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| Drinking Windows and Values |
| Community Tasting History |
| Community Tasting Notes (average 94 pts. and median of 94 pts. in 284 notes) - hiding notes with no text | | | Tasted by gew71walsh on 5/6/2024 & rated 95 points: Just about two years to the day since last bottle. Minimal decant, paired with prime rib. Beautiful nose of dark cherries and chocolate. Same on palate. Lingers at end. This is in a great spot and should last at this level for awhile. May try to spread my last two bottles over two year intervals from here as I tend to like Insignias from 10 to 18 years. (759 views) | | | Tasted by Darwine on 4/28/2024 & rated 98 points: Wow - best I have had in awhile!! The nosecwas so expressive of ripe dark fruit and leather with some nice herbs. Flavors followed with black cherry and blackberry with acid notes of ripe cherry. The tannis were perfect and layered leaving a beautiful long finish of black cherry and cassis. Chocolate notes were present but the cherry notes prevailed. Almost a perfect wine! (850 views) | | | Tasted by bestdamncab on 4/19/2024 & rated 93 points: Joseph Phelps Vineyards Spring Release Event (Joseph Phelps Vineyards, Napa Valley): Poured from magnum. $240 Winery release price. Nose of black cherry, rich fruit, and black berry, same on the palate, medium amount of soft tannins, very tasty, medium/big body, slightly harsh on the palate and finish, mouth filling, needs 7 years to peak, medium/long finish, enjoyed 3 pours, lovely aftertaste. (917 views) | | | Tasted by Philip67 on 4/7/2024 & rated 94 points: This is classy. Classic structure mire akin to a ripe Bordeaux than a Cali Cab. This is medium to full bodied, with a robust structure. Definitely dark fruit here - damson, black sour cherry. Leather and oak notes, along with some cedar and a touch of cake spices. Long with some complexity. Drinking now, will be better in 10 years. (1190 views) | | | Tasted by Bodyfxr on 3/25/2024 & rated 96 points: Decanted for well over two hours and over the course of drinking. Took to Bones Steakhouse in Atlanta and had with a bone in Fillet in a line up with a 2012 Caymus Special Selection and a 2012 Darius II. This was the WOTN imo. Very close to my last bottle, see post. What a beauty. I can't imagine this getting any better but it still has a ton of life left. Drink or hold. (1320 views) | | | Tasted by Bodyfxr on 12/16/2023 & rated 98 points: Decanted for over 90 minutes. WOWZERS!! This one goes down as one of my most memorable bottles. A beautiful nose of jam, spice and vanilla. Beautifully balanced on the palate with explosive flavors of dark fruit, cocoa, cassis, and sweet tobacco. Yumminess squared! The finish went on and on. Monumentally better than my previous bottles. Had with wagyu steak. Phenomenal pairing. Drink or hold, but I can't imagine this getting much better. (2023 views) | | | Tasted by Red Sox Fan on 12/9/2023 & rated 94 points: Four hour decant, K thought it was still a little tight and she was right. (2716 views) | | | Tasted by SonnyChiba on 11/19/2023 & rated 94 points: Delicious wine. Has picked up some elegance at age 11 to go along with its rich dark fruit. Better balance than I remember too. Really enjoyed this. (2740 views) | | | Tasted by sean7711 on 11/12/2023 & rated 95 points: After a subpar 2010 (thinking this may have been bottle variation or just a bad bottle), I pulled the 2012 the next night. We made homemade sauce with meatballs and sausage. This was a really nice, velvety wine with chocolate, vanilla and dark cherry. Polished off this very easily, would seek out more. Still 3-7 more years in it before the fruit fades. (3339 views) | | | Tasted by Levinsb on 10/28/2023 & rated 93 points: Reminds me of a very attractive blonde with very little new to say. Gorgeous texture and sweet tannins but beyond the power just isn’t unique or super interesting versus say great Barolo or No Rhône. I’d happily drink it again but it’s not a wine I would get too excited about. (2611 views) | | | Tasted by Darwine on 10/11/2023 & rated 98 points: A beautiful wine! Nosecof some leatger andcherbal elements with dark fruit influenced. Flavors followed with ripe dark fruit - dark cherry and ending with dark plum flavor. Chovalote thriughout. Finish was long with lingering tannins. A joy to drink!! (2541 views) | | | Tasted by Bordeaux_Jon on 9/17/2023 & rated 91 points: 91+, from half bottle.
