External search
Google (images)
Wine Advocate
Wine Spectator
Burghound
Wine-Searcher
Vintages
2022
2021
2019
2018
2017
2016
2015
2014
2013
2012
2011
2010
2009
2008
2007
2006
2005
2004
2003
2002
Show more
From this producer
Show all wines
All tasting notes
|
| Drinking Windows and Values |
| Community Tasting History |
| Community Tasting Notes (average 92.6 pts. and median of 93 pts. in 170 notes) - hiding notes with no text | | | Tasted by John O' on 4/16/2024: pete & gina London trip (538 views) | | | Tasted by etyc on 4/11/2024: Wow, this was a big wine. Plums, dark-berries, concentrated with notes of chocolate. Still very primary with the ripe-fruits masking the tannins. Probably will be ready in another decade or so... (382 views) | | | Tasted by TMethvin1 on 6/11/2023: Drank with family on fish trip to tenn. (2657 views) | | | Tasted by kistdg on 6/4/2023 & rated 94 points: Black Pearl Bday dinner. VG wine but enjoyed 2014 Lancaster Cab more. 2 hr ox (2307 views) | | | Tasted by gew71walsh on 6/4/2023 & rated 93 points: This has progressed since my last bottle review 3 1/2 years ago. Deep purple in glass, plum and dark berries on the palate. This paired well with Beef Wellington. Lingers at end. Thought before that this suffered from weak vintage; I now think this deserves its Insignia heritage. Beware of some sediment. (2075 views) | | | Tasted by Bordeaux_Jon on 5/26/2023 & rated 94 points: From a 375mL. If 2011 was a weak Napa vintage, it’s not apparent at this address. Full of blackberry and black cherry with sexy oak and chocolate this wine is Napa done right. Intense and easy flowing on the palate, there is structure but tannins are resolved. It disappeared quickly in people’s glasses. I haven’t had many 2011s but this was better than the Harlan I had a few years back for which the oak overpowered any other character. That wine was like licking a barrel. (2145 views) | | | Tasted by jsiegel on 4/12/2023: Drink with Rafi and Angela (2266 views) | | | Tasted by Winechat63 on 2/12/2023 & rated 95 points: In a wonderful place. Cork was a little lighter red than expected. It was a dirty, dark crimson upon the pour into the decanter. Sipped a little at the 80 minute mark, very good. Hours 3-5, it was splendid. The Petite Verdot really stood out. I’m sure it has time to sit, but I wouldn’t wait. It’s great now. (1444 views) | | | Tasted by Stephenson Cellar on 10/4/2022: Tax meet (2161 views) | | | Tasted by christ80 on 9/7/2022 & rated 91 points: Indigo purple color makes it clearly more CA than France. Surprisingly rich flavour and texture which complemented the Cote de boeuf ‘bass’ that I prepared with a reverse sear - bleu. Silky soft tannins. Plum tones and most important, the cedar, leather, tobacco and chocolate like mole poblano. (2080 views) | | | Tasted by JustGab on 6/25/2022 & rated 94 points: Drank with friends on a BBQ party. Silky tanin and amazing taste. in a good spot right now. (2500 views) | | | Tasted by SDJayhawk on 6/21/2022: From the Library: 2011 Insignia Magnum
TOP 100 CELLAR SELECTIONS - WINE ENTHUSIAST
The 2011 Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignons at Age Ten
"The 2011 Insignia is superb. Deep, layered and so expressive, Insignia is without question one of the wines of the year. Still fresh and vibrant, the 2011 is such a pleasure to taste today. Hints of sage, tobacco, spice, menthol and pine add lovely aromatic top notes to a core of inky blue/purplish fruit. The 2011 has turned out even better than I had originally expected." -95 Points Antonio Galloni
Retail Price: $850 | Member Price: $680
Robert Parker:
Superb. Deep, layered and so expressive, Insignia is without question one of the wines of the year. Still fresh and vibrant, the 2011 is such a pleasure to taste today. Hints of sage, tobacco, spice, menthol and pine add lovely aromatic top notes to a core of inky blue/purplish fruit. $900.00 magnum (2322 views) | | | Tasted by VAGenius on 6/19/2022 & rated 97 points: Two hour decant. Nose has a lot going on, with milk chocolate, red raspberry, mint, mocha, and cedar. Dark black cherry, black fruits, and black fig on the palate with a note of brown sugar, a streak of white pepper, and vanilla and graphite following it up. Finish has dark chocolate, dried thyme, dried sage, and cedar plank falvors with bug tannins that are still showing some chewiness. Great Father's Day wine! (2038 views) | | | Tasted by Jacek P on 4/27/2022 & rated 94 points: full bodied, soft tannins, finishing long and rich (2056 views) | | | Tasted by Darwine on 4/21/2022 & rated 95 points: Opened up nicely within 30 minutes. Nosecof a nice herb mainly sage to me with a backdrop of dark fruit. Flavor of black cherry and dark plum with the well integrated tannis taking to finish long with dark fruit, leather and