Joseph Phelps Vineyards

"Its inky/purple color is followed by aromas of crème de cassis, incense, crushed rocks, lead pencil shavings, cedar and spice box. It possesses a massive, opulent mouthfeel, serious tannins, and no hard edges. This stunning effort should hit its peak in 5–8 years, and last 40 years. I would not be surprised to see it become the greatest Insignia to date and close in on a perfect score."

"Firm, intense and concentrated, massive yet well-proportioned, with a dense, focused core of graphite, dried currant, blackberry, black tea, forest floor and blueberry flavors. Full-blown, finishing with rich, layered tannins that beg for cellaring. Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Petit Verdot. Best from 2013 through 2025."

"Bottled three weeks prior to my visit. Bright ruby. Claret-like nose offers cassis, minerals, bitter chocolate and strong soil tones. Densely packed and quite tight today, in a classically dry style. But there’s also superb sex appeal and excellent energy to the flavors of plum, currant, licorice, bitter chocolate and spices. Most impressive today on the long, chocolatey aftertaste." Website.

"The 2006 Insignia (95% Cabernet Sauvignon and 5% Petit Verdot; 16,000 cases produced) is a superb effort in this vintage. Another 30+ year wine, it boasts a dense plum/purple color as well as abundant notes of licorice, black currants, charcoal, black olives, and graphite. Full-bodied, pure and rich with moderately high tannins, it represents a California version of a Bordeaux from Pauillac or St. Julien. Anticipated maturity: 2014-2045.

In case you think the aging curves I have described are unrealistically long, I have the Joseph Phelps regular Cabernets from the mid-seventies as well as the Insignias in my cellar, and those wines are still drinking beautifully at 30 years of age. Today’s wines are better made."

"Teasing with its floral, spicy cherry, wild berry and currant aromas, this is full-bodied, firm and structured, tight and focused, offering glimpses of what lies ahead with its complex mix of flavors and tightly wound tannins. Yet its finesse and refinement are apparent on the finish. Needs time. Cabernet Sauvignon and Petit Verdot. Best from 2011 through 2018. 16,900 cases made."

How do California’s best wines stack up against each other? Read on.

FIRST PLACE: JOSEPH PHELPS 2006 INSIGNIA
Winning by a wide margin: it had great depth of flavor; it’s a perennial winner at our annual Best of the Best in California. Winemaker Ashley Hepworth and Director Damian Parker have not missed a beat since taking over the winemaking.

This is so strong and fruity, so oaky, so tannic, it just overwhelms the palate in its extreme youth. Just massive in blackberries, black currants, coffee, cocoa, dried herbs and 100% new, smoky-sweet French oak.

(Bottled in February 09.) Fresher on the nose than the Napa bottling, offering cassis, bitter chocolate and roasted herbs. Then very ripe and dense but suave, showing good energy and a slightly clenched middle palate. The tannins are serious and granular, but here there’s plenty of supporting mid-palate material. This may well merit a higher score three or four years down the road.

"The 2007 Cabernet Sauvignon Backus Vineyard (an identical blend with a slightly larger production of 1300 cases) is another blockbuster. More blueberry and floral notes appear in this opaque purple-hued Cabernet as well as slightly sweeter, riper tannins. It is an enormously concentrated, full-throttle wine meant for long-term aging. Potential buyers should be aware that it needs 5–7 years of cellaring; it will drink well for 30 years thereafter."

"Full ruby. Plum liqueur and chocolate on the nose. Supple on entry, then quite backward in the middle, showing a restrained sweetness and a distinctly savory character. Finishes with substantial toothcoating tannins. Essentially suave wine but in need of at least five or six years of cellaring." Website.

"The single vineyard 2006 Cabernet Sauvignon Backus Vineyard from the Oakville Corridor is a monster, a 1,100-case blend of 94% Cabernet Sauvignon and the rest Petit Verdot and Malbec, it is bursting with aromas of charcoal, scorched earth, barbecue smoke, lead pencil shavings, graphite, cassis, blackberries, and oak. Dense purple to the rim and very closed, this is a big, muscular, full-bodied effort meant for serious long-term aging. Its potential is extraordinary but I wouldn’t want to touch a bottle for 5–8 years. It should last for three decades or more. In case you think the aging curves I have described are unrealistically long, I have the Joseph Phelps regular Cabernets from the mid-seventies as well as the Insignias in my cellar, and those wines are still drinking beautifully at 30+ years of age. Today's wines are better made."

