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2006 Joseph Phelps Insignia Half BottleBlend from United States

$85.97

List Price: $100.00

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History of Insignia: "In 1973, Joe Phelps bought a 600-acre Connolly cattle ranch in Spring Valley, just outside of St. Helena, and began planting vineyards and building a w...

  • 95+ Robert Parker - Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
  • 95 Connoisseurs Guide to Wine
  • 94 Wine Enthusiast
  • 94 Wine Spectator
  • 92 James Suckling - Jamessuckling.com
  • 90+ Stephen Tanzer - Vinous Media
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Please note, this product is a 375 mL bottle.

About

Ratings:

95+

"The 2006 Insignia (95% Cabernet Sauvignon and 5% Petit Verdot; 16,000 cases produced) is a superb effort in this vintage. Another 30+ year wine, it boasts a dense plum/purple color as well as abundant notes of licorice, black currants, charcoal, black olives, and graphite. Full-bodied, pure, and rich with moderately high tannins, it represents a California version of a Bordeaux from Pauillac or St.-Julien. Anticipated maturity: 2014-2045." (12/09)

95 Connoisseurs Guide to Wine

"Already amazingly seductive with wonderfully rich aromas of sweet oak, cocoa and fully expressed fruit making a first-rate introduction, this riveting young wine in no way lets up on the palate and delivers deep, multi-faceted flavors that combine ripeness, sweet oak and very precise fruit in near-perfect proportion. As is often the case with Insignia bottlings, it is so beautifully balanced that it invites early drinking, and, while we do not condemn giving in to its charms, we also would lobby strongly for patience as its best lies years down the line." (12/09)

94 Wine Enthusiast

Cellar Selection"There are $15 Cabs that are better to drink now. This is so strong and fruity, so oaky, so tannic, it just overwhelms the palate in its extreme youth. Just massive in blackberries, black currants, coffee, cocoa, dried herbs and 100% new, smoky-sweet French. Ridiculous to open it anytime soon. Desperately needs time in the bottle, and the point score reflects potential. Try 2012-2018. -SH" (02/10)

94 Wine Spectator

"Teasing with its floral, spicy cherry, wild berry and currant aromas, this is full-bodied, firm and structured, tight and focused, offering glimpses of what lies ahead with its complex mix of flavors and tightly wound tannins. Yet its finesse and refinement are apparent on the finish. Needs time. Cabernet Sauvignon and Petit Verdot. Best from 2011 through 2018. 16,900 cases made. -JL" (10/09)

92 James Suckling - Jamessuckling.com

"A wonderful nose of chocolate, blueberries, and cherries. Full and velvety on the palate, with glorious fruit and fine tannins. Long and juicy with the fruit in balance. Give this about three to four years. Better after 2015. 14+23+22+33. Find the wine." (02/11)

90+ Stephen Tanzer - Vinous Media

"Good full medium bright ruby. Fresher on the nose than the Napa bottling, offering cassis, bitter chocolate and roasted herbs. Then very ripe and dense but suave, showing good energy and a slightly clenched middle palate. The tannins are serious and granular, but here there's plenty of supporting mid-palate material. Still a bit awkward following the recent bottling; this may well merit a higher score three or four years down the road." (06/09)

Product Description:

History of Insignia:
"In 1973, Joe Phelps bought a 600-acre Connolly cattle ranch in Spring Valley, just outside of St. Helena, and began planting vineyards and building a winery. The winery construction was completed in 1974 and that same year the first grapes were crushed at the new facility and the first vintage of Insignia was produced."

"Insignia is the first proprietary Bordeaux-style blend produced in California. Each vintage is comprised of the best grapes from Joseph Phelps Vineyards, first from both grower and estate fruit, and beginning with the 2004 vintage, from entirely estate-grown fruit sources. Insignia is a Cabernet Sauvignon based wine crafted from six of the Joseph Phelps estate vineyards: Spring Valley Ranch Vineyard in St. Helena, Banca Dorada Vineyard on the Rutherford Bench, Las Rocas and Barboza Vineyards in the Stags Leap District, Yountville Vineyard in the Oak Knoll District and Suscol Vineyard in South Napa Valley. Nearly forty years after the inaugural vintage, Insignia is recognized as one of the world's great wines." - Winery

Winemaking:
"When Joe Phelps founded his estate winery and vineyards in 1973, he did so with a clear vision for the work and commitment that would be required to create the best wines possible. Essential to his goal was assembling a winemaking team who would embrace his dedication, attention to detail, and tremendous passion for the craft of winemaking itself. Today, the talented winemaking team of Ashley Hepworth, Napa Winemaker, Damian Parker, Director of Winemaking, Philippe Pessereau, Director of Vineyard Operations, Kelly Fields, Napa Assistant Winemaker and Justin Ennis, Freestone Assistant Winemaker, have taken Joe's vision to heights even he could never have imagined."

"Ashley summarizes the Joseph Phelps winemaking philosophy as: "...creating the very best wine from the vintage we've been given; to take what we get from the vineyard and to express the terroir and the beauty of the vineyard in every bottle of wine."" - Winery

Product Detail

Item # 78031
Country United States
Region California
Sub-Region Napa
Ratings

95+ - Robert Parker - Robert Parker's Wine Advocate

95 - Connoisseurs Guide to Wine

94 - Wine Enthusiast

94 - Wine Spectator

92 - James Suckling - Jamessuckling.com

90+ - Stephen Tanzer - Vinous Media

Vintage 2006
Color Red
ABV 14.0%
Varietal(s) Cabernet Sauvignon, Petit Verdot
Size 375mL
Closure Cork
Features
Taste currant, blackberry, cherry, bell pepper, olive, asparagus, spice, ginger, oak, vanilla, lead, cedar, molasses and dark fruit
Nose currant, blackberry, cherry, cedar, cigar box, mocha, leather, vanilla and tobacco