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Joseph Phelps Insignia 2005
HED63940
75 cl
14.5%
£260.00
Taxes included.
Pay ex-VAT when shipping outside the UK
Joseph Phelps Vineyards was established in 1973 and is recognised as one of the finest producers of Cabernet-based wines in California. The 2005 vintage of their flagship wine, Insignia is a beautiful blend of 92% Cabernet Sauvignon, 7% Petit Verdot and 1% Merlot. It is firm and dense, exhibiting some European-style charm, but has delicious layers of dark fruits, spice and graphite.
92
Vinous
(Hepworth described 2005 as a sleeper vintage, Bordeaux-like early on and austere; the first vintage made with Suscol Vineyard fruit, from vines planted in 2002): Bright ruby-red. Musky aromas of black raspberry, plum, mocha, smoked meat, porcini and underbrush. Plush, thick and quite dry, showing excellent depth and good lift to its flavors of black raspberry, pine needles, graphite and cigar box. With aeration, this wine showed a building truffley perfume and substantial tannins. Any early sweetness it might have showed has been nicely integrated. Incidentally, 2005 brought the highest yield ever, with some vineyards producing up to five tons of fruit per acre.Stephen Tanzer1st April 2016
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Joseph Phelps
Innovation and Quality in Napa
Founded in 1973, Joseph Phelps Vineyards is family-owned winery celebrated for its commitment to crafting world-class, estate grown wines from Napa Valley and the Sonoma Coast. Joe Phelps was a building contractor from Colorado who began investing in Napa Valley vineyards in the early 1970s, producing the first vintage of his now-famous "Insignia" in 1974 - one of the first super premium Bordeaux blends from Napa.
The current winemaker is Ashley Hepworth, who initially joined Joseph Phelps in 1999 as an intern. Alongside Insignia, Ashley and the team also make a number of varietal wines with the Freestone Vineyards Chardonnay being a notable high point.