This was a beautiful wine that was at the peak of its powers. It was perfectly balanced and still quite fresh and elegant with a lovely nose of dark/red fruit with hints of spice. It was sublime in the mouth with just the right hint of sweetness. The finish was long and very enjoyable. It definitely had that "aaahhh" factor.
NOTE: We did not decant, and it showed a surprising amount of sediment That did not negatively impact the wine in any way, but you might consider decanting.
96 Insignia is showing very well today. Raj Parr thought it’s full of glyphosate junk lol, fair enough but I for sure don’t taste it in the wine. Feels no more than 15 years, the fruit is clean and polished, ripe cherries and plums, some chocolate shavings, cigar box and light bell peppers, not at all an oaky mess. A lot of enjoyment to be found here today or 10 years down the road.
Medium ruby. Intense and expressive nose, with marked cedary and menthol. cassis and blue berries, cigar flavours less prominent. Medium body, soft and velvety with some slight tannins still present but not intrusive. Very balanced and good intensity throughout. all flavours coming together; More red berries with slight blue berries flavours. Menthol, cedar and tobacco. Some licorice at the end. Very long. Excellent.
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One off magnum (hard to price individual bottles, but probably about $240) from a large private party purchase 2 years ago. Subtle and vibrant on the nose and palate with notes of mixed black and blue berries, dark florals, earthy minerality, chocolate, leather, anise, dark chocolate and a touch of tar. Mid purple, medium to full bodied, thick legs. Well integrated, silky medium tannins, light to medium acidity, no heat. VG++ complexity, VG+ persistence and intensity. The kickoff of magnum madness and weekend festivities, I knew I’d serve this in a group with my sis and her partner, even if the others (we were 8 in total for a dinner at the Noe Valley estate) weren’t wine cognoscenti. The ah so pulled the surprisingly firm cork out with an impressive pop, and the wine showed an almost ineffable lightfootedness, so much so I’d have put my chips in the middle on this being a BDX. More than drinkable off the pour, the suppleness of the wine made me just a bit concerned that this might lose altitude quickly, like, to varying degrees, the ‘04 La Jota CS and the ‘06 Araujo Eisele, so we kept this corked. But not to worry: not only did this not happen, but it continued to develop and deepen over the couple of hours it was open. A wonderful companion to our homemade pizza and calzones, this was more than equally comfortable on its own, and, while it’s in a great place—at least this bottle, as a well-stored magnum was—but probably not likely to get better, it feels to me like this should hold well over the next 5+ years, maybe more. This wine was not only the WOTW (the second “W” being “weekend”), but would have climbed the medal stand against any of the BDX from the tasting at csimm’s. It would have been nice to have it against the ‘16 Pontet, to which this was preferred, and/or the ‘06 Abreu Madrona, which this ever so slightly fell short of, as my favorite wine of the Autumn. It also felt a step or 2 above the VG++/excellent mid to late 90s Napas I enjoyed at the tasting soyhead arranged in August, although as observed in the lens of the BDX tasting, having so many similar wines together can sometimes make the individual qualities of each blur. As an aside, I’ve had numerous Insigs over the years, although this was the furthest from the vintage date (and perhaps the only mag), and this struck me as solidly the best, although they’ve all been at least 95 point wines by my scoring. Someone else in a note observed that ‘97 was the watershed year in Napa, when the warmth of the vintage led to fuller, riper wines, and after that year, that became the new normal (with later picks, presumably, compensating at least somewhat for relatively cooler vintages). While I’m not sure that’s 100% accurate, I note that, from personal experience in the past year or so, having had a ‘97 Shafer HSS and a ‘04 and a ‘09 of the same bottling and a PM LP from ‘04 and ‘14 along with this and more recent vintages of this cuvée, there is an undeniable trend in this direction. That said, with at least these 3 bottlings, they started far enough on the BDX side so that while I can’t unequivocally say I like the more modern stylings more, I can’t say that I like them consistently less, either and have felt very lucky to have all 3 of the cuvées in my back, and hopefully, future, pages.
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VISUAL IMPRESSION 5/5 Clarity: clear Color depth: deep Color shade: garnet red SCENT 13/15 Purity of tone: clean Intensity: pronounced Aroma expression: raspberry, chocolate, blackberry, blueberry, mint Development stage: fully matured TASTE 17/20 Sweetness: dry Acidity: low Tannins: middle minus, well balanced and round Alcohol: middle (13,5%) Body: full Taste intensity: full Taste expression: pronounced; black cherry, blueberry, vanilla, wood, hints of sweetness Finish: long OVERALL IMPRESSION 9/10 Quality: excellent Drinkability: drink now, still good for a few years
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This wine really surprised me! My generous friend decided to pull this out as a challenging follow up to a magnum of 2003 Margaux. He nailed it! This has loads of body, black and blue fruit. My friend nailed it "blueberry pie". Sweet and long. Excellent.
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Standout in lineup of 6 - 1996 cabs and Bordeaux. No bricking, sweet fruit in nose. Mid palate weight and sweetness that is easily identifiable as insignia or dominus. Drinking beautiful ly now and 10+ years to go
Tasted blind, older cab fruit nose, leather, still with fairly abundant fruit, palate matches, clean, mostly resolved tannin, silky texture, nose continued to open with air throughout the evening. Very enjoyable and in a perfect spot.
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From a 6 liter bottle. The cork was soft and slightly crumbly. Deep purple all the way to the edge. Great nose of toast, dried cherries and raisins. Huge and fresh mouthful of berries, black pepper and turned soil. Excellent.
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Pnp. Already very smooth. Bell pepper, pronounced ripe black and blue fruits, sweet wood, cocoa, leather, earthy and some graphite. Halfway between Old & New World style. 15% Merlot.
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It's like meeting an old friend taking this wine out of my cellar. Opened one hour prior to dinner and found the timing just about right with the wine still evolving positively throughout dinner. A true experience with an excellent CA red. Excellent nose with cherry, plum, black berries and tobacco. Palate was silky smooth with soft but not weak tannin and decent fruit. A very balanced act still. Maybe another year to go but not much more.
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Tasted blind. Dark garnet color. Watery rim about to brick but not yet. Ripe red fruit, garagiste, spearmint, subtle brown sugar on the beautiful nose, evolves to include violets. Rich red fruit on the palate, focused, perfect balance, tannins are fully resolved. Guessed Margaux - definitely an Old World style. I think wine is at the apex of its drinking window. 13.5% alcohol, I love Insignia and drinking the '96 makes me reminisce about this wine when made for finesse versus power. Sublime.
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Nice at pop and pour, improved over 3 hours open and pouring glasses. Scant sediment.
Clear ruby with orange tint. Nose of marigold and dried lilly with leathery dark stone fruit, a variety of kitchen spice. Palate followed suit with great balance, resolved tannin. Finish lingered.
Great window and not likely more to gain with age for me, next 1-5 years if I had more.
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Served out of a magnum on 2017 Thanksgiving showing aromas of blackberry, black cherry, smoke, dried herbs and no lacking in ripe fruit, hints of tar and mocha. The 1996 Insignia is a wine in near perfect balance and harmony. Phenomenal showing for this pedigree Napa bordeaux blend. Showed no age or symptoms of decaying. drink this now and over the next 5-7 years. Wonderful.
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4th Saturday group uptown tasting (R&C's): Popped and poured with dinner, courtesy of S. Displays a melange of red and black fruit along with saddle leather, spice, florals and dried herbs. Integrated and balanced. Red currants and plum, tobacco and earth flavors with a lingering finish. At peak.
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Cellared since release, perfect cork and fill. Dark red, minimal lightening at rim. Dark fruits, leather and tobacco on the nose. Medium-full body, great balance, ripe fruit, a little complexity, resolved tannins, moderately long finish. Fully mature but in no danger of fading. Excellent-outstanding.
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Guys Wine Night - Bring something you've been saving (Jason's House): Pop and pour, drank a good-sized glass over about 2 hours. I didn't think this was breadking down at all. It was plush, with some anise, saddle leather and clove. It did have a dark streak to it. I thought this wine was drinking well.
