1985 Joseph Phelps Insignia

Community Tasting Notes (73) Avg Score: 91.7 points

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  4/21/2024 - Cailles wrote: 95 Points

  This was a highly elegant bottle of Cab with a vibrating red fruit core, spices, an earthy minerality and a touch of herbs. Blind I would have guessed this to be a decade younger, it’s so fresh and lively and with a superb balance. This had a more new world style and feel than many other big names in the 80s, certainly more than my beloved pre-1997 Dominus/Opus bottlings. Still, that balance, the silky texture and complex aromas deserve 95pts.

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  10/15/2023 - Pitkin_CT Likes this wine: 96 Points

  Drank with Frank and Ann Sanford

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  2/10/2023 - MC2 Wines Likes this wine:

  Napa 2023: the quieter version; 2/6/2023-2/11/2023 (Napa/Sonoma California): Wow was this young. Dark and intense. Black fruits. Some secondary coming in but I’d never have guessed this was ‘85 if we were blind. Suprisingly didn’t seem to have the same evolution as the Heitz in the glass but was always there and strong and structured. Can go for awhile.

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  9/1/2022 - kevinpatrick Likes this wine:

  Cork Vault Bottle Share 9.1.22 (Charlotte, NC): Popped and slo-ox for 2 hours before sampling. Others checked in prior and those who waited were rewarded. Red garnet in color the age is showing. Soft, chalky aromas of wilted rose petals on the nose. Gentle on the mouthfeel – rustic red raspberries still shine up front with secondary notes winning the day. A delicate wine with plenty of life on the night but probably drinking better in isolation rather than in a line-up of varied young/old grapes of varying geography. A delightful wine to be consumed soon before it crosses over too much further, Blend: 60% Cabernet Sauvignon, 25% Merlot, and 15% Cabernet Franc.

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  12/31/2021 - Pitkin_CT Likes this wine: 98 Points

  This was absolutely fantastic! Drinking beautifully now and at the height of its powers. Robert Parker once described it as “glorious,” and it certainly lives up to the assessment

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View all 73 Community Tasting Notes

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