Fall 2007
Evolution of a Napa Valley Wine
By Craig Williams, Director of Winemaking
When Joe Phelps founded his winery in 1973, he initially produced three wines: Pinot Noir, Johannisberg 
Riesling and Cabernet Sauvignon. It did not take long for the popularity of Cabernet to take hold, and JPV joined the standard-bearers of the varietal with the release of the 1975 Napa Cabernet Sauvignon, a blend of only three vineyards: Reese, Marsten and Stanton. The wine was produced from a long, cool growing season, harvested from vineyards established with a simple two-wire trellis, picked at 22.5 Brix, fermented for only six days, and aged 14 months in Nevers oak barrels. The results were so delicious, compelling and age-worthy that we poured it during our 25th anniversary road trip in 1998.
Yes, Insignia and even Backus Cabernet were in our stable back then, but the Phelps Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon was the bloodline through which these wines received their heritage. Enter 2005, a long cool growing season producing wines described in Robert Parker's December 2006 Wine Advocate as "more European-styled than any other vintage this century. Lower alcohols, brighter acidities and more streamlined, tannic structures are the rule of thumb."
By today's standards, this vintage would appear a throwback to earlier times. But is it? Has our winegrowing advanced since 1975? Absolutely!
The most important transformation has been in the vineyard. JPV now farms over seven different vineyards - from the Coombsville area in the southeast corner of Napa Valley to our home ranch in St. Helena - providing the foundation upon which we source and create this wine.
In addition, a completely new architecture supports the vine: greater vine density, improved trellis systems providing vertical shoot positioning, clean rootstock and clonal selections matched to the specific vineyard site, and a mounting effort towards biodynamic farming. All of this emphasizes improved fruit quality with more pronounced regional attributes by literally reducing the weight each vine carries to ripen its crop.
Combined with smaller lot fermentations extending beyond 30 days, gentle extraction of press wine using basket presses, 100% oak aging for 18 months and bottling without filtration, you'll find a wine with great depth of flavor and regionality, firmly anchored in the past yet presenting a stunning California Cabernet from the 2005 vintage.
Our Cabernet Vineyards &
What They Contribute to the Blend
In the early days of Joseph Phelps Vineyards, before the relationship among soil, climate and viticulture practices was well understood, the winery experimented with a stylistic range of Cabernet Sauvignon from diverse locations within the Napa Valley that included fruit sourced from both estate vineyards and independent growers. Throughout the 70's the concepts of a Bordeaux-style blend (Insignia), a single vineyard designate (Backus) and a Cabernet styled for earlier enjoyment (Napa), formed the cornerstone of the red wine program.
Even back then it was recognized that certain prime locations were producing superior fruit, and from 1979 to 1999 the winery made a commitment to purchase and develop Cabernet vineyards in those areas.
Today that commitment is paying off. In 2004, for the first time, our Insignia is 100% estate grown. The 2004 Napa Cabernet is 75% estate grown and as newer vineyards mature we anticipate the Napa Cab will ultimately be sourced entirely from estate fruit as well.
These vineyards are our pride and joy. Under the watchful care of Philippe Pessereau and his crew, each year the fruit improves. There are currently 270 acres of Cabernet Sauvignon being farmed among 7 vineyards in 5 distinct growing regions. Of these, 240 acres are farmed 100% biodynamically with sustainable farming methods applied to the balance.
The unique characteristics contributed by each region to the finished wine are summarized as follows:
Spring Valley - Our home ranch near St. Helena yields dark red fruit, berry aromas, briar and cedar-like flavors, and big, chewy tannins. These grapes provide structural foundation to the blend.
Yountville - An early-ripening mid-valley vineyard which yields highly extracted, red fruit flavors with graphite and mineral undertones, soft acids and strong tannins.
Rutherford - This legendary appellation contributes dark red/purple colored fruit; intense ripe berry/cherry aromas; big, sweet, mouth-filling tannins and a long finish. Adds structure, aroma and flavor to the blend.
Suscol - Our newest vineyard in south Napa ripens late and produces black, highly pigmented fruit with good acidity and balanced, modest tannins. The first harvest in 2005 was so promising, several lots were used in Insignia.
