I’m in awe and this can still go a few years in my opinion. Deep red color with just a hint of brick on the edges. Nose was cedar and lovely herbs. Mouth still had bright fruit but gave away to leather and tobacco with an amazing hang time. A truly amazing wine and indicative of Napa 40+ years ago.
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Wow, just wow... Red peppers, red fruit, leather, its soft and caresses your toungue. This wine helps me understand why I love wine. The tannins are soft, the fruit is still very much there. Its a surreal experience to drink wines like this. We thought it might be a 90’s wine. 1970’s California in all it’s glory. The best wine of the day and an amazing example of what evolved, bordeaux style wines could be from California.
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With much hope and anticipation, this first vintage of Insignia was tasted as part of an Insignia mini-vertical. Sadly, this particular bottle, while drinkable, showed signs of heat damage and maderization.
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Thirty Years of Phelps Insignia (1974 through 2004): The nose is exhuberant and Graves-like featuring red fruit, licorice, smoke, mineral, and caramel. Really impressive stuff -- I could smell this for hours. If anything this wine steps it up a notch on the taste. The texture is plush and seductive with a great core of fruit yet it also feels structured. Flavors are rich and complex. Still tannic. The finish is long and deeply satisfying. I am extremely thankful to George for affording us the opportunity to taste this pristine bottle that he has been holding for all these years. A monumental wine. WOTF and WOTN.
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2/2/2024 - G_H wrote: 98 Points
A 1974 Napa Retrospective (Zunfthaus zur Waag Zürich): Incredibly dense and opulent nose, black fruit, plums, soy sauce, malt, caramel, dense and long. A stunner!
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10/16/2022 - Wine Kat Likes this wine: 96 Points
I’m in awe and this can still go a few years in my opinion. Deep red color with just a hint of brick on the edges. Nose was cedar and lovely herbs. Mouth still had bright fruit but gave away to leather and tobacco with an amazing hang time. A truly amazing wine and indicative of Napa 40+ years ago.
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6/26/2020 - Glaso da Vino wrote: 98 Points
Wow, just wow... Red peppers, red fruit, leather, its soft and caresses your toungue. This wine helps me understand why I love wine. The tannins are soft, the fruit is still very much there. Its a surreal experience to drink wines like this. We thought it might be a 90’s wine. 1970’s California in all it’s glory. The best wine of the day and an amazing example of what evolved, bordeaux style wines could be from California.
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11/21/2013 - La Cave d'Argent wrote: flawed
With much hope and anticipation, this first vintage of Insignia was tasted as part of an Insignia mini-vertical. Sadly, this particular bottle, while drinkable, showed signs of heat damage and maderization.
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10/13/2007 - Dave Dalluge wrote: 97 Points
Thirty Years of Phelps Insignia (1974 through 2004): The nose is exhuberant and Graves-like featuring red fruit, licorice, smoke, mineral, and caramel. Really impressive stuff -- I could smell this for hours. If anything this wine steps it up a notch on the taste. The texture is plush and seductive with a great core of fruit yet it also feels structured. Flavors are rich and complex. Still tannic. The finish is long and deeply satisfying. I am extremely thankful to George for affording us the opportunity to taste this pristine bottle that he has been holding for all these years. A monumental wine. WOTF and WOTN.
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