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Great Dinner at Jason's: Bring a bottle you have been saving: This was dark and all about simple but very nice fruit and oak. Tasty but to me, not so special at the price. Lost against some more interesting, very new world bottles (my favorite of which was the '07 Ream Becksffer Dr Crane)
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For Garth's meeting, opened with Ah-So. PNP and delicious from the get go, lots of red fruit, spices, tannins, and and acid finish. As with my previous experiences, within 30 min the fruit is beginning to fade and acid content become more prominent. Definitely best immediately after opening.
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As with my previous note, the cork was intact but defied all odds at normal extraction and basically disintigrated. Such a pain. One of these days I'm really going to have to learn how to use an Ah-So cork puller. Based on my experience last time, I didn't attempt decanting, and just sampled immediately. Wow, very pleasant soft fruit and faint sandalwood on the nose, on the palate a big expression of red fruit, oak, black pepper, tannins, faint acidity. Lingering finish. Much more meaty and bigger than the bottle I decanted a month ago, which I now attribute to the lengthy aeration. Best just to open the bottle, pop in a straw, and enjoy immediately.
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Cork intact but disintegrated with a cork-puller; lots of fussing and filtering required thereafter. Decanted (after filtering out the cork bits) for 2h. On the nose, some mild vegetal and spice notes, oak, and red berries. This is a mature CA cab, approaching the end of its drinking window. Oak and soft red cherries predominate, faint tannins (so this does have a few years to go!) and a gentle lingering finish. Great complexity but hardly a powerhouse; reminiscient of a stately old world Bdx.
Interestingly, lots of decanting did not really improve the wine, it showed best within 2 hours of opening (really, within 30 min); at 6 hours in the decanter it seemed a tad faded and thin.
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This wine is a baby. Oh so incredibly young. Crazy that it is 20 years old. It's fruity and maybe hints of spice. But a bit more closed down than the other wines which were shifting quite a bit in the glass. Kept a bit to drink later, but overall very good.
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Saturday night special. What's good with a movie, drinking by myself, not offending anyone by not sharing? Old Insignia. Perfect. Actually quite good, agree with community about 93-94 range. Good balance, depth flavors. Nose kind of missing, but good long finish. Middle of the fairway stuff. If properly cellared, still good, but may be on a slow downhill path now.
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Tobacco, earth, cigar box, truffle and blackberry round out the potent nose. On the palate, the wine is plush, round, concentrated and plummy with a sweet, dark chocolate finish.
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Silky smooth, but still quite primary. Dark fruit and mineral notes overlay a backbone with plenty of scidity. Nice enough with roast leg of lamb, motels and asparagus, but not a Wow wine, either.
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Tasted blind. Oil paints, clay, some oregano, and cinnamon candy in a sexy intoxicating nose. Mulled fall spices and tar on the front end. Licorice palate. Tannins have been welded into the mature dried fruit in a fantastic way. Completely open and accessible. Hints of tobacco and smoke in a long finish. Powerful and classy.
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Loved this. Super-elegant, lovely depth of fruit on the nose and palate but with great lift, balance and vivacity in the mouth. Tannins are smooth and oak is judicious. In its early window of maturity and ready to go. This clobbered a 96 Cos d'Estournel in a Cali-Bordeaux 96 match-up.
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HDH Auction; 12/13/2014-12/14/2014 (TRU): A very big wine, with an overpowering amount of red and dark fruits with softening tannins on the finish; Fans of this style will probably like this more than me, but even with nearly 20 years of age I found it to be too over the top
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HDH auction tasting at Tru; 12/12/2014-12/13/2014 (Chicago, IL): A lot of pencil shaving character on the nose, but there's some confected fruit flavours that remind me of 2003 France. Very, very big and ripe, but the palate doesn't have much to show for it. Simultaneously heavy and empty on the palate, this is just a boring bottle of wine.
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beginning to descend, now the color is tending to tawny around the edges, the bouquet is deep, ripe, purple fruits and some secondary nuances, but the hint of stewed prunes is beginning to dominate, suggesting the fruit was super-mature when picked. Very little acidity and structure left, soft, silky tannins and rich fruit make for a pleasant if not wildly outstanding wine.
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best of '96 vertical with Dunn Howell Mt and Dominus. the fruit and Dominus and structure depth of Dunn- best of both. At peak and very unlikely to improve and will decline
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Summer cabin weekend; 8/8/2014-8/9/2014 (Cleveland, GA): Decanted 75 minutes and followed over the next two hours. The nose has Napa herbs, milk chocolate, toasted wood, smoke, teriyaki sauce, blueberry, and plum skin. The palate has nicely refined dark fruits, dry clay-tinged black currants, plum, and berry. Drink now-2022.
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Shows its age a bit more than the previous bottle (drank last year), but overall very similar and still holding up very well. Still has good fruit left, plus savory, leather notes.
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Deep red; Ripe black cherry, prunes, iodine, cigar box nose. As much as the nose gives an impression of dark fruit perhaps overripe fruit, the palate is focused with black current and blackberry fruit with great acidity that carried the fruit well. Tannins mostly resolve, Very long finish. Drank together with 2004 Argentiea and 1995 Leoville Poyferre with beef tenderloin. As great as this wine is both were better food matches than the Insignia. (94)
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Decanted and re-bottles two hours before serving. Clear dark garnet color. Initial bouquet of meat juice, mincemeat, and Band-Aid. Blew off after a while to reveal a fine bouquet of red cherries, raspberries, stewed rhubarb, cigars, and coffee grounds. Similar on the palate, full body with excellent balance. Group's SECOND PLACE tonight.
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Dark and powerfully concentrated, with the fruit still holding up. Not at all overdone though--the fruit is not sweet (at least not any longer) and the alcohol and oak are not showing through. Notes of black and red fruit, with chocolate, herbs, leather, and tobacco, along with some lingering tannins and a great acid backbone. No doubt the fruit is not as bright as it was a decade or so ago, but this doesn't seem like an "old" wine. Should still have some time ahead of it.
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Wow. Wine of the evening. Probably would have benefited from a decant as there was some decent sentiment. Drinking perfectly now. Not sure if it would improve much beyond here and it could be at its peak. Just pure smoothness in the glass. Great nose, great finish. Drink now and enjoy.
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Dinner with friends (Courtright's Restaurant, Willow Springs, IL): From Sue's cellar. Decanted briefly before being served with dinner. Deep inky crimson just barely lighter at the meniscus. Aromas of saddle leather, mint, licorice, blackberry and roasted herbs. Medium-bodied and very well-balanced with nicely integrated tannins. Currant, dried cherry, chocolate, black fruit, herb and mint flavors with a long, balanced finish. Wonderful depth and complexity with a wonderful texture. In a great place right now but should hold for quite a while. Drink 2013-2018+.
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Notes much like the last bottle, but now I think this is nearing the end of its peaking drinking window. The mocha and graphite flavors are wonderfully integrated but notes of forest floor rot and a loss of focus are on the rise. Delicious wine.
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Joseph Phelps Insignia Vertical 2008>1994 with Robert Baxter (Handford Wines, London): WOTN for us and for the group. Nice open nose, Supple and round and singing all the way. Lots of fruit here, minty notes on the nose and although the oak is very much here it feels softer and readier. At a great time in its life. 96 dnt feel shy about opening this.
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Not in a good room to evaluate color, but it did not appear to show considerable bricking from what I could see. Youthful for its age. Nose of black cherry, forest floor. Expressive. Palate was delicious. Med+ acid. Black currant, bright black cherry flavor. Coffee. Tannins smooth. Decent heft, but not outstanding. Finish not as long to make it a blow-me-away wine.. Still in a great place, if you're cellaring, think about popping the 750s.
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Lovely brick red. Very aromatic. Smells of cassis, graphite and herbs. This wine is rich and long. Sweet cassis fruit, tannins are resolved. Has plenty of nuances and subltleties. Very fine wine. My note does not do this wine justice. It is exceptional. 13.6% abv.
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Opened and drank after 1 hour, very Left Bank aromatics and silky palate, NICE! Drank well for next 3 hours and we finished it too soon! drink now or keep.
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Tasted non blind at an offline. Double decanted and left cork out for four hours before serving.
Deep garnet color in the glass, clear looking throughout. Nose of dried herbs, balsamic, a hint of licorice, a hint of white pepper and some plums. Flavors of red berries, red cherries and a bit of balsamic. Medium acidity, medium to firm tannins, medium to full bodied. Drink or hold.
