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| Drinking Windows and Values |
| Community Tasting History |
| Community Tasting Notes (average 90.9 pts. and median of 91 pts. in 15 notes) - hiding notes with no text | | | Tasted by ralaspech on 5/21/2024 & rated 93 points: Agree with others who praise the nose--outstanding. Palate also excellent and fairly fruit-forward. (95 views) | | | Tasted by Zoso on 10/18/2023 & rated 94 points: Immediately nose is amazing! Not just saying that, it is amazing. Dark and boisterous it it attacks your olfactory with the kind of glory that renders you hopeless to just smell for an hour before you sip. Almost afraid the sip could ruin everything! It didn't quite ruin everything but it had no chance to live up to the nose. No worries though it is still amazing to drink as balance is perfect, only lacking the depth I expected. Never the less outstanding, great fruit, blackberry/blueberry. If you told me I was stuck drinking this wine in it's current state the rest of my life and no other, I would be just fine. This from a guy that doesn't get excited about many US syrahs. Liked it so much I tried to find more online, none. sad face. Nose 100 pts overall 94. (743 views) | | | Tasted by KingsleyZissou on 5/7/2023 & rated 91 points: Generally love everything out of Phelps but this was a tad less remarkable. Not completely fair as it seems pretty young still. Tons of oak extraction here, with the plummy Syrah notes saturated with aromas from the oak profile — chocolate pudding, licorice, coffee and some baking spices. Some definite orange rind in there as well. Palate is well constructed with strong fine grained tannin and a slight kiss of acid. Could certainly benefit from a bit more time. Not a bad quaff by any means. (1000 views) | | | Tasted by Jamestindy on 3/5/2022 & rated 90 points: OK but better values (1896 views) | | | Tasted by Dan_K on 1/30/2022 & rated 90 points: Dark black red. Earth and Plums. Meaty. Spice. Big. Double decanted opened up more floral and dark fruit notes. Complete infanticide. Score will improve over time - there is backbone of high quality - but I'd hold off 5+ years or lengthy lengthy decant. (1721 views) | | | Tasted by Tom Chung on 11/10/2021 & rated 80 points: Too sweet (2010 views) |
| By Jeb Dunnuck
JebDunnuck.com, Napa Valley's 2019s: Part 1 (12/21/2021)
(Joseph Phelps Syrah Larry Hyde & Sons Vineyard) Login and sign up and see review text. | By Antonio Galloni
Vinous, Napa Valley’s Thrilling 2018s & 2019s, Part 1 (Jan 2021) (1/1/2021)
(Joseph Phelps Vineyards Syrah Larry Hyde & Sons Vineyard Napa Valley Red) Subscribe to see review text. | By Jeb Dunnuck
JebDunnuck.com, Napa Valley’s 2017s (1/31/2020)
(Joseph Phelps Syrah Larry Hyde & Sons) Login and sign up and see review text. | By Antonio Galloni
Vinous, 2017 & 2018 Napa Valley In Depth (Jan 2020) (1/1/2020)
(Joseph Phelps Vineyards Syrah Larry Hyde & Sons Vineyard Napa Valley Red) Subscribe to see review text. |
NOTE: Scores and reviews are the property of JebDunnuck.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.Syrah Varietal article (Wikipedia) | (Wines Northwest)
Note that some producers in the Northern Rhone distinguish between simply Syrah and "Serine", the latter described as ‘an ancient clone of Syrah, the berries of which are more oval-shaped and less deeply pigmented than Syrah’ by producer Tardieu-Laurent. USAAmerican 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 / SonomaSONOMA: The Yorkville Highlands AVA, approved in 1998, is located in the southwestern corner of Mendocino County, between Sonoma County's Alexander Valley to the South and Mendocino County!s Anderson Valley to the North. The region is 25 miles long, roughly in the shape of rectangle and bisected by Highway 128 which runs the length of the AVA. The region!s terrain is hilly and forested, with elevations ranging from 1,078 to 2,442 feet above sea level.
The distinguishing features of the Yorkville Highlands AVA are rocky soils with a high gravel content and the climate, which is cooler than Alexander Valley but warmer than Anderson Valley, and significantly cooler at night than the surrounding areas.CarnerosStraddles the southern ends of Napa & Sonoma Counties. |
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