Joseph Phelps Vineyards Insignia Estate Grown Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon Blend 2018

99 points - new release                                                                      Limited new release of Joseph Phelps' legendary Insignia Cabernet. 99 Points James Suckling: "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 Points Robert Parker: " A barrel sample, the 2018 Insignia is a blend of 87% Cabernet Sauvignon, 8% Petit Verdot, 2% Cabernet Franc and 3% Malbec, to be aged for 24 months in 100% new French oak barrels. Very deep garnet-purple in color, 2018 Insignia sings of fragrant lilacs, chocolate covered cherries, underbrush and charcuterie with a core of crushed black currants, black raspberries, chocolate box and red currant jelly. Medium bodied, the palate is an exercise in finesse, with a wonderful showing of restrained black fruit and mineral flavors layers and wonderfully ripe, fine-grained tannins, finishing long and uplifting." 97 Points Jeb Dunnuck: "Very much in the style of the vintage with its pure, concentrated, yet also elegant and focused style, the 2018 Insignia offers up a vivid purple hue to go with lots of red and blue fruits, menthol, tobacco, graphite, and distinct minerality. With an almost Bordeaux-like style, medium to full-bodied richness, present tannins, and a great finish, it's a beautiful, classic Cabernet Sauvignon blend from this team that's going to benefit from 4-5 years of bottle age and keep for two decades or more Joseph Phelps’ flagship wine, which they have been making for 36 years, is the Insignia, which boasts a remarkable track record. Phelps, always a visionary, was the first to recognize that a blend of grapes could be better than a single varietal cuvee. Phelps produces a 100% Cabernet Sauvignon from the Backus Vineyard situated on the eastern slopes of the Oakville Corridor overlooking Screaming Eagle and Rudd Estate.

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