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CT Wisconsin Offline (Madison, WI): Again I got a faint tea component with earth/underbrush, dark berries on the nose. In the mouth this wine felt slightly astringent with very dry tannins on the finish.
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Closed down after opening... decanted, bottle rinsed and back in the bottle at 5 pm. Not very impressive.
Re-opened and decanted at 6,30... dry tannins on the finish... astringent. Not a whole lot of fruit.
6,45 really starting to open up and smooth out. Black fruits, finish improving.
7,00 this is really a nice wine. Youthful, lots of ripe black fruit, very balanced and smooooth. Does not have layers of complexity, but really nice. 92-93 pts.
I was surprised by the length of time and air needed to make this really enjoyable. Will probably go to a 2 hour decant and no re-bottle with the next one.
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4 hour decant. drank next to 2 Bordeaux wines and the Insignia fit in well. red fruit, cedar, and cigar box on the nose. good structure -- holds firm on the palate and offers silky texture. med - long finish. great wine.
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Insignia vertical, Genka Wine Fair. Another great Insignia. Dark garnet. Fantastic nose combinig nicely cassis, damson fruit and berry with tertiary aromas of leather and underbrush. Mid-full bodied, very elegant with silky tanins, bright fruit, balancing acidity and a long, persistent finish.
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Textbook Napa meritage. Ruby-garnet color. Nose has focused cassis, cherry, and creamy aspects. Merlot character is evident, with woodsy earth and game aromas. Mature and seamless. Does everything right.
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Dark cherry color. Interesting nose of dark fruits and yellow mustard. Decent ripe fruit showing some secondary notes, but a bit thin and simple. Conisderable alcohol emerging on the finish. Fell apart quickly in the glass. Disappointing.
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Very dark purple profile to the rim. Very strong notes of cedar, creme de-cassis, licorice and eucalyptus fill the air before the nose. A more lively wine at this point than my last several 95's and 97's. A strong tannic backbone melts to reveal a wine with flavors of dark rich blackberry, mocha and spice. The wine is very much alive, and showing very well for 14 years old. This was not a wine that I loved when tasted in oak I believe because of its large tannic bite. The tannins are still present although much more tame than I remember and a better wine than I expected it to be. aA full 40 second finish urges the next sip. Excellent bottle.
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Really nice bottle of wine. Should have decanted and let breathe for an hour. Deep red fruits, with currant and some sour cherry, a twang of red berry on the finish, hints of tea and leather. Quite light on its feet, yet nice and rich, with warm fruit flavors. Still some noticeable tannins. More primary than anything else, I'd guess this wine has at least 10 more years of interesting improvement. And it was "only" $65. At that price I should've backed up the truck :-) (PE: 93)
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I've had this laying around for a while, and based mostly on other reviews I decided it was time to open her up before she ran over the hill. I didn't experience the wave of cedar or oak that other people have reported. The nose was quite Bordeaux-like in the sense that there was almost a barnyard scent immediately followed by candied fruit. No decant necessary, but I did let the bottle breathe open for about 3 hours before dinner (didn't know quite what to expect). On the palate, simple expressions of dark cherry, plum, chocolate and light oak. This is obviously aged Cali cab by the simple expression. A very nice companion to my dinner of filet crowned with shrimp and bearnaise. The tannins are fully integrated and this wine is definitely in its peak window, throwing light sediment at this point. I don't believe this wine will go anywhere but down from here.
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Huge pine forest nose... like walking on to a Christmas tree lot. Flavors of fresh bing cherry, baking spices, cedar, espresso, leather, and a zippy acidity that belies its 13 years of age. Very long finish with a smooth, rich mouthfeel. I didn't love this wine to the extent some recent tasters did, but all-in-all, an excellent bottle. Probably the one thing holding this wine back from stratospheric scoring with me was that cedar nose... it was almost too much. I wish I had this bottle a couple of years ago.
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Translucent cherry red color. Leather and tannins on the nose. Flavors of leather, cassis, and blackberry (without the sweetness), This Insignia has aged beautifully and displays an elegant balance of fruits and tannins. The wine is consistent from start to finish. Very enjoyable.
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Still holding its own as a "young adult". Color remains inky nearly to the rim. The nose is an effusive berry, currant, stone, and oak blast. Compared to a '92 Dalla Valle at the table (more elegant and balanced, wonderful wine!) this wine has more fruit, more typicity for northern Napa, more grip. More of the iron fist in a velvet glove feel. I think it can improve further. Still has 7+ years, it'll make 20 no problem!
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Drank in San Antonio at Cree and Sara's wedding with Susan, Peggy, and Gordon. Stunning wine. Excellent structure and balance. Absolutely delicious. Ready to go but probably has several more years of life ahead. Purple black color with no lightning at the edges. Boquet lept from the bottle when the cork was pulled. Nose was intoxicating and palate was deep and rich with a finish exceeding 30 seconds. Way more than I expected. Drink or hold.
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No need to differ from pro scores on this bottle. Beautiful nose of blackberry, cherry and spice. Medium bodied and silky with blackberry, currant, cherry, and a touch of vanilla, with a very long finish that adds a bit of spice. Tannins were just a touch rougher and drier than I would have expected. In a beautiful place, just not as lush as some other vintages I have had in the past such as the '94 and '97.
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The cork crumbled but that was about the only aspect bad with this bottle. Ultra smooth and silky with a blackberry jam that was soon filled by a chocolate aroma. It's really special to taste an aged bottle that still has an amazing finish yet the tannins have subsided to a more enjoyable level.
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Lovely aromas and dark ruby color. Long smooth, complex wine with soft, luscious tannins. Loads of fruit while still showing spice and earthy flavors. Just fantastic.
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Did not decant. Black licorice on the front end. Loads of dark fruit followed. Full long finish. Settled into very well balanced and complex monster. We then drank an 03 ZD reserve a T-vine cab and a Swanson Alexis.
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Not sure what the problem was, but had very off putting flavors and aromas. The wine seemed mature and lovely behind the flaw. Was not cork, must be something from the wine. This is my first 96. Did not improved with time. stuck bottle in fridge to try tonight, out of curiousity, but have no hope. I was right. No change on day 2.
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Herbs, dark cocoa, hints of woodsmoke, black olive, and dark fruit on the nose. Best on the initial impression on the palate where there is intense currant fruit, and wonderful, creamy cassis. The finish is dry and carries just enough fruit. No hurry, but I don't think the finish is going to improve.
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This is fantastic and a drinking at its prime. Opened for dinner with Roxanne. Tom and Marilynne. Great balance, full in the mouth, lots of fruit, leather, some earth, concentrated with a silky long finish. Wonderful.
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The French Invasion (Byfield, MA): Purple color. Dense nose of dark fruits, cassis, spices. Palate of blackberry, cassis, mocha, cedar. Thick mouthfeel. Mature tannins. This was truly a spectacular wine.
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Very nice. Opened with a touch of Brett that showed up as equal amounts of cheesiness and barnyard. That mostly blew off to leave a wine that had a very nice balance of fruit and a little mushroom to it. Enjoyable lead pencil taste with a very nice long finish.
Now is certainly a nice time to drink it, but it could hold off for a bit. It has either shut down or died after a couple hours of being opened.
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Thirty Years of Phelps Insignia (1974 through 2004): Impressive blend of red and black fruit on the nose. Concentrated fruit with some oak dominate the taste. Very youthful. Very tannic. Good length on the finish. Should develop nicely.
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Lovely aged look and smell, brick red at edges and some cheesy funkiness. Fruit fresh and strong, silky glycerine chewy mouthfeel, sweet and soft with perfectly integrated tannins. Nice peak cali cab.
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Might not be everyone's cup of tea but I thought it was great! Purple color, a lush syrupy texture with glycerin laden fruit that goes on and on. Significant but fine tannins in balance and this has 10+ yrs left. Top 3 of 30 blind tasted.
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Cab Lovers of NYC Insignia Vertical (Zoe): I loved this wine. Real primary at this stage it began with notes of prune and oak but soon exploded with vibrant, young fruit (cherry, raspberry!). The oak is clearly there, but well integrated already and will improve. Great earthiness to this one as well. This will benefit with a bit more bottle time. The surprise wine of the evening given the reviews. Tied with '95 for WOTF.
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Ditto to Siggy's review (including what we had with it, amazingly enough!). Didn't get to the melted chocolate though; it didn't last that long! Expected a bit more complexity, but very rich and satisfying.
