine: 92 Points
This is just an amazing wine. Strong yet balanced, and always better on the second day. Tobacco and leather on the nose, cassis and spice on the palate. I'm impressed with how well the tannins have mellowed since the last time we opened a bottle.
Pairing note: grilled wagyu NY strip with blue cheese as an accompaniment. The biggest surprise was how well blue cheese brought out the fruit in the wine.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
9/9/2017 - lundmc Likes this wine: 92 Points
A whiff of seashells, wood, and fruit. Cedar, plum, and some licorice, integrated very nicely. Refined mouthfeel, nice finish- altogether balanced and pleasant experience.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
8/23/2017 - rbieber168@gmail.com Likes this wine: 91 Points
Tasted along with a 2011 Phelps Cab. 2012 was much better.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
6/30/2017 - shaunzhang Likes this wine: 94 Points
the aroma of black plum vanilla and cedar.good balance and elegance.finish long and little sweet.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
5/13/2017 - jzebrack Likes this wine: 92 Points
Ready to drink.
It did balance out and taste a bit better after airing out an hour or so, but it was distinctive upon opening.
Good color, aroma. Nice finish. Very nice bottle of wine
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
5/3/2017 - Whinojb wrote: 91 Points
Just good wine.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
4/6/2017 - CJM wrote: 94 Points
Slightly cloudy, very deep garnet with no rim browning. Cedar, toasted oak, vanilla, black plum. Medium to low acids, medium tannins. White pepper. Long balanced finish.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
3/27/2017 - evanqian wrote: 92 Points
Cassis, a little sweet. Medium bodied, modest palate, balanced, fine and smooth tannins. Some cedar and chocolate in finish. Good weight and length.
Ap 5/5, Ar 13/15, Palate 17/20, Overall 3+4/10
Total 92+/100
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
3/10/2017 - Big Bad Voodoo Daddy Likes this wine: 91 Points
Popped and poured. In the drinking window now. A real crowd pleaser and great with the steak we enjoyed.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
2/27/2017 - mntebolt wrote: 94 Points
took to FAC
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comments (1)
2/20/2017 - Chateau du Fey 1994 wrote: 91 Points
Agree that this is a big wine with a smooth palette. Had with a nice NY steak which worked well. Full bodied and nicely balanced if perhaps on the pricey side.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
2/16/2017 - handyjason Likes this wine: 92 Points
I get the feeling this has mellowed a bit since we last had a bottle. Much smoother on the front of the palate; the berry notes are very prominent and the acidity is more of a background note. That being said, it remains a big wine that makes one pause after taking a sip. We just love this wine.
3 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
2/15/2017 - RayT Likes this wine: 91 Points
This was the first Joseph Phelps regular cab that I have enjoyed. I had previously drank the 2008, and 2009. I believe I drank them to early and did not give them sufficient air. I decanted this bottle 3 hours and like most 2012's it is drinking very well right now. This is a big wine that I can still see getting a little better with a little more bottle time. Wouldn't say it was a deal at it's $55 price range but this bottle was worth the money.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
2/13/2017 - aquacongas Likes this wine: 93 Points
At this stage better than the Insignia 2011, but still in the primary notes modus, A lot of ripe tannins but still a little bit edgy, oak is palpable, but a good balance, 93+
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comments (1)
1/29/2017 - Stevenlana wrote:
Hold til 2020
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
1/11/2017 - SonnyChiba wrote: 91 Points
Very good napa cab. Well balanced, smooth, rich dark fruit. Nice finish. Solid wine and reasonably priced.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
1/11/2017 - iamandyc wrote: 90 Points
Scoring this based on both nights -- first night was a 92-93 as with about 2 hours in the decanter, the wine picked up a velvety mouthfeel and added complexity with notes of dark chocolate and spice. It had a fragrant nose dominated by fruit and spice and a reasonably long finish. Unfortunately it fell apart over night and reverted to a purely fruit driven wine with drying tannins on the finish. Left me confused as to what the wine really will age like -- based on this bottle, I'd drink up and enjoy.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
12/22/2016 - Ken G Likes this wine: 91 Points
Drank at Jakes / company party
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
12/18/2016 - jeffm_fla Likes this wine: 89 Points
This wine is always a good bet for the price and a go-to Cab for me. This version was a little disappointing, especially after all the hype for 2012 Cabs. Tannic, dark purple color, but not the fruit intensity I had expected. Pretty good. A wine I like, but only a little.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
11/24/2016 - Millennial Drinkers wrote: 90 Points
Second of the three year vertical (2004, 2010 and 2012). Dark ruby red. Layered nose with dark berries, cinnamon, cloves and light cassis. With some air came on some slightly savory notes and a little mesquite smoke. Moderate plus tannins (7.5/10) with a medium plus to a full body. Took some time to open up then had some cassis, blackberries, blueberries and some dark cocoa. Semi dry and medium plus finish. Was expecting a bit more from this. Drink till 2019.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
10/21/2016 - jkvedar wrote: 90 Points
Pleasant cab. Quite drinkable. Dark fruit, cedar, spices on the nose. Balanced at 14.5% ABV. Still grippy. Licorice on the finish.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
10/5/2016 - Cuellar's Cellar Likes this wine: 92 Points
A timeless vintage that shows great age. You are safe to drink now, or hold off for the next 7-10 years. To me, this a steal. Drank over 2 days, and both nights were fantastic.
