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1997 Joseph Phelps Insignia |
| Vintage | 1997 |  Label 1 of 15   | |
| Type | Red | ||
| Producer | Joseph Phelps (web) | ||
| Variety | Red Bordeaux Blend | ||
| Designation | Insignia | ||
| Vineyard | n/a | ||
| Country | USA | ||
| Region | California | ||
| SubRegion | Napa Valley | ||
| Appellation | Napa Valley | ||
| UPC Code | 010465709608 |
| Community Tasting History |
Community Tasting Notes (average 94.3 pts. and median of 95 pts. in 236 notes) | |
| Tasted by markelln@bellsouth.net on 2/8/2010: FRENCH BAKERY 1997 NAPA vs TUSCANY BYO Dinner; 2/8/2010-2/9/2010 (The French Bakery, 1023 Kane Concourse, Bay Harbor Islands, Florida): David's wine (232 views) | |
| Tasted by JonBobbi on 2/8/2010 & rated 93 points: wonderfully integrated. Still has time left. some points off for slightly murky dark fruit, would expect a wine of this cailbre to be more focused on the mid palate. The horror of it all was that my wife opened this bottle and poured 1/3 of it over a filet and cooked it. Go figure. (231 views) | |
| Tasted by JJL on 2/7/2010 & rated 91 points: Served from double mag. Ironically the oldest drinking '97 I have had. Still good match with the Flannery rib cap. (89 views) | |
| Tasted by patwjr on 1/30/2010 & rated 95 points: P&P. A little tight finish at first, got better with air & time. Smooth, beautiful mature Napa Cab. Drink now or could still go a few more years. (553 views) | |
| Tasted by Brsed on 1/30/2010 & rated 94 points: Fight Night. No formal notes. A fantastic wine. Terrific layers of black fruit with some spice and earth. Great backbone but not overly tannic. This wine usually does not disappoint. (562 views) | |
| Tasted by grossie on 1/17/2010 & rated 94 points: At PrairieGrass with the Boersmas. This one still drinks so well- smooth, velvety mouthfeel. It was an interesting counterplay with the 01 Montelena which was a little less velvety but a little more refined where as the Insignia had more oak that met very well with the lush fruit of the vintage. Absolutely delicious. I'm going to try to make the last one go until 2017. (947 views) | |
| Tasted by otisabdul on 1/16/2010 & rated 95 points: Graciously opened by Grossie. Beguiling, flamboyant, deep, lush, and balanced yet decadent. Still a knockout and consistently one of my favorite Insignia vintages. It simply has never slowed down, right from the release date. An amazing wine. (851 views) | |
| Tasted by Richard Jennings on 12/28/2009 & rated 94 points: Jonathan Dinh 4th Annual Magnum Birthday Dinner (Donato Enoteca, Redwood City, California): From magnum - dark red violet color; black currant, satsuma plum, berry, sage nose; plush cassis, berry, black fruit, baked plum palate; medium-plus finish (1416 views) | |
| Tasted by JJL on 12/22/2009 & rated 93 points: Pre-Christmas Cab/Rhone Dinner at JJL's: This was sweeter than other bottles of this that I have had. Still drank well especially with the rib roast. (1299 views) | |
| Tasted by ghanbai on 12/21/2009 & rated 92 points: (713 views) | |
| Tasted by jad1964 on 12/15/2009 & rated 92 points: shared with a friend.1 hr decant. if you are looking for balance, this one has it bigtime. if you are looking for a reasonable finish, this one has it. if you are looking for in your face fruit, this one isnt there. a nice cab, i wouldnt call it big. i would call it smooth. (1861 views) | |
| Tasted by hyork on 12/6/2009 & rated 95 points: decanted for 45 minutes - dark, cassis flavors, smooth rich tasting, great finish - exceptional wine (1845 views) | |
| Tasted by PJVineyards on 12/3/2009 & rated 97 points: Exceptional. Still tannic and closed even after 12 years. Given 45 minutes to open up, the flavors just jump out at you. Great balance with wonderful when will it end finish. You can't stop drinking it. This wine has plenty of time left in it. I may wait another couple of years before opening another one (2038 views) | |
| Tasted by Lakersguy on 11/27/2009 & rated 94 points: Thanksgiving from Magnum. Decanted 1 hour to remove sediment. I've had this wine so many times and this is just started to show what it can be. The balance is perfect but it seemed a little one dimensional on this night. I still really liked it but would wait another few years to open another. (1952 views) | |
| Tasted by steffenpelz on 11/26/2009: Thanksgiving Wines: From Magnum. This is still just a baby. Still has tremendous, focused cherry and blackberry fruit and shows great balance. I got a little leather and tobacco, but the fruit is still so big that it's difficult for me to see through the wall of fruit and detect the nuances beyond it. Needs more time. I actually liked the Regusci better last night. (1968 views) | |