earthy essence. Beautiful wine!! (1818 views) | | | Tasted by jyensan on 4/4/2022 & rated 93 points: No formal notes but very good. Had to leave before it was done, but my wife was happy to finish my share! (1837 views) | | | Tasted by winelover1808 on 3/1/2022 & rated 94 points: Terrific. Opened for about 45 minutes but no decant. Really pretty bright red fruit, lots of sweet and savory cherry, smooth finish, medium bodied and in a great drinking window. Went really well with a bone in ny strip steak. (2167 views) | | | Tasted by denniswdern@gmail.com on 12/25/2021 & rated 93 points: The wine looks garnet colored. The legs are medium. There is light sediment in the bottle. It smells like blackberry and lead pencil. It tastes like blackberry, black currant (cassis) and lead pencil. The body is medium/full. The wine has smooth texture. The wine finishes medium. The wine has medium acidity. (2277 views) | | | Tasted by bugdoced on 11/25/2021 & rated 90 points: tart and residual harshness in this difficult year
hope this develops a little more if/when the tannins settle (2317 views) | | | Tasted by bmigneron on 10/16/2021 & rated 93 points: This vintage was the best we have had of the older ones. Jammy, full bodied, wonderfully smooth. Decanted by restaurant so had to let rest in glass, but worth the wait! (2511 views) | | | Tasted by merlotsmile on 7/1/2021: Vinminnen 3 (Fiskaregatan Lund): Vinminnen 3 (3574 views) | | | Tasted by Staufer on 5/31/2021 & rated 94 points: agree with fellow tasting notes .. super smooth , raspberry , blackberry and chocolate ..nicely integrated tannins , one could smell the wine in the glass all night ...feels like wine is in the perfect window (3064 views) | | | Tasted by KTelaak_Buffalo on 5/31/2021 & rated 94 points: This was the opening wine in a long evening of wines and it drank spectacularly. This is in a really good place right now with everything in balance. Bold enough to pair with any grilled meal but will not overpower. (2688 views) | | | Tasted by winelover1808 on 5/30/2021 & rated 94 points: Yum. Loads of raspberry, dark chocolate, very slight hint of anise. Lots of fruit and power that seem like it’s got 5-10 years ahead of it. (2600 views) | | | Tasted by pavel_p on 4/17/2021 & rated 93 points: Same bottle as collector. Guessed correctly Napa Cab double blind. Was in the early 2000s as this has a clear rim and at least initially the tannins seemed completely integrated. With more air some gentle tannins did appear. I liked this for Napa rather dry style that is pretty close to Bdx. Would need to show a bit more depth and also structure for a higher score. (3156 views) | | | Only displaying the 25 most recent notes - click to see all notes for this wine... |
| By Antonio Galloni
Vinous, The 2011 Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignons at Age Ten (May 2022) (5/1/2022)
(Joseph Phelps Vineyards Insignia Napa Valley Red) Subscribe to see review text. | By Matthew Luczy
Decanter, Phelps producer profile (6/8/2020)
(Joseph Phelps, Insignia, Napa Valley, California, USA, Red) Subscribe to see review text. | By Richard Hemming, MW
JancisRobinson.com (9/20/2018)
(Joseph Phelps, Insignia Napa Valley Red) Subscribe to see review text. | By Ronan Sayburn MS
Decanter, Collectible California tasting 2018 (9/19/2018)
(Joseph Phelps, Insignia, Napa Valley, California, USA, Red) Subscribe to 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 (11/20/2014)
(Joseph Phelps Insignia, Napa Valley red) 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 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 Stephen Tanzer
Vinous, May/June 2013, IWC Issue #168
(Joseph Phelps Insignia Proprietary Red Wine Napa Valley) Subscribe to see review text. | By Antonio Galloni
Vinous, 2010 Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon: An Epic Vintage (Dec 2012)
(Joseph Phelps Vineyards Insignia Napa Valley) Subscribe to see review text. | By Panel Tasting
Decanter
(Joseph Phelps, Insignia, Napa Valley, California, USA, Red) Subscribe to see review text. |
NOTE: Scores and reviews are the property of Vinous and Decanter and JancisRobinson.com and WineAlign. (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.2011 Joseph Phelps InsigniaBLEND: 82% Cabernet Sauvignon, 11% Petit Verdot, 4% Malbec, 2% Merlot, 1% Cabernet Franc from 100% estate-grown vineyards.
WINEMAKER'S NOTES: Grapes were fermented in stainless steel tanks, followed by 24 months of aging in 100% new French oak barrels. The 2011 Insignia is layered with aromatics of dark fruit, Herbes de Provence, tobacco, graphite, cocoa and cardamom on the nose. Fresh and lively, this elegant wine boasts rich Bing cherry, blackberry and dark espresso throughout the palate with supple tannins.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 |
|