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Dinner at home of beef pot roast with porcini mushrooms. Another great bottle from an underrated vintage. Elegant and balanced, with deep dark fruit, minerals, and a long finish. Interesting notes of melted dark chocolate, which became more prominent after a few hours.
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Black core, ruby to the rim. Deep, rich notes of cassis, mocha, and cedar. Classic structure and balance, nice minerality, with a long finish. I agree that this is an underrated vintage for Insignia.
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Just a great bottle. Wonderfull integration of fruit and tobacco with a lasting finish. Insignia never fails me for a tasting and delivers the goods. This is a very underappreciated year for this.
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After a decadent two days of drinking, I'm sure that I was a bit numb to this bottle, but it was still awesome. Rich berry, strawberry, and currant flavors with finely integrated tannins. A bit of smoke and some licorice, with a hint of saddle, and a long finish.
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A little disappointing, although only relative to expectations. Has mellowed nicely, but didn't go great with the earthy overtones of some of the food we had it with.
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Decanted for 2 hours. Ebullient aromas of menthol, macerated raspberries, and herbs. A solid core of black currant and cocoa flavor, tinged with tobacco. Nice velvety texture. Still snugly gripped with considerable tannins, this will probably improve with another 3-5 years of cellar time. A very classy combination of power and finesse.
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3/22/2024 - Labrador Likes this wine: 95 Points
This was a beautiful wine that was at the peak of its powers.
It was perfectly balanced and still quite fresh and elegant with a lovely nose of dark/red fruit with hints of spice. It was sublime in the mouth with just the right hint of sweetness. The finish was long and very enjoyable. It definitely had that "aaahhh" factor.
NOTE: We did not decant, and it showed a surprising amount of sediment That did not negatively impact the wine in any way, but you might consider decanting.
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12/8/2023 - wineton.mee wrote: 94 Points
96 Insignia is showing very well today. Raj Parr thought it’s full of glyphosate junk lol, fair enough but I for sure don’t taste it in the wine. Feels no more than 15 years, the fruit is clean and polished, ripe cherries and plums, some chocolate shavings, cigar box and light bell peppers, not at all an oaky mess. A lot of enjoyment to be found here today or 10 years down the road.
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10/7/2023 - Pitkin_CT Likes this wine: 97 Points
Drinking beautifully. Needed about an hour to open up
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9/8/2023 - Chekib m. Likes this wine: 93 Points
Medium ruby.
Intense and expressive nose, with marked cedary and menthol. cassis and blue berries, cigar flavours less prominent.
Medium body, soft and velvety with some slight tannins still present but not intrusive. Very balanced and good intensity throughout.
all flavours coming together; More red berries with slight blue berries flavours. Menthol, cedar and tobacco. Some licorice at the end.
Very long. Excellent.
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7/2/2023 - tinycellar wrote: 95 Points
Gorgeous in every sense of the word. So many special qualities. At peak or slightly beyond. Still has a light bite.
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2/5/2023 - RBaird wrote:
dinner with Oscar, Ellen at Zeru. Yummy
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11/11/2022 - sfwinelover1 Likes this wine: 98 Points
One off magnum (hard to price individual bottles, but probably about $240) from a large private party purchase 2 years ago. Subtle and vibrant on the nose and palate with notes of mixed black and blue berries, dark florals, earthy minerality, chocolate, leather, anise, dark chocolate and a touch of tar. Mid purple, medium to full bodied, thick legs. Well integrated, silky medium tannins, light to medium acidity, no heat. VG++ complexity, VG+ persistence and intensity. The kickoff of magnum madness and weekend festivities, I knew I’d serve this in a group with my sis and her partner, even if the others (we were 8 in total for a dinner at the Noe Valley estate) weren’t wine cognoscenti. The ah so pulled the surprisingly firm cork out with an impressive pop, and the wine showed an almost ineffable lightfootedness, so much so I’d have put my chips in the middle on this being a BDX. More than drinkable off the pour, the suppleness of the wine made me just a bit concerned that this might lose altitude quickly, like, to varying degrees, the ‘04 La Jota CS and the ‘06 Araujo Eisele, so we kept this corked. But not to worry: not only did this not happen, but it continued to develop and deepen over the couple of hours it was open. A wonderful companion to our homemade pizza and calzones, this was more than equally comfortable on its own, and, while it’s in a great place—at least this bottle, as a well-stored magnum was—but probably not likely to get better, it feels to me like this should hold well over the next 5+ years, maybe more. This wine was not only the WOTW (the second “W” being “weekend”), but would have climbed the medal stand against any of the BDX from the tasting at csimm’s. It would have been nice to have it against the ‘16 Pontet, to which this was preferred, and/or the ‘06 Abreu Madrona, which this ever so slightly fell short of, as my favorite wine of the Autumn. It also felt a step or 2 above the VG++/excellent mid to late 90s Napas I enjoyed at the tasting soyhead arranged in August, although as observed in the lens of the BDX tasting, having so many similar wines together can sometimes make the individual qualities of each blur. As an aside, I’ve had numerous Insigs over the years, although this was the furthest from the vintage date (and perhaps the only mag), and this struck me as solidly the best, although they’ve all been at least 95 point wines by my scoring. Someone else in a note observed that ‘97 was the watershed year in Napa, when the warmth of the vintage led to fuller, riper wines, and after that year, that became the new normal (with later picks, presumably, compensating at least somewhat for relatively cooler vintages). While I’m not sure that’s 100% accurate, I note that, from personal experience in the past year or so, having had a ‘97 Shafer HSS and a ‘04 and a ‘09 of the same bottling and a PM LP from ‘04 and ‘14 along with this and more recent vintages of this cuvée, there is an undeniable trend in this direction. That said, with at least these 3 bottlings, they started far enough on the BDX side so that while I can’t unequivocally say I like the more modern stylings more, I can’t say that I like them consistently less, either and have felt very lucky to have all 3 of the cuvées in my back, and hopefully, future, pages.
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7/29/2022 - gerdberg wrote: 94 Points
VISUAL IMPRESSION 5/5
Clarity: clear
Color depth: deep
Color shade: garnet red
SCENT 13/15
Purity of tone: clean
Intensity: pronounced
Aroma expression: raspberry, chocolate, blackberry, blueberry, mint
Development stage: fully matured
TASTE 17/20
Sweetness: dry
Acidity: low
Tannins: middle minus, well balanced and round
Alcohol: middle (13,5%)
Body: full
Taste intensity: full
Taste expression: pronounced; black cherry, blueberry, vanilla, wood, hints of sweetness
Finish: long
OVERALL IMPRESSION 9/10
Quality: excellent
Drinkability: drink now, still good for a few years
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1/29/2022 - prof b wrote:
Magnificent. Classic cabernet from California pre-ripeness rush of 97.
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12/11/2021 - UFGators Likes this wine: 95 Points
This wine really surprised me! My generous friend decided to pull this out as a challenging follow up to a magnum of 2003 Margaux. He nailed it! This has loads of body, black and blue fruit. My friend nailed it "blueberry pie". Sweet and long. Excellent.
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5/16/2021 - AB16 Likes this wine: 97 Points
Standout in lineup of 6 - 1996 cabs and Bordeaux. No bricking, sweet fruit in nose. Mid palate weight and sweetness that is easily identifiable as insignia or dominus. Drinking beautiful ly now and 10+ years to go
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5/13/2020 - gwpski wrote: 95 Points
Very mellow - has aged extremely well
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4/17/2020 - Vinophiliac559 wrote:
Tasted blind, older cab fruit nose, leather, still with fairly abundant fruit, palate matches, clean, mostly resolved tannin, silky texture, nose continued to open with air throughout the evening. Very enjoyable and in a perfect spot.
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12/19/2019 - SMagowan Likes this wine: 96 Points
From a 6 liter bottle. The cork was soft and slightly crumbly. Deep purple all the way to the edge. Great nose of toast, dried cherries and raisins. Huge and fresh mouthful of berries, black pepper and turned soil. Excellent.
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12/12/2019 - wineappellation Likes this wine: 94 Points
Pnp. Already very smooth. Bell pepper, pronounced ripe black and blue fruits, sweet wood, cocoa, leather, earthy and some graphite. Halfway between Old & New World style. 15% Merlot.
