2004 Joseph Phelps Vineyards INSIGNIA Napa Valley California
Name:
Joseph Phelps Vineyards INSIGNIA Napa Valley California - 2004
Where it's from:
>USA
>California
>Napa Valley
Price per case:
£1392.94
Bottle size:
75 cl
Bottles per case:
12
Style:
Powerful Reds
Grapes:
Cabernet Sauvignon / Merlot
Description:
Founded in 1972, Joseph Phelps Vineyards is an independent, estate-based winery located outside of St. Helena. Perched on a knoll in bucolic Spring Valley, the graceful redwood winery overlooks vineyard-studded hills, the town of St. Helena and the Mayacamas Mountains to the west.
Long known for his innovative spirit and passion for quality, Joe Phelps pioneered a number of 'firsts' in the early years of the winery. The 1974 Insignia — released in the spring of 1978 — was the first Bordeaux-style blend produced in California under a proprietary label. The release of the 1974 Syrah in 1977 sparked industry-wide interest in a remarkable French varietal whose plantings in California had disappeared and been virtually forgotten for over half a century. And in 1990, after years of research, a whole new family of Rhone-style wines was introduced which today includes Syrah, Viognier and a Chateauneuf-du-Pape style blend called Le Mistral.
This Red is a blend of 78% Cabernet Sauvignon and 22% Merlot, primarily from estate-owned vineyards in Stag's Leap and Rutherford, with additional fruit coming from independent growers in Rutherford, Carneros and Coombsville.The Grapes were harvested between at an average 24.0° - 25.0° Brix, fermented in stainless steel tanks, then aged 20 months in new French oak barrels before being blended and bottled.
'The Insignia . . . is a fabulous wine from a . . . challenging vintage. More evolved than the 1997, with a saturated ruby/purple color, it possesses a sumptuous bouquet of smoke, cedar, licorice and cassis. This full-bodied, fat, succulent effort reveals admirable purity and symmetry, and a soft finish with remarkably deep flavours that caress the palate.' - Robert Parker