Cabernet Sauvignon:
A Wine for both the Moment & the Ages
By Joseph Spellman, MS
Wine winds blow slowly. Although it may seem obvious that Napa is nature's perfect location for grand Cabernet Sauvignon-driven wines, a generation ago much of the valley was busy planting Chardonnay and other white varietals that make some of ask now, "What were we thinking?"
The fact is, even while it was known that the geology and weather of Napa was ideal for intense, cellarable Cabernet Sauvignon and blends based upon it, the market was going through its own maturation, and learning the diction of varietal wine through a progression of flavors. These days it would be foolish to brag about dry Chenin Blanc on the Rutherford Bench, barrel-fermented Sauvignon Blanc in Oakville, or sweet Riesling in St. Helena. But along the way, such wines were made, and consumed with great pleasure, as Napa producers gave wine drinkers what they thought they wanted. Indeed, it was Johannisberg Riesling that in the early years put Phelps on the map.
By this point, however, we have narrowed our sights and are committed to growing Bordeaux varietals under the most optimal conditions possible. To that end we have spent 25 years searching out the perfect sites, acquiring land, and developing vineyards in seven unique areas of the Napa Valley in order to make Cabernet Sauvignon the centerpiece of our production efforts. Our goal is simple: to fashion a wine that is eminently compatible with food - a wine for the moment as well as for the ages.
Cabernet, being now almost universally understood to be Napa's first and foremost calling card, can be vulnerable to criticism. Wines that are mysteriously pricey or magically scarce keep the neighborhood self-aware to a very high degree. But Joseph Phelps is not a hobbyist; we are a family winery with a vision. And that vision has always prized the best possible expression of fruit and craft. The grape variety is the medium through which flavor is uniquely associated with a place.
Cabernet has taken some hits-too oaky, too alcoholic, too tannic, too inky. But through all the distractions, Cabernet still owns the position of greatest prestige in wine. It is not likely that Bordeaux's top châteaux will relinquish their global price leadership, nor covetable trophy status, anytime soon. But its natural inheritor, in the long view, of next-generation attention, is most certainly Napa.
While the number of producers in the Valley has caused immense fragmentation in the eye of the wine buyer, our goal is for Joseph Phelps Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon to achieve benchmark status. In 34 years of learning and improving on ourselves, we are committed to making this happen. It is not our goal to be fashionable or to make wines that "score." We hope that those who enjoy our Napa Cabernet are able to raise their eyebrows and note how delicious the wine is - and how good it makes them feel.
Joseph Spellman, MS, has been employed in the wine industry for 25 years, principally as a sommelier at some of Chicago's top restaurants. He is a leading wine educator, writer and consultant, and has led many wine seminars throughout the US, UK and Australia. In 1996 Joe earned the prestigious Master Sommelier Diploma, which today is held by only 87 North Americans, and 148 individuals world-wide. Based in Chicago, Joe has represented the wines of Joseph Phelps Vineyards since 2005.
Gala Dinner Celebrates 20th Anniversary of
Philipson Wine in Denmark
By Rob Baxter, European Sales Manager
Philipson Wine has been importing and selling JPV wines in Denmark for the past ten years. The company started 20 years ago when the charismatic Christian Philipson had a posting to France where he developed his palate for fine wines. The company has blossomed into one of Denmark's leading fine wine merchants. In keeping with Copenhagen's acclaimed modern architecture, Philipson wine is known for its cutting edge internet-based marketing and sales techniques and young, dynamic sales team.
As part of the run-up to their 20th anniversary celebrations, I was invited with representatives of other world class wineries to participate in what has become in Denmark an important fixture of the annual wine tasting calendar. During four days in early September we traveled to four Danish cities and presented our wines to the Danish restaurant, hotel and retail establishment as well as the Danish public who came in large numbers to taste and buy some of the finest wines in the world. It was an appropriate occasion for the Danish launch of Insignia 2004 which received praise as being one of the top wines of the selection.
On the fifth day of events we were back in Copenhagen, this time in the famous Tivoli Gardens, which date from 1843, making it the world's first amusement park. I was joined by Bill Phelps for a press lunch and tasting of top wines in Tivoli's Ketchup restaurant, right in the heart of the gardens.