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9/12/2019 - tinycellar Likes this wine: 94 Points
It's like meeting an old friend taking this wine out of my cellar. Opened one hour prior to dinner and found the timing just about right with the wine still evolving positively throughout dinner. A true experience with an excellent CA red. Excellent nose with cherry, plum, black berries and tobacco. Palate was silky smooth with soft but not weak tannin and decent fruit. A very balanced act still. Maybe another year to go but not much more.
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4/1/2019 - dfcrutcher Likes this wine: 91 Points
Nice soft tannins still with good structure and fruit. Clearly on the downhill side, though, so drink sooner than later.
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11/8/2018 - unionst Likes this wine: 97 Points
Tasted blind.
Dark garnet color. Watery rim about to brick but not yet.
Ripe red fruit, garagiste, spearmint, subtle brown sugar on the beautiful nose, evolves to include violets.
Rich red fruit on the palate, focused, perfect balance, tannins are fully resolved. Guessed Margaux - definitely an Old World style. I think wine is at the apex of its drinking window.
13.5% alcohol, I love Insignia and drinking the '96 makes me reminisce about this wine when made for finesse versus power. Sublime.
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7/6/2018 - Empirate Likes this wine: 94 Points
Nice at pop and pour, improved over 3 hours open and pouring glasses. Scant sediment.
Clear ruby with orange tint. Nose of marigold and dried lilly with leathery dark stone fruit, a variety of kitchen spice. Palate followed suit with great balance, resolved tannin. Finish lingered.
Great window and not likely more to gain with age for me, next 1-5 years if I had more.
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11/25/2017 - passion4wine Likes this wine: 96 Points
Served out of a magnum on 2017 Thanksgiving showing aromas of blackberry, black cherry, smoke, dried herbs and no lacking in ripe fruit, hints of tar and mocha. The 1996 Insignia is a wine in near perfect balance and harmony. Phenomenal showing for this pedigree Napa bordeaux blend. Showed no age or symptoms of decaying. drink this now and over the next 5-7 years. Wonderful.
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5/29/2017 - timcan Likes this wine: 95 Points
After an hour decant, opened up nicely. This one still has a few years left.
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4/17/2017 - skurtz Likes this wine: 93 Points
Excellent, PNP with an ah-so. Perfect with bone-in filet at Barclay Prime. Consistent with my previous notes.
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2/25/2017 - AllRed wrote: 95 Points
4th Saturday group uptown tasting (R&C's): Popped and poured with dinner, courtesy of S. Displays a melange of red and black fruit along with saddle leather, spice, florals and dried herbs. Integrated and balanced. Red currants and plum, tobacco and earth flavors with a lingering finish. At peak.
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2/18/2017 - dbg wrote:
Cellared since release, perfect cork and fill. Dark red, minimal lightening at rim. Dark fruits, leather and tobacco on the nose. Medium-full body, great balance, ripe fruit, a little complexity, resolved tannins, moderately long finish. Fully mature but in no danger of fading. Excellent-outstanding.
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2/6/2017 - galewskj wrote: 93 Points
Guys Wine Night - Bring something you've been saving (Jason's House): Pop and pour, drank a good-sized glass over about 2 hours. I didn't think this was breadking down at all. It was plush, with some anise, saddle leather and clove. It did have a dark streak to it. I thought this wine was drinking well.
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2/4/2017 - mzimberg wrote:
Great Dinner at Jason's: Bring a bottle you have been saving: This was dark and all about simple but very nice fruit and oak. Tasty but to me, not so special at the price. Lost against some more interesting, very new world bottles (my favorite of which was the '07 Ream Becksffer Dr Crane)
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12/21/2016 - skurtz Likes this wine: 93 Points
For Garth's meeting, opened with Ah-So. PNP and delicious from the get go, lots of red fruit, spices, tannins, and and acid finish. As with my previous experiences, within 30 min the fruit is beginning to fade and acid content become more prominent. Definitely best immediately after opening.
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12/17/2016 - rgawlowski Likes this wine: 94 Points
Very elegant, earthy, berry nose, balaned smokey finish.
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9/18/2016 - skurtz Likes this wine: 93 Points
As with my previous note, the cork was intact but defied all odds at normal extraction and basically disintigrated. Such a pain. One of these days I'm really going to have to learn how to use an Ah-So cork puller. Based on my experience last time, I didn't attempt decanting, and just sampled immediately. Wow, very pleasant soft fruit and faint sandalwood on the nose, on the palate a big expression of red fruit, oak, black pepper, tannins, faint acidity. Lingering finish. Much more meaty and bigger than the bottle I decanted a month ago, which I now attribute to the lengthy aeration. Best just to open the bottle, pop in a straw, and enjoy immediately.
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8/18/2016 - nywine68 wrote: 94 Points
Beautiful wine. Still young and vibrant. Deep saturated flavors with some secondary nuances.
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8/18/2016 - skurtz Likes this wine: 92 Points
Cork intact but disintegrated with a cork-puller; lots of fussing and filtering required thereafter. Decanted (after filtering out the cork bits) for 2h. On the nose, some mild vegetal and spice notes, oak, and red berries. This is a mature CA cab, approaching the end of its drinking window. Oak and soft red cherries predominate, faint tannins (so this does have a few years to go!) and a gentle lingering finish. Great complexity but hardly a powerhouse; reminiscient of a stately old world Bdx.
Interestingly, lots of decanting did not really improve the wine, it showed best within 2 hours of opening (really, within 30 min); at 6 hours in the decanter it seemed a tad faded and thin.
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7/29/2016 - Labrador Likes this wine: 91 Points
A beautiful wine of great power. No specific notes.
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7/22/2016 - MC2 Wines Likes this wine:
This wine is a baby. Oh so incredibly young. Crazy that it is 20 years old. It's fruity and maybe hints of spice. But a bit more closed down than the other wines which were shifting quite a bit in the glass. Kept a bit to drink later, but overall very good.
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6/17/2016 - orange boy wrote: 95 Points
very nice wine perfect age balanced cherry fruit and tannins was not sure would hold up, but did
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4/9/2016 - levinml wrote: 94 Points
Saturday night special. What's good with a movie, drinking by myself, not offending anyone by not sharing? Old Insignia. Perfect. Actually quite good, agree with community about 93-94 range. Good balance, depth flavors. Nose kind of missing, but good long finish. Middle of the fairway stuff. If properly cellared, still good, but may be on a slow downhill path now.
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12/11/2015 - Labrador Likes this wine:
This was elegant and beautiful - truly special. It was one of the wines served at our annual Holiday Party. No Notes but definitely 90+.
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12/9/2015 - Jeff Leve wrote: 96 Points
Tobacco, earth, cigar box, truffle and blackberry round out the potent nose. On the palate, the wine is plush, round, concentrated and plummy with a sweet, dark chocolate finish.
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4/5/2015 - MLipton wrote:
Silky smooth, but still quite primary. Dark fruit and mineral notes overlay a backbone with plenty of scidity. Nice enough with roast leg of lamb, motels and asparagus, but not a Wow wine, either.
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2/20/2015 - andtheodor wrote: 92 Points
Tasted double blind. Cherry, firework smoke, caramel, resolved wood, garam masala, perfumed nose. Silky, mouthfilling, tobacco, cherry, clean palate. Lovely, tastes like an old Cabernet.
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2/13/2015 - Doc90 wrote: 95 Points
Tasted blind. Oil paints, clay, some oregano, and cinnamon candy in a sexy intoxicating nose. Mulled fall spices and tar on the front end. Licorice palate. Tannins have been welded into the mature dried fruit in a fantastic way. Completely open and accessible. Hints of tobacco and smoke in a long finish. Powerful and classy.
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1/1/2015 - PJRONeill Likes this wine: 94 Points
Loved this. Super-elegant, lovely depth of fruit on the nose and palate but with great lift, balance and vivacity in the mouth. Tannins are smooth and oak is judicious. In its early window of maturity and ready to go. This clobbered a 96 Cos d'Estournel in a Cali-Bordeaux 96 match-up.
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12/14/2014 - eluebchow wrote: 85 Points
HDH Auction; 12/13/2014-12/14/2014 (TRU): A very big wine, with an overpowering amount of red and dark fruits with softening tannins on the finish; Fans of this style will probably like this more than me, but even with nearly 20 years of age I found it to be too over the top
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12/14/2014 - stayhappy21 wrote: 90 Points
Tasted this wine at my year end wine gathering at Jade Palace Restaurant.