3 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comments (1)
10/3/2016 - thomasckao Likes this wine: 88 Points
Grandma's 90th birthday@ Big Bear
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
10/2/2016 - EvanJB wrote:
Very good Cab
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
9/9/2016 - Tazdevil Likes this wine: 94 Points
This is a deep wine. It smells like deep cherry. The taste are like very deep, deep berry flavor. This is a great deep flavor wine. Excellent!!
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
9/4/2016 - djarcara Likes this wine: 91 Points
Deep purple color with a full body. Fragrant nose of cassis and violets. Flavors of cassis, a bit of plumb, tobacco in the background with a touch of earthiness and vanilla. Good balance between fruit, acidity, and a relatively strong alcohol component at 14.5% abv. But, not a fruit bomb. Medium strong tannins. May not be a long term ager, but a few more years should be an improvement.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
8/8/2016 - Skibank114 Likes this wine: 92 Points
Very dark color, deeper that purple - maybe garnet is better description. Bold fruit, but not overpowering. Clearly the flavors became more exposed as the bottle went from day 1, to 2, to 3. For example, the oak became for pronounced on the 3rd day, but not overpowering in any way. Integrated structure with a very smooth finish. Overall, a very nice high quality wine.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
6/14/2016 - evanqian wrote: 92 Points
dark garnet, purple hue. dense flavours with ripe dark fruits, black currant, liquorice, oak and tobacco. good length and weight. bold, jammy palate, smooth tannins. long finish with some mocha and sweet herbals. a typical California CS with high quality.
AG 91-93, ST 89-91, JS 92, WE 91
Ap: 5/5; Ar: 12/15; palate: 17/20; overall: 4+4/10
TOTAL: 92+/100
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
5/10/2016 - skurtz Likes this wine: 92 Points
Decanted at Baker Street in Fort Wayne. Great nose of leather and tobacco, on the palate a great combination of red fruit, oak, leather. Smooth tannins. My personal favorite of the three California wines at dinner, tonight with prime rib.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
5/3/2016 - texanoblues Likes this wine: 94 Points
Violet with black center and clear. Really, this wine could better be described as black, with violet/red edges. Super dark and concentrated. Wonderful blueberry, blackberry, black licorice, and violet notes on the nose and palate. Full with silky structure. No powdery tannins or jagged acidity. Long blueberry, licorice finish.
As concentrated and intense as this wine was, it never seemed heavy or 'over-extracted'. Intense, focused, and precise, with complexity and exotic blueberry and anise.
Also, no obvious or obtrusive oak elements.
93-95pts.
3 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
5/2/2016 - The Wine Sherpa Likes this wine: 91 Points
Leather and old world nose. Decent fruit. Still young obviously and can age several years. Black fruit on mid palate. Decent finish. Balanced tannins.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
4/30/2016 - Ricardito's Vino Likes this wine: 89 Points
This is a young Cab. It was opened to gauge the maturity. With 10 bottle in the cellar, the progression from youth to maturity can only aide this Cab. Its flavorful, but brash, powerful, yet course. Next bottle should be opened in a couple years, if no signs of continuing growth, maybe a more frequent visitor to the supper table.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
4/22/2016 - smileBD Likes this wine: 91 Points
Great!