My high expectations were not met. 10 years ago, I was blown away by the 1994, 1997, and 1999s tasted several times. I have rarely had a younger vintage that impressed me as much even at similar aging, eg. the 2001 or 2002 which seem more dominated with oak and more simplistic. The 2008 was the rare exception which did great in a single blind tasting. From half bottle the 2006 and 2007 were disappointments though that might have been from oxidation flaws. The 2011 from half was better and in fact better than this 2012.
The 2012 was so entirely dominated by new French oak. Now granted, I like the smell of said new French oak, but when I drink a $250 Napa Cab, I'd like some more complexity. With lots aeration, I got more cassis, cigar, and tar, but it took 2 hours and the last drop.
Potentially, with more decanting or aging, this wine will get better, hence the +, but there is the chance that it will simply lose the current energy it has and gain nothing, à la the 2001 and 2002. Time will tell. (2073 views) | | | Tasted by jsmorris707 on 9/15/2023 & rated 96 points: Similar to prior note after double decanting for 2 hrs; outstanding, drink or hold, no rush (2051 views) | | | Tasted by markcic on 9/2/2023 & rated 93 points: Over two years since I last tried a bottle. It was steak and lobster night at the club so I brought this bottle and a magnum of the 2012 Pahlmeyer as well as a bunch of friends and relatives to drink them with. Opened a couple of hours in advance which thinking on it I should have opened and decanted perhaps six or 8 hours prior. Typical Insignia nose and pallet but again it was tight not showing the fullness and depth that lies underneath. 93 for last night - I do believe that when it reaches 20 years of age it will be a 98/99. I have designated bottles in my cellar to go to my grandchildren when I pass. I am going ot take one of these bottle and tag it for my grandson Liam, who will turn 21 in 2036. I am sure it will be perfect at that time. (1908 views) | | | Tasted by tomoem on 8/26/2023 & rated 95 points: Thanks to Bob D on his 75th fro sharing this one. Only had a sip but wow was this viscous and balanced. Very resolved tannins and balanced wine at 11 years. Soft and velvety mouthfeel. (1851 views) | | | Tasted by Mapleglo330 on 8/9/2023 & rated 95 points: Decanted about an hour before dinner. Very big wine with blueberry, tobacco, and other fruits. A real mouthful. Drinking well today but plenty tannic to last more years. (1947 views) | | | Tasted by kr522 on 6/19/2023: No tasting notes as it was drunk amongst many other wines over a long Father’s Day weekend, but this was excellent. In the past I worried about alcoholic heat on the finish, but that did not present itself this time. Beautiful, deep, layered, and fairly balanced cab. (94-95) (2508 views) | | | Tasted by Darwine on 5/22/2023 & rated 98 points: A beautiful full bodied winecwith perfect integrated tannins. Drinking beautifully now!! Nosecof leather and dark fruit and flavors following were dark fruits, black raspberry, black cherry and some cassis. The tannins were soft but beautiful present leaving the finish long and enjoyable. A great wine. (2794 views) | | | Tasted by michigan dogs on 4/18/2023 & rated 97 points: WOTN We had a tasting from 3 magnums, Cayuse 2013 (92pts) , Sangenis Vaque 2007 (93pts), and Myriad Beckstoffer Dr Crane 2017 (94pts). At the end of the evening we shared 375's of Insignia and Monte
bello 2013 (96 pts). The Insignia was the best bottle of Insignia that I've had and is ready now-too bad it was only a small sample as it was shared between 7 people. (3361 views) | | | Tasted by MAXIMUM SATISFACTION on 4/10/2023 & rated 94 points: Smooth and ready to go even as a pop and pour. Black cherry, leather, cassis, anise and milk chocolate. Very much a 2012 in terms of opulence. (3174 views) | | | Tasted by denniswdern@gmail.com on 4/4/2023 & rated 91 points: Deep ruby color. Very little fading at the edges. Pronounced aromas of dark fruit (blackberry, blueberry), charred wood, earth. Medium tannins. Medium to high alcohol. Full body (this is a BIG wine!). Pronounced black fruit