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  • Country ranking ?

    381
  • Producer ranking ?

    36
  • Decanting time

    1h30min
  • When to drink

    now to 2025
  • Food Pairing

    Game

The Tb points given to this wine are the world’s most valid and most up-to-date evaluation of the quality of the wine. Tastingbook points are formed by the Tastingbook algorithm which takes into account the wine ratings of the world's best-known professional wine critics, wine ratings by thousands of tastingbook’s professionals and users, the generally recognised vintage quality and reputation of the vineyard and winery. Wine needs at least five professional ratings to get the Tb score. Tastingbook.com is the world's largest wine information service which is an unbiased, non-commercial and free for everyone.

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The Story

First produced from the 1974 vintage, Insignia is the first proprietary Bordeaux-style blend produced in California. Each vintage is comprised of the best grapes from Joseph Phelps Vineyards, first from both grower and estate fruit, and beginning with the 2004 vintage, from entirely estate-grown fruit sources. Insignia is a Cabernet Sauvignon based wine crafted from six of the Joseph Phelps estate vineyards: Spring Valley Home Ranch Vineyard in St. Helena, Banca Dorada Vineyard on the Rutherford Bench, Las Rocas and Barboza Vineyards in the Stags Leap District, Yountville Vineyard in the Oak Knoll District and Suscol Vineyard in South Napa Valley.

Forty years after the inaugural vintage, Insignia is recognized as one of the world’s great wines. The 2002 vintage was awarded “Wine of the Year” by Wine Spectator magazine in 2005 and in November 2013, high esteem by critic Robert Parker that in 2014, to mark the winery’s 40th anniversary, he visited the estate for an historic tasting of each Insignia vintage from 1974-2012, awarding the 1991, 1997, and 2002 vintages each a perfect 100 points points – proving that the best California Cabernets can stand the test of time. On his website, Parker reported on the tasting, noting that the event was, ‘one of the most historical vertical tastings I have ever done… I had the privilege of tasting every vintage from 1974 to 2012.’

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Tasting note

color

Deep, Brick red and Cloudy

ending

Long and Round

flavors

Coffee, Toasty, Meaty, Earthy and Dried-fruit

nose

Complex, Closed and Mature

taste

Medium tannin, Good texture, Medium-bodied, Round and Silky tannins

Written Notes

After a wet winter, the rest of the year was spent sunbathing in the heat. The harvest was the earliest on record. An excellent bottle with perfect level. A developed, bright, brick red colour, fine sediment. A lean and very developed nose with earthiness, meatiness and roasted coffee bean aromas. Medium-bodied palate with dried fruits, supple tannins and moderate acidity. Very savoury and ripe aftertaste with mocha flavours. A very good wine even though it is retiring.
  • 93p

Ein schwieriges Weinjahr war 1984, außer in Kalifornien. Hier wurden sehr schöne, langlebige Old School Kalifornier erzeugt. Eines dieser Prachtexemplare hatten wir im Glas,1984 Phelps Insignia, 11. Jahrgang dieses mit dem Jahrgang 1974 kreierten Signature Weins von Phelps, eine Cuvée aus Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot und Cabernet Franc. Dieser 84er war nicht so üppig und opulent wie die modernen Insignias. Aus dieser perfekten Flasche hier zeigte er sich immer noch so frisch und lebendig mit feiner, dunkler, minziger Frucht, einem Hauch Eukalyptus, dabei so komplex, balanciert und mit langem Abgang, in der großartigen Struktur eher Bordeaux als Kalifornien – WT96. Sollte aus guten Flaschen bei entsprechender Lagerung noch lange Spaß machen.

  • 96p
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Information

Origin

Napa, Napa Valley

Vintage Quality

Above Average

Value For Money

Satisfactory

Investment potential

No Potential

Fake factory

None

Glass time

1h

Drinking temperature

16
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