Joseph Phelps Vineyards Insignia

The flagship wine, the 2001 Insignia Proprietary Wine, an 18,000-case blend of 89% Cabernet Sauvignon, 8% Petit Verdot, and 3% Malbec, continues to live up to my high praise from last year. Rich, elegant, and nuanced, this dense ruby/purple wine offers a nose of creme de cassis, incense, licorice, chocolate, and spice box. It is full-bodied, opulently styled with plenty of tannin, but the structural aspects of the wine are well-concealed by its intensity and overall richness. Anticipated maturity: 2006–2020.

The 2001 Insignia (an 18,000 case blend of 89% Cabernet Sauvignon, 8% Petit Verdot, and 3% Merlot) is an inky/purple-colored effort representing a return to the superb quality of such vintages as 1997. Aged in 100% new French oak, this blockbuster reveals gorgeous aromas of melted licorice, creme de cassis, liquid minerals, and hints of chocolate and spice box. The finish is long, full-bodied, opulent, and voluptuous. Considerable tannin is largely concealed by the lavish richness, extract, and glycerin. Anticipated maturity: 2005–2020+.

This is a great vintage of Insignia, which means it’s a great Napa cabernet that will last for decades. The balance is amazing, incorporating beautiful red fruit deepening to black cherry and darker berry, a lot of alcohol and a lot of oak holding it structured and strong. The texture is flawless, with tannins adding richness and earthy notes of black Stags Leap District soil. Those tannins seamlessly support the sweet blend of cabernet with a touch of petite verdot (8 percent) and malbec (3) extending the clean berry flavors long after each sip. Dynamic now, complex in ten years’ time.

A sleek yet rich and polished young red, it slowly unfolds to offer complex currant, black cherry, mocha and hazelnut, with firm, integrated tannins. Cabernet Sauvignon, Petit Verdot and Malbec. Best from 2006 through 2012.