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| Drinking Windows and Values |
| Community Tasting History |
| Community Tasting Notes (average 94.4 pts. and median of 95 pts. in 95 notes) - hiding notes with no text | | | Tasted by WineWright on 2/17/2024 & rated 94 points: Haven’t tried this since 2020. This bottle was silky smooth and wonderfully mellow, but very enjoyable. It did not have the personality I remember from last time, either on the nose or palate, but was fantastic for a 20 yr old. For those of you with multiple bottles remaining I would try soon and determine for yourself where you think this is going. For my last bottle I think I will uncork within the next 2 years. Posted a new photo. (366 views) | | | Tasted by El Gato on 6/12/2023: Really really good and well worth the wait. (798 views) | | | Tasted by tunaguy on 8/13/2022 & rated 96 points: One of the best napa wines I've had in some time and up there with the very best. Everything about this wine is pure and classic Oakville. Lots of life still left in the tank but excellent today (1452 views) | | | Tasted by Ecoenophile on 8/6/2022 & rated 93 points: Initial decant of 2 1/2 hours. Held up nicely. Purple fruit and dark cherry… a little tobacco on the finish Fine grain and fully integrated tannins Easy to enjoy … and great with a medium rare filet with wild mushroom bordelaise.
Finish second half the next day and enjoyed just the same. (1356 views) | | | Tasted by gymnastpro on 7/2/2022 & rated 97 points: One of the best wines I've ever had from the Oakville region and in general. Sweet cassis with a suave mouthfeel and long but semi sweet finish. Truly a spectacular wine in all aspects. (1582 views) | | | Tasted by Winedad53 on 4/6/2022 & rated 93 points: Purple black and bold, much like a younger Malbec, this wine was dense and concentrated with a youthful core of blackberry, cedar, smoke and licorice. 5-7 good years of life left, will try again in 2024. (1447 views) | | | Tasted by Darwine on 12/24/2021 & rated 96 points: A beautiful wine- hitting its stride now!! A full bodied wine with a nose of sweet floral, dark fruit and some oak. Flavors were full of fruit - black cherry and a load of plum. The finish was long and gentle with dark fruit and a sweet spice. Had it with a great ribeye which made this wine spectacular!! (1485 views) | | | Tasted by JJN on 11/17/2021 & rated 93 points: Fruity. Not as much depth as I had hoped (1225 views) | | | Tasted by sfbikeguy on 7/9/2021: I'm drinking my first Backus with a friend tomorrow over steaks. I have one of each bottle from 1997-2016. Planning on giving it 4+ hours of airtime. I'll probably open the bottle around noon and start a decant around 3. Open to thoughts ahead of time! I'll post after.
- Punted dinner to next day.
- pulled cork @1. Noticed cork was very soft on putting in the cork screw. Despite being very careful, cork broke.
- The immediate nose on this thing is MASSIVE. I won't taste yet. Just going to enjoy the bouquet the next few hours as I work some work done. :) I'll taste and consider decanting around 3. (1602 views) | | | Tasted by WineWright on 11/13/2020 & rated 97 points: This was so smooth and pure. Stellar, with room to run. Posted a new photo. (1947 views) | | | Tasted by gteran76 on 7/7/2020 & rated 97 points: Opened at noon and decanted for 30 min to be consumed around 2pm for lunch. This bottle is in a beautiful stage right now, it’s unbelievable balanced and complex. Mocha, tabaco, a hint of vanilla and jazmin. The mouthfeel is superb and let you begging for more. Very fair finish.