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
4/18/2016 - Tazdevil Likes this wine: 95 Points
The wine looks garnet colored. The legs are medium. It smells like prune, cherry and black pepper. It tastes like cherry, black pepper, tobacco and fig. The body is medium. The wine has round texture. The wine finishes medium. The wine has medium acidity and medium tannin.
This is a nice cab, especially with a nice steak. This is a little dryer or higher in tannin that I would pick as my favorite, but it is very good and we greatly enjoyed this awesome wine!
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
4/15/2016 - Robwild wrote: 91 Points
Dark purple. Full of fruit, soft, supple and well balanced. Cherries, black berries and plums. Delicious.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
4/11/2016 - JCGuthrie wrote: 91 Points
Really opened up nicely after a two hour decant.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
4/1/2016 - Wineshington wrote: 92 Points
has great potential, but too young.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
3/28/2016 - Purple Tooth wrote: 91 Points
I think this is on the uptick from the last time I had it. This bottle bloomed into a sweet tobacco leaf tinged cuve. It's more loamy and tobacco infested than before. This is all good if you like old world wines. Great marriage of Bordeaux funk and California's spicy and lush style Cabernet. Drink or hold
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
3/21/2016 - lachord Likes this wine: 91 Points
Dark berries and plum with a hint of chocolate. Medium dark in color. Restaurant purchase and it went very well with a grilled steak.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
3/16/2016 - handyjason Likes this wine: 93 Points
We love JP - the cabs are big and fruity. Strong on the palate from start to finish. This is our go-to Friday night wine after a good week. I just hope I can be patient enough to see this vintage reach its full maturity.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
3/10/2016 - kostaslonis Likes this wine: 92 Points
Go West! Tasting (The QEII Centre, Westminster, London): Big juicy fruit, toast, smoke, big spicy notes too. This follows in the palate, big tannins, full oaky, dense, ripe black fruit, a bit harsh (too fresh?), smoked long finish. Outstanding
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
3/2/2016 - DavidWong168 Likes this wine: 89 Points
An intense purple in the glass, almost black.
The nose is somewhat underdeveloped, smelling of blackcurrant preserves and leather.
On the palate, the wine seems a little backward, with blue and red fruit, vanilla and oak. Medium acid and grippy tannins. Medium finish. Elements needed for aging are present. Let's try again in a few years.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
2/28/2016 - Shaun Mondavi wrote: 92 Points
Opened this last night and now finishing. Second day it is delicious, blackberry, black cherry, baking spices, cola, dust. Called it 89-90 last night but a day open really helped. Give it a generous decant.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
2/23/2016 - Double-A Likes this wine: 90 Points
Inky colour. Sweet cassis, cedar and vanilla oak nose. Powerfully built with rich extract and firm tannins. Long, vanilla oak finish.
4/5
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
2/15/2016 - Detta Likes this wine: 91 Points
Bold red. Black cherry nose and flavors. Tasted with zuchinni bread and it pulled out the cherry flavors. Very smooth. Well worth the cost.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
1/31/2016 - dase13 wrote: 90 Points
Color of dark red. Scents of blackberry and cherry. Tastes consistent with scents with tannins.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
1/25/2016 - Jeff Leve wrote: 90 Points
With just a few years in the bottle, this is already drinking well with its approachable, lush, ripe, chocolate covered, black cherry character.