| Tasted by Anonymous on 11/22/2009 & rated 94 points: Drank at Jordan's graduation party, wanted to share with Jennifer. Popped and poured. I was shocked that this was still this much too young, and it was my last bottle. Excellent and certainly approachable, but could have coasted another 5 to 10 years, Deep dark eggplant to the rim, Moderate amount of dark fruit, on the nose and palate, all still primary. Definite tannin very present on the palate. Excellent structure and balance, should have had a long decant of several more years. Could warrant even higher score when mature. (2200 views) | |
| Tasted by rickym13 on 11/21/2009 & rated 95 points: (1516 views) | |
| Tasted by Anonymous on 11/19/2009 & rated 95 points: Was drinking very nice last night....very approachable...Big wine (4122 views) | |
| Tasted by Goshawk on 11/14/2009 & rated 95 points: Absolutely extraordinary - Like all my wines this bottle had been cellared at 58F and 65%RH. It was still a bit tight to the taste and so it was decanted and allowed to stand for 60 minutes. It then continued to open up over the next hour as conversation on the merits of correct cellaring ensued. The soft tannins had yielded to elegantly orchestrated flavors of blackberry, scorched earth, plum and cherry. Wow! (2398 views) | |
| Tasted by eric42 on 11/4/2009 & rated 98 points: Spectacular! (2812 views) | |
| Tasted by dbkitc on 10/26/2009 & rated 91 points: Ruby / garnet. Red berries, soap, smoke and a touch of menthol. Good complexity. Light compared to other wines tonight but showed good punch and lift. This finished nicely. I liked this better than most. Winey, in a good way. (91) (2851 views) | |
| Tasted by wrichmon on 10/25/2009 & rated 96 points: After 30 minute decant this wine was singing. The fruit was still fresh ripe and rich, offset by a powerful backbone that indicates it still has a few years of prime drinking. The finish was long and full. One of the best wines i have had to date. (2766 views) | |
| Tasted by wallnib on 10/23/2009 & rated 96 points: At the peak of its powers indeed. Fruit, earth, cedar and chocolate; all generously proportioned and exquisitely balanced. (2816 views) | |
| Tasted by psoals on 10/11/2009 & rated 95 points: Served with dinner at Bella Vista, on Skyline. Seamless Cabernet. Lush red fruits, almost creamy tannins, 45 second finish. One of those bottles that you just wanted to go on all night. Drinking phenominal right now, certainly not in decline, but I wonder if it will improve. (2963 views) | |
| Tasted by JJL on 10/10/2009 & rated 95 points: I have been drinking this wine since its release and I must say that it has always been a great drinker. It has certainly mellowed since those first bottles, but it never fails to impress. I picked up another case at the Zachy's LA auction today and since we were cooking steak, I figured it was a good time to pop a bottle. The most notable feature of this wine is its drinkability, which may also be its downfall, since it was gone before we knew it. Great acidity, still good tannins, nice dark fruits. No heat issues at all - less than 14% alc. from a CA wine, who knew it? I will miss this wine when it all gone. (2926 views) | |
| Only displaying the 25 most recent notes - click to see all notes for this wine... |
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| Producer website
About red wine The variety Red Bordeaux Blend on CellarTracker implies any blend using any or all of the five traditional Bordeaux varieties: Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot and Malbec. As such, this is used worldwide, whether for wines from Bordeaux, Meritages from California and Canada, some Super-Tuscan wines etc. Of interest concerning the sources for grapes for this wine: http://wine.appellationamerica.com/wine-review/669/Insignia.html jht WineAmerica (National Association of American Wineries) | Free the Grapes! California Wines (Wine Institute of California) California is one of the most diverse wine regions in the world, with almost 100 grape varieties grown in almost 10 viticultural areas, including dozens of different microclimates and soil types, as well as a very individualistic set of winemakers, many with international experience, which adds to and deepens that diversity. Napa Valley Wineries and Wine (Napa Valley Vintners) | Article in CellarTracker Napa Valley AVA |
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