That evening Bill and Andrea Phelps and I returned for Philipson's 20th anniversary Gala dinner, an eight course meal matched to eighteen different wines in flights of two or three, including 2003 Insignia magnums. Such a rare collection of wines presented by winery members and paired with wonderful food proved to be a roaring success amongst the Danish guests.
Should you visit Denmark, JPV wines can be found in the following restaurants in Copenhagen:
Le Sommelier (www.lesommelier.dk)
Restaurationen (www.restaurationen.com)
Restaurant Els, a favorite haunt of Hans Christian Anderson in his day (www.restaurant-els.dk)
Groften (www.groeften.dk)
And Café Ketchup in Tivoli gardens (http://www.tivoli.dk).
Harvest Update
By Craig Williams & Damian Parker
October 3, St. Helena. Mick Jagger has aptly summed up the '07 harvest so far. We wanted more fruit from the vintage but crop levels are significantly off from estimates; the clusters just do not have much weight for reasons that are unclear. The weather this year has been mild and uneventful especially during the critical flowering period in the spring, so perhaps the mild drought we experienced has had something to do with the light crop.
Instead, we've received a wonderful spell of warm, sunny weather beginning in the second week of September and propelling the small crop to excellent flavor composition and balance. The fruit for the most part is flawless with thick, unblemished skins.
To date we have harvested about 400 tons beginning with Sauvignon Blanc on August 17th and 21st. Cabernet grapes have been trickling in slowly, mostly from young vines and low yielding blocks. The production crew, consisting of interns and permanent staff, still has tons of nervous energy as they have only just started to gear up for the harvest.
Craig Williams is JPV's Director of Winemaking & Damian Parker is Vice President
of Production
Completion of Freestone Winery
Culminates in Historic Dinner
By Bill Phelps
To celebrate the completion of the Freestone winery building, Hensel Phelps Construction Company hosted a special dinner inside the new cellar on August 9. Many past and present Hensel Phelps key employees attended, not only to celebrate the completion of the building, but to honor the 70-year legacy of the company built by Joe Phelps and founded by his father Hensel. Many key long-term JPV and Freestone employees were present as well. HPCC presented Joe with a special award commemorating his achievements and accomplishments over a 50+ year career.
Seated: Jerry Morgensen, HPCC past president, Pat Phelps, Joe Phelps and Betty Tointon; standing: Jeff Wenaas, HPCC current president; and Bob Tointon, HPCC past president.
Leslie Phelps, Greg Cannon (Freestone) and JPV employees, Mike McEvoy, David Ramirez and Damian Parker with wife Pam.
Botton row: Bob Pesavento, HPCC, Juston Ennis, Freestone, Teresa Heredia, Freestone. Top row: Joel Robledo, Freestone; Susan Pesavento, spouse Bob Piper, HPCC; Pascal Marchand, Freestone & Burgandy
Hensel Phelps
Timeline of Hensel Phelps Construction
Company
The year was 1937. Just west of Greeley, Colorado, a farmer named Hensel Phelps was struggling to provide a better living for his family. When his retired parents asked to make their home on the farm, Hensel decided to build one for them - his first building project.
Expanding on that experience, Hensel established a small one-man construction company supplying remodeling and new construction services while continuing his farming activities. Calling his firm Hensel Phelps General Contractor he emphasized quality while maintaining a low overhead.
From this simple beginning, Hensel's dedication to performance became the basis for 70 years of astonishing success.
Joe Phelps was initiated into his father's business by working after school picking up scrap and pulling nails. Summer work in 1944-45 on a government survey crew stimulated his interest in engineering, resulting in his enrollment at Colorado State University and completing a degree in Construction Management.
After returning to Colorado from a Navy tour in 1945, Joe rejoined Hensel Phelps and in 1955 they formed Hensel Phelps Construction Company together. Capitalized with $40,000, Joe's portion consisted of a car and a $20,000 loan from Hensel.
For the next 20 years, joined by Rob Tointon in 1963, Joe built up the company with massive construction projects such as the Stapleton Int'l Airport Terminal in Denver, the Kodak mfg. complex in Colorado, and several terminals at the Dallas-Ft. Worth Int'l Airport.