3 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
1/18/2016 - Francois Le Mouel Likes this wine: 91 Points
Full bodied Cabernet, very deep, spicy and leathery aromas. Tannins are more supple than the 2012 Insignia, but right now the differences with Insignia are minimal...keep in mind that you can buy more than 2 bottles of the Napa Cab for the same price you'd pay for Insignia. Not worth it in 2012, stick to the regular cab.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
12/31/2015 - hoservin wrote: 91 Points
Decanted for 30 minutes. Aromas and flavors of blackberry, cassis and chocolate. Full bodied, well balanced with good persistence. A solid, well made Napa cab.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
12/24/2015 - fabwine wrote: 90 Points
Dark color with plum, blackberry and chocolate on the nose. Well balanced and good tannins. Not as spectacular as I hoped but a solid wine.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
11/22/2015 - cwiebe Likes this wine: 89 Points
Very typical CA Cabernet. Not super distinctive or noteworthy. A good solid bottle.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
11/20/2015 - edelone77 Likes this wine: 90 Points
Buttery, dark fruit (plum, currant) on the nose. Solid length, but tannins on the finish were a bit abrupt and harsh. Should mellow out and be great in a few years.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
11/8/2015 - rossi.wine wrote: 88 Points
Lots of dark fruit on the nose, wood smoke, spices. Powerful and big, very spicy, grippy and tight with a slight metallic note on the palate. Decent length. I felt that the Insignia was surprisingly the more approachable wine at this stage. Needs time. 87-89
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
10/27/2015 - dase13 wrote: 90 Points
Color of dark red. Scents of blackberry and cherry. Tastes consistent with scents.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
10/9/2015 - AggieWineGuy Likes this wine: 91 Points
Currant plumb full body a classic Napa cab
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
10/6/2015 - Millennial Drinkers wrote: 91 Points
First Trip to Napa Valley and San Francisco: Cabernet Sauvignon Addition; 10/1/2015-10/10/2015 (Napa Valley and San Francisco): Insignia Blending with India.
Appearance: Opaque purple and red.
Nose: Dark chocolates and very black fruits.
Palate/Finish: harsh tannins felt like sandpaper and a tad dry.
Opinion: Was expecting a little more from this but it is very young.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
10/1/2015 - 82Latour Likes this wine: 91 Points
Week in wine country; 9/26/2015-10/3/2015 (Napa Valley): Black currant, plum, stewed black fruit; ripe fruit, big drying tannins on the finish.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
9/30/2015 - Vita Vinum Likes this wine: 90 Points
Very bold Cab. Earthy, tobacco, oak, there is nothing subtle about this wine. White pepper dances on the tongue. The tannins keep this wine very tight.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
9/28/2015 - Jeff Leve wrote: 90 Points
Medium bodied, with just enough depth of fruit to earn a 90 Pt score, the wine is already open and displaying its sweet and tart, black and fruits, earth, a bit of mocha. The wine is elegant in style and will drink great young.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
9/25/2015 - Loren Sonkin wrote: 91 Points
A lot of wines (Raj's Birthday); 9/25/2015-9/26/2015 (Cleveland Heights): Sometimes, this gets overlooked when talking about this winery. Very nice showing, and while this is not cheap, there is still some room for improvement. The 2012's are so soft and accessible that some think they won't develop. I disagree but time will tell. Right now, this is purple in color. The nose is classic Napa; cassis, vanilla, slight fresh oak and slightly sweet. On the palate, easy ripe cassis fruit. Lovely texture. Mild tannins. Some depth. Just a delicious glass of wine.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
9/11/2015 - msuwine Likes this wine: 90 Points
A satisfying, down-the-middle Napa Cabernet. Deep purple in color, full in body, nose of menthol and blackberry. Tastes of cherry, licorice, and leather, with a pleasantly lingering finish and mouth-coating tannins. 14.5% alcohol. This won't change your life, but it is a well-made, pleasing wine.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
9/9/2015 - Hodby wrote: 93 Points
Dark red-violet. Complex nose: fresh ground Colombian coffees in the best way, pipe tobacco, chocolate, vanilla, plum, cherry, bay leaf, olives, mint - wow, it's all in there. Gets stronger after two hours air. On arrival, gobs of fine, soft tannins and balanced acidity. Flavors echo the nose, the fruit well in front of savory and oak elements but not overripe. Harmonious oak treatment, rising slightly in a medium, slightly drying finish. Yes, more please ! Bottle #1 of one.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
9/7/2015 - Vailman Likes this wine: 92 Points
Opened this bottle along with a 2012 Orin Swift papillon. This wine was the clear favorite among the crowd of 6. Richly extracted, dark fruits, tobacco leaves, earthy, medium to long finish, velvet tannins.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
9/7/2015 - conrad01 wrote:
Housewarming gift from Monica Vila
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
5/21/2015 - Doc90 Likes this wine: 91 Points
Brilliant, deep red colored. Muted, shy nose of cocoa, black currant, and smoking cedar. Glossy polished texture and palate. Rich raspberries and cream. Laser-like tannins. Finish of warm cedar. This is somewhat closed and very young, especially for Joseph Phelps. It's seamless and very well made, and has a lot of life left.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
5/19/2015 - cab blends Likes this wine: 94 Points
Cruising the Oceans; 5/17/2015-5/24/2015: Very dark red. Classic Napa cab nose. Tobacco leather Cassis dry tannins 7/10. Still young and very dark chocolate in the finish.
