Wine Advisor
Joseph Phelps, Insignia 2013
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Description
Tasting notes
Reviewed by: Robert M. Parker, Jr.
The 2013 Insignia Proprietary Red is a 13,500-case blend of 88% Cabernet Sauvignon, 5% Petit Verdot, 3% Merlot, 3% Malbec and 1% Cabernet Franc. Another sensational effort, it is not as plump and voluptuous as the 2012, and may have greater focus and elegance. In any event, it is another big, full-bodied, rich, concentrated, inky/purple-colored wine displaying complex notes of forest floor, camphor, incense, scorched earth and crème de cassis as well as an extremely long finish. This sensational 2013 may turn out to be more backward and structured than its 2012 counterpart. Drink 2018-2040.
Reviewed by: Robert M. Parker, Jr.
The 2013 Insignia (their 40th vintage) is a blend of 88% Cabernet Sauvignon, 5% Petit Verdot, and the rest Merlot, Malbec and Cabernet Franc. This wine is aged 24 months in 100% new French oak barrels, and the production can vary from just over 10,000 cases to nearly 20,000 cases in a very abundant vintage. There were 12,300 cases produced in 2013, and this vintage of Insignia is certainly going to turn out to be one of the great ones. The wine offers a stunning inky blue/purple color, a gorgeous nose of blueberry and blackberry liqueur, pen ink, graphite, new saddle leather and barrique. The wine has fabulous concentration, a full-bodied, multi-layered mouthfeel, and tremendous finish with moderate tannin. It’s interesting to note that the Phelps winemaking staff had been gradually reducing the amount of Merlot in this wine over recent vintages. The 2013 should hit its peak in 5-7 years and last for 35-50.
Reviewed by: Robert M. Parker, Jr.
The flagship wine of the estate in reds is their Insignia, which has been one of the great Bordeaux blends made in California since the debut vintage in 1974. It usually has 30+ years aging potential, even in lighter vintages, of which the 2012, 2013 and 2014 are decidedly not. The 2013 Proprietary Red Insignia was scheduled for bottling after my visit. A blend of 88% Cabernet Sauvignon and the rest smaller proportions of Petit Verdot, Merlot, Malbec and Cabernet Franc, this is a smaller cuvée of about 12,300 cases. This could turn out even better than the 2012, although the final judgment will have to take place from bottle. An amazing, inky purple color offers up notes of pen ink, white flowers, blueberry and blackberry liqueur. Nicely coiled, its tense, but rich and extracted palate is full-bodied with layers of concentrated fruit, well-integrated wood, acidity and tannin, and a finish of a good 40-45 seconds. This stunner should hit its prime in 5-6 years and last 30-40 years.
Reviewed by: Antonio Galloni
The 2013 Insignia is just as magnificent as it has always been. Refined and polished to the core, but with all of the power of the vintage, the 2013 simply has it all. Crème de cassis, lavender, plum and exotic spices infuse this deeply expressive edition of the Phelps flagship wine. The 2013 is remarkably silky for such a big wine.
Reviewed by: Antonio Galloni
The 2013 Insignia is ripe, forward and explosive, with striking nuance and delineation throughout. Vivid and intense, but also showing admirable restraint, the 2013 is super-impressive. Twenty-four months in 100% new oak has really tamed what was once a powerful, almost over the top wine. Today, the 2013 is still closed and not fully formed, but it is shaping up to be a real gem.
Reviewed by: Antonio Galloni
Another fabulous wine, the 2013 Insignia wraps around the palate with stunning depth and pure texture. Sumptuous and virtually seamless on the palate, the 2013 is all about intensity. Tasted next to the 2012, the 2013 is a bit more textured and spherical throughout. Cassis, blackberry jam, grilled herbs and smoke resonate on the expressive finish. It will be interesting to compare the 2012 and 2013 for years to come.
Reviewed by: Stephen Tanzer
(this wine was bottled at the beginning of February and will not be released until September; from an earlier harvest than 2012, featuring higher tannin levels): Black fruits and violet on the nose, complemented by spicecake and nutty oak. Boasts outstanding purity and density of fruit but the wine's superb sweetness is nicely controlled by its sheer juicy concentration and spice character. Conveys great inner-mouth tension owing to its firm acidity and strong underlying minerality. A terrific early showing considering the recent bottling, with a high-pitched floral element that contributes to the wine's weightless impression. The tannins are beautifully integrated with the fruit but it's hard to imagine that this wine won't shut down at some point. The long, rising finish spreads out horizontally to saturate the palate. Winemaker Ashley Hepworth noted that it was warmer on the home ranch in 2013 than in 2012 but not everywhere elsewhere in Napa Valley.
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.
