Wine Advisor
Joseph Phelps, Insignia 1978
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Description
Tasting notes
Reviewed by: Robert M. Parker, Jr.
The fabulous 1978 appears to be even stronger than I remember. A dense plum/garnet color is accompanied by an exceptional bouquet of espresso beans, sweet red and black currants, licorice, lead pencil shavings and cedar. Deep, ripe, full-bodied and opulent with oodles of fruit and glycerin, this beauty is fresh and lively. Although fully mature, it appears capable of lasting another decade or more. In 1978, heavy rains finally returned to Napa Valley, replenishing drought-stricken soils and helping to fill the reservoirs. The summer growing season was relatively warm with some heat spikes during the last two weeks of September, which forced growers to harvest earlier than expected. The 1978's final blend was 50% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Merlot and 20% Cabernet Franc, with 32% from estate vineyards and 68% from growers. Fifty-five percent of the fruit came from Oakville vineyards, 20% from the Spring Valley Vineyard in St. Helena, 13% from the Eisele Vineyard and 12% from their new Backus Vineyard in Oakville. Total production was 1,200 cases, and the natural alcohol came in at 13.5%. The wine’s time in barrel was extended dramatically to 24 months in French oak.
About the Producer
Joseph Phelps, a building contractor from Colorado, first invested in vineyards in the Napa Valley in 1972. In 1974 Phelps and his winemaker Walter Schugg produced their first vintage of Insignia, which at the time was one of the first Bordeaux style blends in California. Its Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, and Merlot grapes are sourced primarily from Rutherford & Stags Leap (notably for `Insignia'); the Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc from Los Carneros & Napa (for the better quality fruit). Joseph Phelps Vineyards is a family-owned and operated wine estate with vineyards and wineries in Napa Valley and on the western Sonoma Coast. The winery was founded in 1973 by Joseph Phelps, a successful construction executive and entrepreneur whose early interest in wine led him to establish vineyards on a 670-acre former cattle ranch in Napa Valley. Over the next 42 years Joe became one of the most respected figures in the California wine industry, building Joseph Phelps Vineyards into a critically-acclaimed winery internationally known for its iconic wines and unwavering commitment to quality. Every wine in the Joseph Phelps portfolio is 100% estate-grown, overseen from grape to bottle by our dedicated winegrowing team. Their family owns and farms 390 acres of vines in Napa Valley on eight estate vineyards in St. Helena, Rutherford, Oakville, the Stags Leap District, the Oak Knoll District, South Napa and Carneros, as well as 100 acres over two vineyards on the western Sonoma Coast. Strategically chosen over many decades, each vineyard has its own personality and brings a different characteristic to our wines. Our commitment to the estate-grown model is our way of ensuring consistency and the highest quality we can possibly achieve. Our estate vineyards give our winemaking teams unparalleled depth and diversity when it comes to producing Joseph Phelps wines.
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