In 1975, after Joe founded his winery in the Napa Valley, Bob Tointon took the helm of HPCC, expanding it even further. And under Bob's tutelage, in 1985 Jerry Morgensen, who had joined the company in 1973 as a project manager, was appointed president.
In 2005, HPCC broke ground for the new Freestone winery, and on August 9, 2007, a festive dinner at the new winery celebrated the bond between the two companies and the presence
of four HPCC presidents, Joe Phelps, Bob Tointon, Jerry Mogensen and current president
Jeff Wenaas.
Jürg Oggenfuss (standing) conducts an Insignia blending seminar in the Great Hall on September 6. Jürg came to JPV in May of this year from Switzerland with an impressive resume that included having launched and managed a boutique retail wine store near Zurich, as well as having been CEO and president for many years of a gourmet grocery store and retail wine shop in the Zurich area.
Wine Education a Specialty at
JPV Guest Center
By Stephen Pavy, Retail Sales Manager
At Joseph Phelps Vineyards we pride ourselves on offering visitors a choice of several fun and informative wine seminars.
Our personable wine educators are not only knowledgeable about Joseph Phelps Vineyards, but also about the wines, wine regions and winemaking styles around the world. The visitor will also enjoy a full tasting of our newest releases. Although this list can change without notice, it currently includes 2005 Cabernet Sauvignon, 2005 Le Mistral, 2004 Insignia, 2004 Syrah, 2006 Viognier and 2006 Sauvignon Blanc.
Insignia Blending
Taste, compare and blend barrel samples from our top "Insignia block" vineyard sites. Currently we are tasting Cabernet Sauvignon from our "Las Rocas" Stags Leap vineyard, our "Banca Dorada" Rutherford vineyard, and our Spring Valley St. Helena vineyard, along with our Yountville Merlot and Spring Valley Petit Verdot.
The History and Terroir of Insignia
We look at JPV's thirty-plus years of making Insignia, and ask 1) What makes Insignia so unique? 2) How has the blend changed over the years? 3) What makes it so consistent? We will explore how the Insignia vineyards are managed and demonstrate how the grapes are evaluated to determine the composition of the blend from year to year. Finally, we will discuss the significance of the fact that beginning in 2004, Insignia is being produced from 100% estate-grown grapes.
Le Mistral Blending
Test your skills as a winemaker and experiment with blending the components of Le Mistral, our Rhône-style blend. We are currently tasting Syrah from our Monterey and Napa vineyards, Grenache from Monterey, as well as Alicante Bouschet, Petite Sirah, and Carignane.
Aroma Identity
Exercise Hone your sommelier skills on our "Aroma Identity" tour, where your olfactory senses will be challenged by up to 12 different aromas. This is a fun exercise to see how well you can identify a fruit, flower, or other odor by your nose alone. It is also a great beginning to awaken your sense of smell to the very important role it plays in the overall enjoyment of wine and food.
Barrel Seminar
We will explore winemaking in general (viticulture and fermentation) and then focus on the barrel's specific role in wine production. How does the choice of a French oak barrel versus an American oak barrel change the finished wine? How are barrels made? How are they used? What is the difference between light, medium and heavy "toast"? How do you know how long to keep wine in the barrel? How does a winemaker make these choices? In this seminar, we will explore various aromas that barrels impart to wine and taste a sample of our 2005 Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon aged in three different types of oak and different toast levels.
Wine Appreciation
This seminar leads guests through an exploration of wine's appeal to all the senses. You can sharpen your skills on wine history, tradition, proper serving, storage and evaluation. We also give an overview of the history of Joseph Phelps Vineyards and the continued role that JPV plays in the culture of wine both here in Napa Valley and around the world.
Plan you next visit to JPV around one of these seminars and look forward to a memorable experience for you and your guest. Call us for schedule details and to make your reservation at 800-707-5789. Our wine education staff will be happy to discuss the seminar and tasting options available.