Colour is purplish-red. Wine is a little closed and not fully expressive. Distinctive cabernet-merlot characteristics from the start to the finish.
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12/13/2014 - acyso wrote: 83 Points
HDH auction tasting at Tru; 12/12/2014-12/13/2014 (Chicago, IL): A lot of pencil shaving character on the nose, but there's some confected fruit flavours that remind me of 2003 France. Very, very big and ripe, but the palate doesn't have much to show for it. Simultaneously heavy and empty on the palate, this is just a boring bottle of wine.
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11/29/2014 - thwacker Likes this wine: 91 Points
beginning to descend, now the color is tending to tawny around the edges, the bouquet is deep, ripe, purple fruits and some secondary nuances, but the hint of stewed prunes is beginning to dominate, suggesting the fruit was super-mature when picked. Very little acidity and structure left, soft, silky tannins and rich fruit make for a pleasant if not wildly outstanding wine.
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11/25/2014 - shutto1992@gmail.com Likes this wine: 96 Points
PNP. Spectacular Napa cab. Drinking beautifully right now.
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9/14/2014 - WDSteers wrote: 95 Points
best of '96 vertical with Dunn Howell Mt and Dominus. the fruit and Dominus and structure depth of Dunn- best of both. At peak and very unlikely to improve and will decline
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8/26/2014 - jsebiri wrote:
still tasting very nice , not great but well made and very enjoyable......
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8/8/2014 - Giggs wrote: 94 Points
Summer cabin weekend; 8/8/2014-8/9/2014 (Cleveland, GA): Decanted 75 minutes and followed over the next two hours. The nose has Napa herbs, milk chocolate, toasted wood, smoke, teriyaki sauce, blueberry, and plum skin. The palate has nicely refined dark fruits, dry clay-tinged black currants, plum, and berry. Drink now-2022.
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7/25/2014 - stevenjstein Likes this wine: 93 Points
Shows its age a bit more than the previous bottle (drank last year), but overall very similar and still holding up very well. Still has good fruit left, plus savory, leather notes.
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7/12/2014 - Milos wrote: 94 Points
Deep red; Ripe black cherry, prunes, iodine, cigar box nose. As much as the nose gives an impression of dark fruit perhaps overripe fruit, the palate is focused with black current and blackberry fruit with great acidity that carried the fruit well. Tannins mostly resolve, Very long finish. Drank together with 2004 Argentiea and 1995 Leoville Poyferre with beef tenderloin. As great as this wine is both were better food matches than the Insignia. (94)
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6/13/2014 - BernieMSY wrote: 94 Points
An excellent wine that fell just short of expectations.
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5/25/2014 - KVM wrote:
Dark red to purple. Cassis, lead pencil. Med to full body. Long, in shape to last 10 + years.
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5/22/2014 - Racer117 wrote: 92 Points
Impressively funky but still comes off overall as a new world nose; BDX body of rip and unripe berry; dark, dusty texture. Wonderful.
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5/22/2014 - Javachip wrote: 91 Points
Decanted and re-bottles two hours before serving. Clear dark garnet color. Initial bouquet of meat juice, mincemeat, and Band-Aid. Blew off after a while to reveal a fine bouquet of red cherries, raspberries, stewed rhubarb, cigars, and coffee grounds. Similar on the palate, full body with excellent balance. Group's SECOND PLACE tonight.
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11/19/2013 - stevenjstein Likes this wine: 94 Points
Dark and powerfully concentrated, with the fruit still holding up. Not at all overdone though--the fruit is not sweet (at least not any longer) and the alcohol and oak are not showing through. Notes of black and red fruit, with chocolate, herbs, leather, and tobacco, along with some lingering tannins and a great acid backbone. No doubt the fruit is not as bright as it was a decade or so ago, but this doesn't seem like an "old" wine. Should still have some time ahead of it.
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11/3/2013 - bv1 Likes this wine: 95 Points
Wow. Wine of the evening. Probably would have benefited from a decant as there was some decent sentiment. Drinking perfectly now. Not sure if it would improve much beyond here and it could be at its peak. Just pure smoothness in the glass. Great nose, great finish. Drink now and enjoy.
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3/30/2013 - AllRed wrote: 95 Points
Dinner with friends (Courtright's Restaurant, Willow Springs, IL): From Sue's cellar. Decanted briefly before being served with dinner. Deep inky crimson just barely lighter at the meniscus. Aromas of saddle leather, mint, licorice, blackberry and roasted herbs. Medium-bodied and very well-balanced with nicely integrated tannins. Currant, dried cherry, chocolate, black fruit, herb and mint flavors with a long, balanced finish. Wonderful depth and complexity with a wonderful texture. In a great place right now but should hold for quite a while. Drink 2013-2018+.
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1/23/2013 - shaferguy91 wrote: 92 Points
1 hour decant. Delicious mature wine. Probably at its peak or slightly past it.
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1/1/2013 - mwinky Likes this wine: 93 Points
very smooth, decanted for an hour, opened up nice, but it tasted thinner as the night went on drink now
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12/16/2012 - vendange wrote: 91 Points
Notes much like the last bottle, but now I think this is nearing the end of its peaking drinking window. The mocha and graphite flavors are wonderfully integrated but notes of forest floor rot and a loss of focus are on the rise. Delicious wine.
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11/16/2012 - bmurph29 wrote: 97 Points
Decanted for an hour. Black cherry aroma. Smooth from start to finish. This wine is great right now.
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11/11/2012 - shine wrote: 93 Points
Mature but still a long life yet. Secondary flavors of tobacco, graphite and leather.
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10/29/2012 - JSOL wrote: 90 Points
Mature and fading but still very drinkable. Caramel, leather and menthol notes. Interesting but at the end of its drinking window now.
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8/30/2012 - GA wrote: 94 Points
8/12 Great balance and life. 94 pts
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5/20/2012 - Traxx wrote: 91 Points
Well made wine, though tasting tired to me. Nothing very compelling, simple fruit, with some sweetness that I found off-putting.
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3/20/2012 - Papies wrote: 96 Points
Joseph Phelps Insignia Vertical 2008>1994 with Robert Baxter (Handford Wines, London): WOTN for us and for the group. Nice open nose, Supple and round and singing all the way. Lots of fruit here, minty notes on the nose and although the oak is very much here it feels softer and readier. At a great time in its life. 96 dnt feel shy about opening this.
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3/10/2012 - njc2o wrote: 93 Points
Not in a good room to evaluate color, but it did not appear to show considerable bricking from what I could see. Youthful for its age.
Nose of black cherry, forest floor. Expressive.
Palate was delicious. Med+ acid. Black currant, bright black cherry flavor. Coffee. Tannins smooth. Decent heft, but not outstanding. Finish not as long to make it a blow-me-away wine.. Still in a great place, if you're cellaring, think about popping the 750s.
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12/20/2011 - winemaker wrote: 95 Points
Lovely brick red. Very aromatic. Smells of cassis, graphite and herbs. This wine is rich and long. Sweet cassis fruit, tannins are resolved. Has plenty of nuances and subltleties. Very fine wine. My note does not do this wine justice. It is exceptional. 13.6% abv.
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10/1/2011 - InflationHedge wrote: 94 Points
Don't have my notes, but this was much more powerful and vibrant than the 96 silver Oak and 96 Kathryn Kennedy Cab. Still plenty of life ahead.
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7/24/2011 - danielk168 wrote: 93 Points
Opened and drank after 1 hour, very Left Bank aromatics and silky palate, NICE! Drank well for next 3 hours and we finished it too soon! drink now or keep.
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6/25/2011 - floydtp wrote: 92 Points
CellarTracker Wisconsin June 2011; 6/24/2011-6/25/2011 (Madison, WI- various venues): Tasted non blind at a tasting that included 94-99 Insignia. A touch of sweetness, briar patch, tobacco. Very Insignia in profile. Long finish with sour tobacco at the very end. Drink now and over the next 1-3 years. 92-93.
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6/25/2011 - wineismylife wrote: 90 Points
CellarTracker Wisconsin Offline I - Part Two - Double Vertical Tasting (petiteblanc's house in Madison, WI): WIML90
Tasted non blind at an offline. Double decanted and left cork out for four hours before serving.