The day of air was valuable
4 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
5/18/2015 - cab blends Likes this wine: 91 Points
Cruising the Oceans; 5/17/2015-5/24/2015: Hint of forest floor, mushrooms and light oak nose. Lighter tannins 6/10.
Nice light acidity in the finish. Clearly fruity Napa cab. Less fruity than the Spottswoode and the caymus special selection.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
5/16/2015 - yeti575rider wrote:
Vintage Wines cab tasting. In my bottom half. Never been a huge fan of the base Phelps cab and nothing has changed in that regard. NR.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
5/12/2015 - wineotim Likes this wine: 93 Points
This had the unmistakable Phelps flavor profile...you know it when you taste it. Smooth and velvety on the palate, broad, and with good density and balance.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
3/20/2015 - grafighter Likes this wine: 91 Points
Much too young. 91 for now. Put these bottles away for few years.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
3/10/2015 - BigTex22 wrote: 89 Points
Had at Pappa's Brothers Steakhouse. Was good, not great. Medium bodied, some tannins. Too young. GOOD.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
3/8/2015 - mklasing wrote: 94 Points
Great bold fruit flavor. Will be even better in a few years.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
3/5/2015 - jmorgand Likes this wine: 93 Points
This was excellent straight out of the bottle and then even better from the decanter. Will only get better over time.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
3/4/2015 - ratrop1 Likes this wine: 93 Points
Purple-black in the glass, dark garnet on the rim. Reticent nose at first, opens with time. Medium/full bodied, sweet abundant fruit, rich on the attack. Very fine balance of elegance and strength. Finish of firm but soft tannins, just a bit of a pucker to offset the richness. Not as strong through the mid-palate as might be desired but more than decent. No doubt will improve; a real thoroughbred. Lovely winemaking.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
2/15/2015 - km5 wrote:
With steak
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
1/8/2015 - trucrime wrote:
50/50 French and American oak. From all Phelps Napa vineyards. Dark espresso bean and cedar. Black plum, licorice, cigar box.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
12/30/2014 - km5 wrote:
A bit young floral sweet and thin taste.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
12/23/2014 - budh wrote:
A lot of complexity for a young cab - cassis, plum, sweet smokey wood, licorice, pipe tobacco. Full bodied, high tannin and acidity. Drinking nicely now for a cab this young, but will certainly benefit from some bottle age.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
11/13/2014 - Jeff Leve wrote: 91 Points
With a nose packed with licorice, blackberries and smoke, the round textured, open wine ends with sweet, ripe, black cherries. For Napa, this represents a very good value.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
11/11/2014 - CJM wrote: 88 Points
Clear, deep garnet. Black cherry, leather. Low acid, medium tannins. Plum. medium balanced finish
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
11/2/2014 - Purple Tooth wrote: 91 Points
Awesome nose of fermentation funk, coming across as mineral tinged habana fruit and warm chocolate. Great balance and very soft tannin profile make this wine easy drinking, but memorable. Stands up to wines 2X its cost, making it a good value. I wouldn't hold this long, but happy to enjoy it all...night...long
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
11/1/2014 - anonymoose12345 Likes this wine: 92 Points
I like this almost as much as the Araujo, which costs 10x as much. Smells like chocolate covered espresso beans. Sweet fruit on the palate, mint, tannins on the short finish.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
10/18/2014 - AlexHop wrote: 93 Points
93+? Nose: vanilla. Very concentrated. Solid tannins. Looks like the balance is great. Long finish but need to see how it will develop- very young wine. Tasted at the winery.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment