April 19, 2024 - Joseph Phelps Vineyards Spring Release Event (Joseph Phelps Vineyards, Napa Valley): Nose of rich fruit, black cherry, black currants, old time cabernet sauvignon nose, same on the palate, big body, mouth filling fruit, rich fruit, very tasty, delicious, at peak, savory, elegant, long finish, lovely finish, long, flavorful aftertaste, 2 pours. Great vintage and it shows it today!!!!
December 22, 2021 - Holding up well. Up against 91 insignia magnum Backus was fav
December 2, 2018 - Nice pepper nose. With good tannins spicy with smoky and deep berry flavors.
January 18, 2018 - WineBid Tasting Event (Mandarin Oriental): Much more vibrant than the two Phelps we had before (one from 70's, one from 80's). This is piles of black fruits and something else that is a bit tough to make out in my notes. Wine was in a good spot. Very tasty.
January 18, 2018 - Had at a spectacular WINEBID.com tasting event. Total of 39 wines tasted with an unbelievable lineup ! Bravo to Sterling Roig.
Drank from a magnum. Wildly berry laiden fruit. Much more aromatic than the 94' but not quite as melancholy as that one. More forward and aggressive. I loved this wine.
September 29, 2015 - wonderful wine that took a couple of hours to truly show it's colors and flavor. First 30-45 minutes the wine was brittle and light but with a stunning nose of great things to come. Every 30 minutes following opened more and more of a beautiful bouquet of floral, earth, and light chocolate tones to the tongue. Medium finish. Very satisifying with short rib and a chocolate puff pastry for dessert.
July 14, 2012 - tasted blind, from magnum
nose - portlike, ripe fruit
mouth - rich sweet and sour cherry, good concentration
May 6, 2012 - the fruit is great needed lota of time to open here is a wine that is very straight up could have used a touch of merlot to soften or franc to harden it is still great
October 6, 2011 - Dark red, some garnet. Profoundly interesting nose of hard coal dust (not experienced since childhood, not ever before in wine), spearmint, chocolate, cherry, leather. Low tannin, low acidity. On the palate, the silky structure enables the chocolate mint with cherry theme to dance in a wonderful match with a simply braised roast beef and mixed veg. Bottle #2 of two.
August 24, 2011 - Balanced and complex, but not as big as they're makig them now. At its peak.