2007 Fall Releases
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BLEND & GRAPE SOURCE: Sauvignon Blanc (92%) and Semillon (8%) from our Spring Valley ranch outside of St. Helena and from independent growers. WINEMAKER'S NOTES: Grapes were harvested at an average 23 Brix, then fermented sur lees for ten months in a combination of new French oak barrels (30%) and 1-2 year old French oak (70%) from coopers Dargaud Jaegle, Francois Freres, Demptos and Cadus. The wine was stirred post primary fermentation twice a month for approximately three months, then blended and bottled in June, 2007. The 2006 Sauvignon Blanc has delicate aromas of grapefruit, oily citrus peel, and bergamot underscored by an enticing perfumy linalool scent. Concentrated minerality completes the fresh, balanced, crisp flavors that this wine offers. |
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BLEND & GRAPE SOURCES: 90% Cabernet Sauvignon, 6% Merlot and 4% Petite Verdot from estate-owned vineyards (75%) and independent growers (25%). HARVEST DATES: September 10 - November 3, 2005. WINEMAKER'S NOTES: Grapes were harvested at an average 24.7 Brix, fermented in stainless steel tanks, then aged 18 months in a combination of new French and American oak barrels (50%) and two-year-old oak (50%) from coopers Sylvain, Demptos, Nadalie, Canton, Taransaud, Vicard and World Cooperage. The dark ruby-colored 2005 Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon resembles a classic Bordeaux both in aromatics and flavor. A rich bouquet of cinnamon, spice, licorice, graphite and caramel are followed by integrated layers of cherry, currant, fresh cream and balanced, sweet tannin, all of which contribute to a youthful, bright, multi-layered wine. Click here to read more. |
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BLEND & GRAPE SOURCES: 100% Cabernet Sauvignon from the estate-owned Backus Vineyard in Oakville. WINEMAKER'S NOTES: Grapes were harvested at an average 25.5 Brix, fermented in stainless steel tanks, then aged 23 months in new Taransaud and Vicard French oak barrels before being bottled in January, 2006. Production was limted to 1000 cases. Our first Backus Cabernet Sauvignon was produced in 1977 from a 6.75 acre parcel leased from Marian Backus. We believed this steeply-terraced hillside vineyard with its brick-red soil was capable of producing outstanding wines, and this was confirmed in subsequent vintages, especially during the 90's. When the entire 45-acre parcel (which included 21.5 plantable acres) was offered for sale in 1996, we enthusiastically bought it. Still, even we were unprepared for the extraordinary quality that has come out of this vineyard in the last few years. The 2003 Backus Cabernet is saturated in color with a dark purple, ruby red hue. The aromas of mocha, minerality, black fruits and graphite are characteristic of this unique, grand cru vineyard in the Oakville appellation. The incredible nose is framed by robust tannins, bright Click here to read more. |
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BLEND & GRAPE SOURCES: 72% Cabernet Sauvignon, 14% Merlot, 12% Petite Verdot, and 2% Malbec from estate-owned vineyards in St. Helena (27%), Stag's Leap (24%), Yountville (22%), Rutherford (19%) and Oakville (8%). WINEMAKER'S NOTES: Grapes were harvested between Sept. 8 - Oct. 1 at an average 25.0 Brix, fermented in stainless steel tanks then aged 24 months in new 60-gallon French oak barrels by a variety of French coopers including Taransaud, Dargaud Jaegle, Nadalie, Demptos and Vicard. The wine was blended and bottled in December, 2006. The 2004 vintage marks the first time Insignia has been blended entirely from estate-grown fruit - the fulfillment of a dream that has taken many years to realize. The low-yield vintage produced a wine with syrupy blackberry and blueberry aromas married with seductive spice, followed by velvety tannins, roundness in the finish and outstanding texture, all of which are superbly integrated. Click here to read more. |
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BLEND & GRAPE SOURCES: 100% estate-grown Napa Valley Viognier. WINEMAKER'S NOTES: Grapes were harvested at an average 24.5 Brix, then barrel fermented and aged on the lees for 10 months in two- to three-year-old French oak. The wine was bottled in August, 2007. Lovely apricot and orange blossom aromatics, a rich mouthfeel and great length. We allowed the wine to go through partial malolactic fermentation which contributed to its excellent acid balance and highlighted the purity of our estate-grown fruit. Click here to read more. |
