Wine Advisor
Joseph Phelps, Insignia 2005
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Description
Tasting notes
Reviewed by: Robert M. Parker, Jr.
The 2005 Proprietary Red Insignia (14.5% alcohol and typically aged 24 months in new French oak) is a blend of 92% Cabernet Sauvignon, 7% Petit Verdot and 1% Merlot. Juicy, fresh and vibrant, with a dense, ruby/purple color, and a classic nose of licorice and crème de cassis as well as hints of new saddle leather and earth, the wine is a brilliant blend that after ten years shows no evidence of the 24 months it spent in new French oak. Full-bodied, opulent, but still youthful, this wine looks set for another 25-30 years of aging. The wine’s best elements are its finesse and elegance allied to great richness and intensity. This wine is accessible now, as most Insignias tend to be, but much of its greatness will be revealed over the next two decades.
Reviewed by: Robert M. Parker, Jr.
Since 2004, 100% of the Bordeaux varietals used in the Insignia proprietary blend have been from estate vineyards. The beautiful, dense ruby/purple-tinged 2005 Insignia (a 12,500-case blend of 92% Cabernet Sauvignon, 7% Petit Verdot, and 1% Merlot) possesses sweet aromas of black cherries, cassis, chocolate, camphor, and a subtle hint of roasted herbs. Medium to full-bodied and elegant, with a European style imposed on the rich, velvety, California fruit, this cuvee will benefit from several years of bottle age, and should easily keep for three decades. The Freestone Vineyard, a 100-acre, cool climate site planted on the Sonoma Coast by Joseph Phelps, is finally coming into production, offering consumers a bevy of different Chardonnays and Pinot Noirs. There are three Chardonnay offerings, all of which emphasize the minerality and citrusy characteristics of this varietal with little intrusive oak, despite the fact that they are barrel-fermented and aged primarily in new French oak. The Cabernet Sauvignon program consists of three wines, the Cabernet Sauvignon, their famous proprietary red wine called Insignia, and their single vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon from the western hillsides of Oakville, called Backus. The regular Cabernet is a solidly made, reliable effort usually comprised of about 85% Cabernet Sauvignon and the rest Merlot, Petit Verdot, and occasionally Malbec. The single vineyard offering comes from Oakville’s Backus Vineyard. There are typically 1,500-2,500 cases produced from this biodynamically farmed vineyard. Tel. (707) 963-2745; Fax (707) 963-4831
Reviewed by: Robert M. Parker, Jr.
The wine possesses a European-like structure because of the firm tannins and slight austerity, but it exhibits a beautiful density of fruit. Not yet an adolescent, this youthful 2005 reveals an inky/purple color as well as notes of lead pencil shavings, charcoal, black currants, cedar and underbrush. Full and rich, but backward and structured, it needs to be forgotten for another 3-4 years, and drunk over the following 25 years. An extraordinary amount of rain fell between January and June of 2005, causing some flooding in lower areas of Napa Valley. The flowering was enormous and it was clear a potentially huge crop was in store for growers unless crop-thinning was employed. The warm summer, with a few heat spikes in July and August, was followed by a cooling trend that ushered in a perfect Indian Summer that allowed growers to extend their hang-time, and harvest throughout the month of October. Some of the mountain vineyards did not finish picking until mid-November – very late for Napa. The 2005 Insignia, made from 100% estate fruit, is composed of 92% Cabernet Sauvignon, 7% Petit Verdot and 1% Merlot that achieved 14.5% natural alcohol. It was aged 24 months in 100% new French oak.
Reviewed by: Robert M. Parker, Jr.
Bordeaux-like in its elegance, austere tannin, and bright, vibrant flavors, the deep ruby/purple-colored 2005 Insignia (13,000 cases made from a combination of 92% Cabernet Sauvignon, 7% Petit Verdot, and 1% Merlot) is a more restrained effort without the power and flamboyance of previous vintages. It offers beautiful definition and elegance as well as strong aromatics, medium body, and ripe tannin. Consume it during its first 10-15 years of life. For fruit aficionados, this offering may come across as too European. Not yet released. Previously recommended: 2002 Insignia (95), 2002 Cabernet Sauvignon Backus Vineyard (96+). Tel. (707) 963-2745; Fax (707) 963-4831
Reviewed by: Robert M. Parker, Jr.
The 2005 Insignia (12,500 cases) is a blend of 92% Cabernet Sauvignon, 7% Petit Verdot, and 1% Merlot. Elegant and restrained (which is very much in keeping with the style of this vintage), the wine is also rich, dense, pure, with chocolatey cassis notes intermixed with hints of subtle wood, roasted herbs, and spice. It is ripe, rich, full-bodied, but in need of 4-5 years of bottle age. It should last for 25-30 years. It is far more reticent than the more flamboyant 2004. Previously recommended: 2003 Insignia (94), 2003 Cabernet Sauvignon Backus Vineyard (96), 2003 Cabernet Sauvignon Napa (88). (Release date 9/08) Tel. (707) 963-2745; Fax (707) 963-4831
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.
