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  • Country ranking ?

    228
  • Producer ranking ?

    18
  • Decanting time

    1h30min
  • When to drink

    now - 2035
  • Food Pairing

    Roasted Lamb

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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate / An extraordinary dense plum/purple color is followed by a seductive as well as explosive bouquet of white chocolate, creme de cassis, spring flowers, licorice and a touch of graphite. This full-bodied, opulent 1991 reveals a flawless integration of acidity, tannin, wood and alcohol. Magnificent in the mouth with an opulent and voluptuous texture, and not a hard edge to be found, it reveals mindboggling purity and vigor. This sensational Insignia can be enjoyed over the next 10-15+ years.

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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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Wine Information

The 1991 growing season was one of the most intense, and exciting, in recent memory, with torrential rains in March breaking a 5-year drought, an unusually cool summer delaying the harvest a full month, and Indian summer conditions producing a near-perfect grape crop. They believe the wine that has been fashioned from these grapes comprises one of the great wines of the vintage, and possibly the decade, and below are some comments from wine writers who appear to agree.

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Latest Pro-tasting notes

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Written Notes

54% from Manly Road, Rutherford, that they call Banca Dorada, quite close to the Niebaum ranch (Coppola/Inglenook). Recently replanted, presumably. All of 21 months in oak. 
Especially deep crimson right out to the rim. Intense, concentrated, youthful cassis. Opulent without being hot. Bitter chocolate. Very smooth texture. Luscious. Definitely not bordeaux; real Napa Valley character? Still with a firm framework. Long and complete and well integrated even though some fine tannins are still perceptible. According to Bill Phelps, this wine really shows the important evolutionary changes. Best of everything here.

  • 93p

Supple-textured, ripe, rich and fleshy, with spice, currant, black cherry and wild berry fruit that's well-proportioned, drinking easily already. Firms up nicely on the finish, where the tannins have just the right touch of grip.

  • 98p
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Information

Origin

Napa, Napa Valley
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