Deep garnet color in the glass, clear looking throughout. Nose of dried herbs, balsamic, a hint of licorice, a hint of white pepper and some plums. Flavors of red berries, red cherries and a bit of balsamic. Medium acidity, medium to firm tannins, medium to full bodied. Drink or hold.
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6/25/2011 - IWineAlot wrote: 91 Points
CT Wisconsin Offline (Madison, WI): Again I got a faint tea component with earth/underbrush, dark berries on the nose. In the mouth this wine felt slightly astringent with very dry tannins on the finish.
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6/25/2011 - petitblanc wrote: 90 Points
CT Wisconsin Offline; 6/24/2011-6/25/2011 (Madison, WI): Very ripe, with borderline alcohol. Just a bit lacking in stuffing.
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6/25/2011 - bflood wrote: 94 Points
Thick, legs, ink, licorice, A brooding wine that is easily recognized for its unique and outstanding structure and mouthfeel.
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5/15/2011 - AlexHop wrote: 95 Points
Very special, round, good aged character, huge long finish. "Auction" bottling. Tasted at Insignia day 2011.
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2/28/2011 - RussK wrote: 94 Points
RUSSK WIC@Mike's. BB WOTN for all. This wine has it all. Great earthy nose.Good fruit and structure. very balanced and compelling.
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2/19/2011 - Redwonk wrote: 93 Points
Closed down after opening... decanted, bottle rinsed and back in the bottle at 5 pm. Not very impressive.
Re-opened and decanted at 6,30... dry tannins on the finish... astringent. Not a whole lot of fruit.
6,45 really starting to open up and smooth out. Black fruits, finish improving.
7,00 this is really a nice wine. Youthful, lots of ripe black fruit, very balanced and smooooth. Does not have layers of complexity, but really nice. 92-93 pts.
I was surprised by the length of time and air needed to make this really enjoyable. Will probably go to a 2 hour decant and no re-bottle with the next one.
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1/9/2011 - signotim wrote: 93 Points
4 hour decant. drank next to 2 Bordeaux wines and the Insignia fit in well. red fruit, cedar, and cigar box on the nose. good structure -- holds firm on the palate and offers silky texture. med - long finish. great wine.
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12/27/2010 - Ricky99 wrote: 94 Points
At Kraus's for Xmas dinner.... beautiful bottle, much like a fine bordeaux in style.
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10/4/2010 - Yiannis wrote: 95 Points
Insignia vertical, Genka Wine Fair.
Another great Insignia. Dark garnet. Fantastic nose combinig nicely cassis, damson fruit and berry with tertiary aromas of leather and underbrush. Mid-full bodied, very elegant with silky tanins, bright fruit, balancing acidity and a long, persistent finish.
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9/24/2010 - Giggs wrote: 93 Points
Textbook Napa meritage. Ruby-garnet color. Nose has focused cassis, cherry, and creamy aspects. Merlot character is evident, with woodsy earth and game aromas. Mature and seamless. Does everything right.
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7/29/2010 - cgrimes wrote: 95 Points
NSMFOW July 2010--Northern vs. Southern Hemisphere (The Grapevine, Salem, MA): Similar to my previous note: Purple color. Dense nose of dark fruits, cassis, spices. Palate of blackberry, cassis, mocha, cedar. Thick mouthfeel. Mature tannins. This was truly a spectacular wine.
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6/16/2010 - rstark wrote: 96 Points
Wine Tasting Cage - Masseto Gets Smacked Down by a bunch of Cali Cabs! (Pamplemousse Grille, Del Mar, CA): Medium garnet color, bright, clear. Leather and earth on the Bordeaux-like nose. Light plum fruits. Long finish of softened pretty fruit topped with essence of tobacco and leather. Good example of perfect anima/animus balance in a wine. #1 WOTN (out of nine)
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6/5/2010 - petitblanc wrote: 89 Points
Dark cherry color. Interesting nose of dark fruits and yellow mustard. Decent ripe fruit showing some secondary notes, but a bit thin and simple. Conisderable alcohol emerging on the finish. Fell apart quickly in the glass. Disappointing.
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5/31/2010 - Jaqiboy wrote: 93 Points
Very dark purple profile to the rim. Very strong notes of cedar, creme de-cassis, licorice and eucalyptus fill the air before the nose. A more lively wine at this point than my last several 95's and 97's.
A strong tannic backbone melts to reveal a wine with flavors of dark rich blackberry, mocha and spice. The wine is very much alive, and showing very well for 14 years old. This was not a wine that I loved when tasted in oak I believe because of its large tannic bite. The tannins are still present although much more tame than I remember and a better wine than I expected it to be. aA full 40 second finish urges the next sip. Excellent bottle.
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4/25/2010 - MarkC Likes this wine: 93 Points
Really nice bottle of wine. Should have decanted and let breathe for an hour. Deep red fruits, with currant and some sour cherry, a twang of red berry on the finish, hints of tea and leather. Quite light on its feet, yet nice and rich, with warm fruit flavors. Still some noticeable tannins. More primary than anything else, I'd guess this wine has at least 10 more years of interesting improvement. And it was "only" $65. At that price I should've backed up the truck :-) (PE: 93)
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1/2/2010 - tabularasa415 wrote: 92 Points
I've had this laying around for a while, and based mostly on other reviews I decided it was time to open her up before she ran over the hill. I didn't experience the wave of cedar or oak that other people have reported. The nose was quite Bordeaux-like in the sense that there was almost a barnyard scent immediately followed by candied fruit. No decant necessary, but I did let the bottle breathe open for about 3 hours before dinner (didn't know quite what to expect). On the palate, simple expressions of dark cherry, plum, chocolate and light oak. This is obviously aged Cali cab by the simple expression. A very nice companion to my dinner of filet crowned with shrimp and bearnaise. The tannins are fully integrated and this wine is definitely in its peak window, throwing light sediment at this point. I don't believe this wine will go anywhere but down from here.
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11/7/2009 - babnik wrote: 93 Points
Huge pine forest nose... like walking on to a Christmas tree lot. Flavors of fresh bing cherry, baking spices, cedar, espresso, leather, and a zippy acidity that belies its 13 years of age. Very long finish with a smooth, rich mouthfeel. I didn't love this wine to the extent some recent tasters did, but all-in-all, an excellent bottle. Probably the one thing holding this wine back from stratospheric scoring with me was that cedar nose... it was almost too much. I wish I had this bottle a couple of years ago.
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10/21/2009 - agebob wrote: 96 Points
Translucent cherry red color. Leather and tannins on the nose. Flavors of leather, cassis, and blackberry (without the sweetness), This Insignia has aged beautifully and displays an elegant balance of fruits and tannins. The wine is consistent from start to finish. Very enjoyable.
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8/28/2009 - Grinner wrote: 95 Points
Still holding its own as a "young adult". Color remains inky nearly to the rim. The nose is an effusive berry, currant, stone, and oak blast. Compared to a '92 Dalla Valle at the table (more elegant and balanced, wonderful wine!) this wine has more fruit, more typicity for northern Napa, more grip. More of the iron fist in a velvet glove feel. I think it can improve further. Still has 7+ years, it'll make 20 no problem!
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7/10/2009 - vintage61 wrote: 96 Points
Drank in San Antonio at Cree and Sara's wedding with Susan, Peggy, and Gordon. Stunning wine. Excellent structure and balance. Absolutely delicious. Ready to go but probably has several more years of life ahead. Purple black color with no lightning at the edges. Boquet lept from the bottle when the cork was pulled. Nose was intoxicating and palate was deep and rich with a finish exceeding 30 seconds. Way more than I expected. Drink or hold.
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2/15/2009 - jeffm_fla wrote: 91 Points
Aroma was weaker than expected. Good flavor but not great. Maybe past its prime.
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2/8/2009 - pbaek wrote:
2003 CdP tasting at Rothmann's Steakhouse, New York. Not as bad as the 1997 La Mouline, but pretty darn close. Pretty much undrinkable.
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2/7/2009 - SacredCow wrote: 92 Points
No need to differ from pro scores on this bottle. Beautiful nose of blackberry, cherry and spice. Medium bodied and silky with blackberry, currant, cherry, and a touch of vanilla, with a very long finish that adds a bit of spice. Tannins were just a touch rougher and drier than I would have expected. In a beautiful place, just not as lush as some other vintages I have had in the past such as the '94 and '97.