"The 2005 Cabernet Sauvignon Backus Vineyard is backward and restrained, and like so many wines from this vintage, exhibits the cooler climate and European style of the Bordeaux varietals. It is a fullbodied powerful wine, but it will need 5-7 years of bottle age, and last at least three decades. I believe it is only hinting at its ultimate potential given how closed the wine tasted but it is impressively endowed and well-made."

"The 2007 Cabernet Sauvignon Napa (20,000 cases produced) may be the finest regular cuvée produced here in nearly two decades. Its dense ruby/purple hue is followed by an opulent bouquet of cassis, blue fruits, crushed rocks, and floral undertones. Pure, juicy, deep, medium to full-bodied and loaded, this 2007 should drink beautifully young, yet keep for 15–20+ years."

"Good deep ruby-red. Sweet, open aromas of ripe plum and currant complemented by chocolatey oak. In a fat, lush style, showing the sweetness of the vintage in spades. Not a particularly gripping wine but one that should give considerable early pleasure. The substantial tannins are dusty and fine." Website.

Phelps’ basic Cabernet bottling is dry and elegant and classically balanced. It displays rich flavors of black-berries, black currants and cedar, with notes of violets and herbs. Fancy and impressive now, but not a long-term ager. Through 2012. – S.H.

Generous black currant and blackberry flavors fill this juicy cabernet. It’s lush and easy to enjoy on release, the gentle tannins ready to meld with rare prime rib.

Joseph Phelps Vineyards, 2008 St. Helena, Napa Valley Sauvignon Blanc. A grassy, elegant sauvignon blanc with a silky texture. Aromas and flavors of grapefruit, lime and spice. Supple.

"Assertive, extremely sugary sweet flavors have an equally extreme juicy acidity to balance them out. Musky herb, orange blossom and rose water mingle with lemon drop and apple turnover flavors. Very intense and delicious. Scheurebe. Drink now through 2014. 1,200 cases made."

(21% residual sugar) Pale yellow-gold. Peach and apricot nectar and honey on the sightly high-toned nose. Dense, thick and sweet, but the fruit salad and honey flavors are kept fresh by ripe acids. Finishes bright, pure and long, with an enticing sugar/acid balance. Made from frozen scheurebe grapes... Website.

The 2004 Cabernet Sauvignon Backus (96% Cabernet Sauvignon and the rest Petit Verdot and Malbec) is absolutely fabulous. The wine has a bluish purple color to the rim and an extraordinary nose of graphite, spring flowers, blackberries, cassis and espresso roast. A savory, full-bodied, powerful wine with great fruit, low acidity and abundant tannin, it cuts a broad swath across the palate.  It should drink well for at least 20 years.

A deep, rich, profound Cabernet, with ripe, plush currant, black cherry and ripe plum fruit that's well-focused, supple and harmonious.  The is intense and powerful, yet elegant and refined, with amazing structure, depth an length.  Best from 2008 through 2017.  1500 cases made.

Deep ruby. Inviting nose combines black cherry, licorice, tar, mocha and lead pencil.  Lush, silky and compellingly sweet, with harmonious acidity for the year. Classic currant and cedar flavors and broad and thoroughly ripe without going over the top. Huge but shapely wine, finishing with captivating sweetness and noble tannins. A great vintage for this property. Website.

There is a strong sense of muscle and fruity mass right from the start...It shows a pronounced trim of milk chocolate and vanilla running its lenght, but it is driven first and foremost by a generous and wonderfully constant measure of juicy, currant and black cherry fruit. Slightly grippy tannins make an eleventh hour appearance and warn against hasty drinking and, even if delicious now, it is a wine that will only get better over the next six to ten years.