You can drink this now but will keep on going for at least 10 more years. (2090 views) | | | Tasted by DWStyle on 5/14/2020 & rated 96 points: The oak is a little pronounced at first but mellows with exposure to O2. Beautiful cherries and plum on the palate. Great mouth feel, rich and velvety tannins. Seriously long finish. Outstanding Napa cab! Stunner right now, though it can still benefit from a couple more years in the cellar. Drinks wonderful now with a nice decant (2-3 hrs) . (2055 views) | | | Tasted by Marsman on 8/6/2019 & rated 95 points: Excellent cab, nicely balanced with great mouthfeel and long finish. Acidity, fruit, tannins all at just the right levels for my cab palate. Decanted for an hour before drinking which was just about right. Based on the single bottle I had in my cellar, I would say this wine is at its peak. Can't see it getting better so drink up. (2420 views) | | | Tasted by Brett on 7/11/2019 & rated 99 points: Love it! Perfect wine!! (2188 views) | | | Tasted by mdvillaverde on 5/19/2019 & rated 95 points: 100% estate-grown Cabernet from Backus Vineyard in Oakville--across the Silverado Trail from Tench and Rudd. Aged 23 months in new French oak (Taransaud, Dargaud, Jaegle and Darnajou). 14.6% ABV. I let it breathe for an hour then drank over next 2.5. Lots of black cherry / dark fruit on the nose. Full bodied, with mellowed tannins. Excellent acidity levels. Ripe, but more elegant than powerful. Has a long, juicy finish. (1728 views) | | | Tasted by Elkcims on 1/27/2019 & rated 96 points: Paired with Fillet Mignon main, this is in my wheelhouse of wines I like. It is full bodied, rich yet not overripe, smooth, lots of rich blackberry and cherry, with mild tannins that complemented. 1 hour decant and consumed over 2 1/2 hours....got better and better. Glad I have a few left. (1854 views) | | | Tasted by Agreenblatt on 7/22/2018 & rated 95 points: In its peak. Drink now. 1-2 hour decant (2214 views) | | | Tasted by Nanda on 6/9/2018: Disappointing. I found this cloyingly sweet and alcoholic. Not my cup of tea. An '01 Insignia at the same lunch was far better. (2056 views) | | | Tasted by Rob MacKay on 6/10/2017 & rated 93 points: Coming around nicely. Still has a little of the sweetness of its younger self. Be interesting to see how that develops with more time. You can tell this was a big fat baby when it was released but it is aging nicely. (3428 views) | | | Tasted by WineWright on 2/19/2017 & rated 95 points: What a special treat this was after a rather long wine hiatus. No formal notes, but the 04 Backus is silky smooth and rife with gorgeous and compelling aromas and flavors. I would say this wine has many years ahead but is in prime form now. (3468 views) | | | Tasted by ruchottalex on 6/28/2016 & rated 95 points: This is totally ready to drink but no hurry. Drank over 2 days. Really good, great balance, not excessive in any particular way - good acidity balancing tannins that are mature, dark elements offset by fruit, etc. (4385 views) | | | Tasted by coreywb on 3/20/2016 & rated 94 points: Decanted 3 hours. Had with Filet Mignon. Perfect match. Beautiful dark ruby almost violet color. Nose of dark fruit and currant. A hint of eucalyptus. Beautiful, elegant wine with dark chocolate notes. Silky smooth tannins still evident. Great finish leaves you wanting more. Though already 11 years old, seems as though this could easily go another 5 and be just as great. Compares very favorably to Insignia, which is a personal favorite. (4131 views) | | | Tasted by yofog on 11/22/2015: Tasted on its own, with some steak, and if I liked this kind of wine, I could probably see the virtue of it. But tasted alongside 08 Ducru-Beau. it was a bit ridiculous. Simple, overwhelmingly oaky, sugary, superficial. Two thumbs down from the whole table. (4349 views) | | | Tasted by Highlander on 11/11/2015: Excellent! Tobacco, leather, currant and dark fruits. Perfect color. Decanted for about an hour, this wine was perfectly balanced, fruit and tannins well integrated. At peak, but will likely remain there for several more years. A true gem. (3293 views) | | | Tasted by Agreenblatt on 9/19/2015 & rated 94 points: Great out of the bottle. Let breath for 2 hours. Starts to lose body at 4 hours. (2512 views) | | | Only displaying the 25 most recent notes - click to see all notes for this wine... |
| By Richard Hemming, MW
JancisRobinson.com (3/1/2012)
(Joseph Phelps, Backus Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon Oakville Red) Subscribe to see review text. | By Stephen Tanzer
Vinous, May/June 2006, IWC Issue #126
(Joseph Phelps Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon Backus Vineyard Napa Valley) Subscribe to see review text. |
NOTE: Scores and reviews are the property of JancisRobinson.com and Vinous. (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.Cabernet SauvignonCabernet Sauvignon is probably the most famous red wine grape variety on Earth. It is rivaled in this regard only by its Bordeaux stablemate Merlot, and its opposite number in Burgundy, Pinot Noir. From its origins in Bordeaux, Cabernet has successfully spread to almost every winegrowing country in the world. It is now the key grape variety in many first-rate New World wine regions, most notably Napa Valley, Coonawarra and Maipo Valley. Wherever they come from, Cabernet Sauvignon wines always seem to demonstrate a handful of common character traits: deep color, good tannin structure, moderate acidity and aromas of blackcurrant, tomato leaf, dark spices and cedarwood.
Used as frequently in blends as in varietal wines, Cabernet Sauvignon has a large number of common blending partners. Apart from the obvious Merlot and Cabernet Franc, the most prevalent of these are Malbec, Petit Verdot and Carmenere (the ingredients of a classic Bordeaux Blend), Shiraz (in Australia's favorite blend) and in Spain and South America, a Cabernet – Tempranillo blend is now commonplace. Even the bold Tannat-based wines of Madiran are now generally softened with Cabernet SauvignonUSAAmerican 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)Oakville |
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