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12/5/2008 - bhalljr wrote: 94 Points
The cork crumbled but that was about the only aspect bad with this bottle. Ultra smooth and silky with a blackberry jam that was soon filled by a chocolate aroma. It's really special to taste an aged bottle that still has an amazing finish yet the tannins have subsided to a more enjoyable level.
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11/13/2008 - kgh wrote: 95 Points
Lovely aromas and dark ruby color. Long smooth, complex wine with soft, luscious tannins. Loads of fruit while still showing spice and earthy flavors. Just fantastic.
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11/9/2008 - bflood wrote: 94 Points
Did not decant. Black licorice on the front end. Loads of dark fruit followed. Full long finish. Settled into very well balanced and complex monster. We then drank an 03 ZD reserve a T-vine cab and a Swanson Alexis.
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9/22/2008 - vintage61 wrote: flawed
Not sure what the problem was, but had very off putting flavors and aromas. The wine seemed mature and lovely behind the flaw. Was not cork, must be something from the wine. This is my first 96. Did not improved with time. stuck bottle in fridge to try tonight, out of curiousity, but have no hope. I was right. No change on day 2.
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9/7/2008 - jeffm_fla wrote: 93 Points
Very good wine. Fresh, with good fruit and subtle vegetal flavors.
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7/13/2008 - vendange wrote: 90 Points
Herbs, dark cocoa, hints of woodsmoke, black olive, and dark fruit on the nose. Best on the initial impression on the palate where there is intense currant fruit, and wonderful, creamy cassis. The finish is dry and carries just enough fruit. No hurry, but I don't think the finish is going to improve.
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6/13/2008 - Mark wrote: 94 Points
This is fantastic and a drinking at its prime. Opened for dinner with Roxanne. Tom and Marilynne. Great balance, full in the mouth, lots of fruit, leather, some earth, concentrated with a silky long finish. Wonderful.
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5/5/2008 - Ricky99 wrote: 95 Points
with three other 96's this took the prize. big mouthful of fruit, finely balanced
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3/7/2008 - cgrimes wrote: 95 Points
The French Invasion (Byfield, MA): Purple color. Dense nose of dark fruits, cassis, spices. Palate of blackberry, cassis, mocha, cedar. Thick mouthfeel. Mature tannins. This was truly a spectacular wine.
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12/1/2007 - ml wrote:
Very nice. Opened with a touch of Brett that showed up as equal amounts of cheesiness and barnyard. That mostly blew off to leave a wine that had a very nice balance of fruit and a little mushroom to it. Enjoyable lead pencil taste with a very nice long finish.
Now is certainly a nice time to drink it, but it could hold off for a bit. It has either shut down or died after a couple hours of being opened.
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10/13/2007 - Dave Dalluge wrote: 93 Points
Thirty Years of Phelps Insignia (1974 through 2004): Impressive blend of red and black fruit on the nose. Concentrated fruit with some oak dominate the taste. Very youthful. Very tannic. Good length on the finish. Should develop nicely.
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10/13/2007 - Siggy wrote:
Insignia Vertical Tasting 1974-2004 (WA Frost, St. Paul): A touch floral on the nose. Deep, rich, concentrated black fruit. The fruit is very ripe, almost stewed (but not quite). Youthful.
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7/24/2007 - dant wrote: 95 Points
delicious, soft tannins, lead, fruit
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3/9/2007 - charleshetzel wrote: 99 Points
One of the best Insignia's we've had ever! The Fruit forwardness was incredible and this meritage's boquet left us longing for more!
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3/4/2007 - kenito799 wrote: 91 Points
Lovely aged look and smell, brick red at edges and some cheesy funkiness. Fruit fresh and strong, silky glycerine chewy mouthfeel, sweet and soft with perfectly integrated tannins. Nice peak cali cab.
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2/16/2007 - RJonesUSC wrote: 98 Points
Perfectly balanced. The other 2 I'll drink within a year or 2 for sure. No need to wait any longer.
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12/10/2006 - Grinner wrote: 95 Points
Might not be everyone's cup of tea but I thought it was great! Purple color, a lush syrupy texture with glycerin laden fruit that goes on and on. Significant but fine tannins in balance and this has 10+ yrs left. Top 3 of 30 blind tasted.
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11/26/2006 - CMCLR wrote: 92 Points
Perfectly aged- fully integrated oak. Great bottle of wine.
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6/8/2006 - Cheryl wrote:
Yes. 83 cab, 17 merlot, sweet scent, "fruit bomb", berries
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6/8/2006 - bsherwin wrote:
Cab Lovers of NYC Insignia Vertical (Zoe): I loved this wine. Real primary at this stage it began with notes of prune and oak but soon exploded with vibrant, young fruit (cherry, raspberry!). The oak is clearly there, but well integrated already and will improve. Great earthiness to this one as well. This will benefit with a bit more bottle time. The surprise wine of the evening given the reviews. Tied with '95 for WOTF.
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3/28/2006 - GreenDrazi wrote: 92 Points
Atlanta Vielles Vignes – Bone’s and Cabs (Bone's Restaurant, Atlanta, GA): Good nose. Bright, expressive cassis and red fruits with vanilla throughout and a lightly spiced frame. Silky fine, yet prominent tannins and good depth leading to a generous finish.
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3/1/2006 - kmforster wrote: 93 Points
Ditto to Siggy's review (including what we had with it, amazingly enough!). Didn't get to the melted chocolate though; it didn't last that long! Expected a bit more complexity, but very rich and satisfying.
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1/22/2006 - Siggy wrote: 93 Points
Dinner at home of beef pot roast with porcini mushrooms. Another great bottle from an underrated vintage. Elegant and balanced, with deep dark fruit, minerals, and a long finish. Interesting notes of melted dark chocolate, which became more prominent after a few hours.
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12/25/2005 - Siggy wrote: 94 Points
Black core, ruby to the rim. Deep, rich notes of cassis, mocha, and cedar. Classic structure and balance, nice minerality, with a long finish. I agree that this is an underrated vintage for Insignia.
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9/25/2005 - shaferguy91 wrote: 93 Points
Decanted 2 hours.
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7/17/2005 - g-man wrote: 94 Points
Just a great bottle. Wonderfull integration of fruit and tobacco with a lasting finish. Insignia never fails me for a tasting and delivers the goods. This is a very underappreciated year for this.
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12/11/2004 - MarkC wrote: 93 Points
After a decadent two days of drinking, I'm sure that I was a bit numb to this bottle, but it was still awesome. Rich berry, strawberry, and currant flavors with finely integrated tannins. A bit of smoke and some licorice, with a hint of saddle, and a long finish.
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12/4/2004 - AlexHop wrote: 92 Points
A little disappointing, although only relative to expectations. Has mellowed nicely, but didn't go great with the earthy overtones of some of the food we had it with.
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7/5/2004 - otisabdul wrote: 92 Points
Decanted for 2 hours. Ebullient aromas of menthol, macerated raspberries, and herbs. A solid core of black currant and cocoa flavor, tinged with tobacco. Nice velvety texture. Still snugly gripped with considerable tannins, this will probably improve with another 3-5 years of cellar time. A very classy combination of power and finesse.
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4/17/2004 - Jason wrote: 91 Points
The nose shows cassis, coffee, dried figs, and chocolate. Though the nose is very complex, the palate is sweet but a bit simple.
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4/17/2004 - Eric wrote: 94 Points
Seattle Tasting Group does 22 years of Phelps Insignia (Bellevue, WA, USA): The nose on this is somewhat high-toned with violet. Wow, this has a lush palate, really pretty and very piercing and high-pitched with a chambord like element, very much more like a Quilceda than an Insignia. Lovely!
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11/3/2003 - R2-D2 wrote: 91 Points
I can't put my finger on it, but something was missing from the wine. Lacking fruit, complexity and tannin, but still very pleasant.
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11/1/2003 - AndrewSGHall wrote:
Small window of goodness with cherry and cherry stones, well-wrapped tannins. Headed off into a disjointed zone and never returned.
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4/26/2003 - buckeye76 wrote: 92 Points
RICH FRUIT IN THE NOSE AND FLAVOR WITH TOUCHES OF LICORICE AND CHOCOLATE. MEDIUM TO LONG FINISH.
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