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2018 Joseph Phelps InsigniaBlend from United States

$269.09

List Price: $350.00

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"The 2018 Insignia opens with beautifully perfumed floral, dark fruit, anise and cigar box aromatics. A wine of depth, elegance and finesse, the palate is fresh and focused wit...

  • 99 James Suckling - Jamessuckling.com
  • 98 Wine Enthusiast
  • 98 Jeb Dunnuck - jebdunnuck.com
  • 97+ Lisa Perrotti-Brown - Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
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About

Ratings:

99

Blackberry and black chocolate with mint, conifer and clove. Sweet tobacco, violets and flowers, too. Some graphite. Cool and complex. Full-bodied with ultra fine, dusty tannins and a wonderful, extremely long finish. Savory and refined. A classic-styled 2018. This needs time, but is so approachable and gorgeous. One of the best Insignias ever. Alive and changing all the time. 40% Stags Leap AVA. 87% cabernet sauvignon, 8% petit verdot, 3% malbec and 2% cabernet franc. Leave this for five or six years, but so wonderful now.

98 Wine Enthusiast

This impressive blend combines 87% Cabernet Sauvignon with 8% Petit Verdot, 3% Malbec and 2% Cabernet Franc, aging the whole for 24 months in 100% new French oak. Elements of cedar, sage, dried herb and underbrush meet rich red fruit and chalky tannins, with a dusting of cocoa throughout. Enjoy from 2028–2038.

98 Jeb Dunnuck - jebdunnuck.com

The 2018 Insignia checks in as 87% Cabernet Sauvignon, 8% Petit Verdot, 3% Malbec and the rest Cabernet Franc, from a mix of vineyards (mostly in the southern part of the valley) aged two years in new French oak. It has an incredible bouquet of cassis, currants, dark chocolate, lead pencil, and tobacco, and while it's unquestionably Napa, it has a regal, structured, almost Bordeaux-like vibe as well. Full-bodied, perfectly balanced, and layered on the palate, with silky tannins, this quintessential Insignia is up with the finest vintages of this cuvée I've tasted and is in the same realm as the 1997 (the first vintage I bought for my personal cellar), 2001, 2002, 2007, 2012, 2013, 2015, and 2016. 17,000 cases.

97+ Lisa Perrotti-Brown - Robert Parker's Wine Advocate

The 2018 Insignia is a blend of 87% Cabernet Sauvignon, 8% Petit Verdot, 3% Malbec and 2% Cabernet Franc. The vineyard sources this year include: 30% Las Rocas (Stags Leap District),18% Yountville (Oak Knoll District), 13% Banca Dorada (Rutherford), 18% Suscol (South Napa Valley), 14% Home Ranch (St. Helena), 12% Las Rocas (Stags Leap District), 7% Barboza (Stags Leap District). It was aged for 24 months in 100% new French oak barrels. Deep garnet-purple colored, it comes storming out of the glass with powerful notes of blackcurrant cordial, stewed black plums and boysenberries, plus hints of cedar chest, graphite, menthol and wet slate with a fragrant waft of clove oil. The medium to full-bodied palate already demonstrates remarkable balance at this youthful stage, featuring a firm backbone of fine-grained tannins and bold freshness to support the tightly wound, crunchy black fruits, finishing long and spicy. 17,000 cases were made.

Product Description:

"The 2018 Insignia opens with beautifully perfumed floral, dark fruit, anise and cigar box aromatics. A wine of depth, elegance and finesse, the palate is fresh and focused with creamy texture and layers of blackberry, mocha and black cherry. The seamless tannin structure and balance culminate in an uplifting, lengthy finish." -Winery

Product Detail

Item # 125181
Country United States
Region California
Sub-Region Napa
Ratings

99 - James Suckling - Jamessuckling.com

98 - Wine Enthusiast

98 - Jeb Dunnuck - jebdunnuck.com

97+ - Lisa Perrotti-Brown - Robert Parker's Wine Advocate

Vintage 2018
Color Red
ABV N/A
Varietal(s) Cabernet Sauvignon, Petit Verdot, Malbec, Cabernet Franc
Size 750mL
Closure Cork
Features
Taste currant, blackberry, cherry, bell pepper, olive, asparagus, spice, ginger, oak, vanilla, lead, cedar, molasses, dark fruit, pepper, earth, green, plum, mocha, tobacco, raspberry, cassis, violet and green bean
Nose currant, blackberry, cherry, cedar, cigar box, mocha, leather, vanilla, tobacco, spice, earth, broccoli, berry and flower