flavors. Long finish. (2981 views) | | | Tasted by ScottPreston on 4/3/2023 & rated 95 points: Fantastic blend. Very silky, soft tannins. This is ready to go, and should drink well for another 5 years (2666 views) | | | Tasted by wineguy1968 on 1/22/2023: Interesting wine. Ive been sitting on a case of this since release. I sort of forgot about it. Glad I pulled a bottle. (3497 views) | | | Tasted by Happytoro on 1/22/2023 & rated 89 points: I heard great things about Insignia and was surprised and disappointed. We did bottle decanting for several hours and then poured into decanter for 1 hour and consumed over dinner. There was not much on the nose, despite rigorous swirling. In the mouth, it was balanced with neither much acidity nor taste. The tannins were fine, but that was pretty much it. This bottle was closed for business. And it was a huge disappointed relative to the price paid. (1500 views) | | | Tasted by Bodyfxr on 12/16/2022 & rated 95 points: Decanted for over 90 minutes. Well......this bottle was quite a departure from the last bottle I had back in February of this year....and in a good way. Great inky black color with a nose of jammy black fruit yet a bit funky due to some age. This bottle was well balanced with silky tannins and all of its characteristics integrated so well. Went great with a perfectly cooked rib roast. Bottle variation is obviously a thing folks! And my experience here verifies just that. This was truly a beautiful bottle. Drink or hold. (3041 views) | | | Only displaying the 25 most recent notes - click to see all notes for this wine... |
| By Jeb Dunnuck
JebDunnuck.com, Up From The Cellar #3 and a Few Misc New Releases (8/25/2018)
(Joseph Phelps Cabernet Sauvignon Insignia Red) Login and sign up and see review text. | By Stephen Tanzer
Vinous, Vertical Tasting of Phelps Insignia (Apr 2016) (4/1/2016)
(Joseph Phelps Vineyards Insignia Napa Valley) Subscribe to see review text. | By Sara d'Amato
WineAlign (11/28/2015)
(Joseph Phelps Insignia, Napa Valley red) Subscribe to see review text. | By Michael Godel
WineAlign (11/26/2015)
(Joseph Phelps Insignia, Napa Valley red) Subscribe to see review text. | By John Szabo, MS
WineAlign (11/20/2015)
(Joseph Phelps Insignia, Napa Valley red) Subscribe to see review text. | By David Lawrason
WineAlign (11/18/2015)
(Joseph Phelps Insignia, Napa Valley red) Subscribe to see review text. | By Antonio Galloni
Vinous, 2013 Napa Valley: Once Upon a Time in America… (Oct 2015) (10/1/2015)
(Joseph Phelps Vineyards Insignia Napa Valley) Subscribe to see review text. | By Antonio Galloni
Vinous, New Releases from Napa Valley: 2012 and 2013 (Dec 2014) (9/1/2014)
(Joseph Phelps Insignia St. Helena, Stags Leap, Oak Knoll, Rutherford) Subscribe to see review text. | By Stephen Tanzer
Vinous, May/June 2014, IWC Issue #174
(Joseph Phelps Insignia Proprietary Red Wine Napa Valley) Subscribe to see review text. | By Antonio Galloni
Vinous, 2011 Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon: Terroir Matters - Updated (Nov 2013)
(Joseph Phelps Vineyards Insignia Napa Valley) Subscribe to see review text. | By Panel Tasting
Decanter, Californian Cabernet 2012
(Joseph Phelps, Insignia, Napa Valley, California, USA, Red) Subscribe to see review text. |
NOTE: Scores and reviews are the property of JebDunnuck.com and Vinous and WineAlign and Decanter. (manage subscription channels) |
| Joseph Phelps Producer website
In the late 60s, Joseph Phelps was running one of the largest construction companies in the U.S. when he won the bid to build Souverain Winery (now Rutherford Hill) located a few miles outside of St. Helena. Enamored with the beautiful Napa Valley and contemplating a career change, in 1973 he bought the 600-acre Connolly cattle ranch in Spring Valley, and began planting vineyards. The winery was completed in 1974 and that same year the first Syrah was made, the first grapes were crushed at the new facility and the first Insignia was produced. It was a period of unparalleled activity, creativity, ingenuity, entrepreneurship and risk-taking and it put Joe Phelps on the map of top Napa Valley wine producers.
Nearly four decades later, the flagship wine, Insignia, is recognized as one of the world’s great wines. Twenty nine of 34 vintages have been rated ninety or more points by various wine publications. From 1990 to 2007, the average score from Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate is 94.5 pts., with the lowest score still a fabulous 91. The 2002 vintage was “Wine of the Year” by Wine Spectator Magazine, and the 2007 vintage has been rated 98 points by Robert Parker and 96 points by Wine Spectator Magazine.
Over the years, the goal of becoming 100% estate grown resulted in carefully planned acquisitions of prime vineyards in the Napa Valley. Today, the Phelps estate consists of the Spring Valley Home Ranch outside of St. Helena, Banca Dorada in Rutherford, Las Rocas and Barboza vineyards in Stags Leap, Yountville Vineyard in Oak Knoll, Suscol Vineyard in South Napa and Backus Vineyard in Oakville.
Beginning with the 2009 vintage, estate-grown wines include Cabernet Sauvignon, Sauvignon Blanc, Viognier, Insignia, Backus (the single vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon from Oakville) and Eisrébe, a dessert wine made from the Scheurebe grape. In addition, a small amount of Syrah is produced from fruit owned by Hyde Vineyards in Los Carneros.
Though the main focus is on Bordeaux varietals, Joe Phelps has had a life-long love affair with the wines of Burgundy and a desire to craft wines in that style. Originally Chardonnay was sourced from St. Helena, later from Yountville and then from Los Carneros. Through the years, however, Joe continued to search for the ideal spot to grow both Chardonnay and Pinot Noir, and his search ended when the perfect combination of climate, soil and location was found in Freestone, located in the Sonoma Coast AVA, a mere eight miles from the Pacific Ocean. In 1999, 200 acres were acquired and planting began. Today, 80 acres of Pinot Noir and 20 acres of Chardonnay are producing some remarkable wines which are available for tasting at the Freestone Guest Center. Visit Freestone Vineyards to learn more.Red Bordeaux BlendRed Bordeaux is generally made from a blend of grapes. Permitted grapes are Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Merlot, Petit Verdot, Malbec and rarely Carménère.Today Carménère is rarely used, with Château Clerc Milon, a fifth growth Bordeaux, being one of the few to still retain Carménère vines. As of July 2019, Bordeaux wineries authorized the use of four new red grapes to combat temperature increases in Bordeaux. These newly approved grapes are Marselan, Touriga Nacional, Castets, and Arinarnoa.
Wineries all over the world aspire to making wines in a Bordeaux style. In 1988, a group of American vintners formed The Meritage Association to identify wines made in this way. Although most Meritage wines come from California, there are members of the Meritage Association in 18 states and five other countries, including Argentina, Australia, Canada, Israel, and Mexico.InsigniaOf interest concerning the sources for grapes for this wine:
http://wine.appellationamerica.com/wine-review/669/Insignia.html
jhtUSAAmerican wine has been produced since the 1500s, with the first widespread production beginning in New Mexico in 1628. Today, wine production is undertaken in all fifty states, with California producing 84% of all U.S. wine. The continent of North America is home to several native species of grape, including Vitis labrusca, Vitis riparia, Vitis rotundifolia, and Vitis vulpina, but the wine-making industry is based almost entirely on the cultivation of the European Vitis vinifera, which was introduced by European settlers. With more than 1,100,000 acres (4,500 km2) under vine, the United States is the fourth-largest wine producing country in the world, after Italy, Spain, and France.California2021 vintage: "Unlike almost all other areas of the state, the Russian River Valley had higher than normal crops in 2021, which has made for a wine of greater generosity and fruit forwardness than some of its stablemates." - Morgan Twain-Peterson Napa Valley Napa Valley Wineries and Wine (Napa Valley Vintners)Napa ValleySt. Helena |
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