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| Drinking Windows and Values |
| Community Tasting History |
| Community Tasting Notes (average 96.6 pts. and median of 97 pts. in 9 notes) - hiding notes with no text | | | Tasted by Darwine on 3/5/2024 & rated 98 points: A great wine hitting its stride now! Nose was full of dark fruit with a background of leather and some vanilla. Flavors followed with ripe dark fruit - blackberry and some ripe dark plum. The tannins were soft and layered with an acid balance that enhanced the fruit flavors throughout. Finish was nice and long with vanilla, chocalte and those dark fruits. A very exceptional wine!! (527 views) | | | Tasted by KingsleyZissou on 12/25/2023 & rated 97 points: An outstanding expression of the vineyard, with many years yet to grow.
Nose of dark dried fig, sweet leather, allspice, licorice, pepper, and forest floor all tinged with a floral background of violets. Beautiful concentration that didn’t impose on the subtle nuances on display.
Palate shows typical Napa raw power but tempered with the initials touches of age. Gorgeous balance and lush texture. Excited to see where the 17s will go with time. (764 views) | | | Tasted by Darwine on 7/19/2023 & rated 98 points: A beautiful full bodied Napa Cabernet! The nose was spectacular with a blast of dark fruit and then going to a vanilla and leather essence. The flavors followed with dark fruit and vanilla chocolate notes. The tannis were there with a nice enjoyable presence - layered and soft. . The acid balance of this wine made the flavors intense and marvelous. It can’t get any better than this.!! (1210 views) | | | Tasted by mklasing on 1/28/2023 & rated 98 points: Simply amazing! (1478 views) | | | Tasted by Darwine on 1/16/2022 & rated 98 points: Instant nose of black raspberry opening up with notes of leather and spice. After opened for 30 minutes the wine was luscious and decadent. Full bodied deep dark fruit with a great mouth feel of dark fruit. Finish showed the decadent tannins, soft long and impressive. A real delight to drink. If my patience was there I am not sure it would have been any better. (2608 views) |
| By Jeb Dunnuck
JebDunnuck.com, Napa Valley’s 2018s (1/27/2021)
(Joseph Phelps Cabernet Sauvignon Backus Vineyard) Login and sign up and see review text. | By Antonio Galloni
Vinous, Napa Valley’s Thrilling 2018s & 2019s, Part 1 (Jan 2021) (1/1/2021)
(Joseph Phelps Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon Backus Vineyard Napa Valley Red) Subscribe to see review text. | By Jeb Dunnuck
JebDunnuck.com, Napa Valley’s 2017s (1/31/2020)
(Joseph Phelps Cabernet Sauvignon Backus Vineyard) Login and sign up and see review text. | By James Suckling
JamesSuckling.com (1/16/2020)
(Joseph Phelps Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley Oakville Backus Vineyard, Red, United States) Subscribe to see review text. | By Antonio Galloni
Vinous, 2017 & 2018 Napa Valley In Depth (Jan 2020) (1/1/2020)
(Joseph Phelps Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon Backus Vineyard Napa Valley Red) Subscribe to see review text. | By James Suckling
JamesSuckling.com (3/14/2019)
(Joseph Phelps Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley Oakville Backus Vineyard, Red, United States) Subscribe to see review text. | By Jeb Dunnuck
JebDunnuck.com, North Coast Part 1: Napa Valley's Incredible 2016s (1/31/2019)
(Joseph Phelps Cabernet Sauvignon Backus Vineyard Red) Login and sign up and see review text. | By Antonio Galloni
Vinous, Napa Valley’s Extraordinary 2016 Cabernets (Dec 2018) (12/1/2018)
(Joseph Phelps Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon Backus Vineyard Napa Valley Red) Subscribe to see review text. |
NOTE: Scores and reviews are the property of JebDunnuck.com and Vinous and JamesSuckling.com. (manage subscription channels) |
| Joseph Phelps Producer website
In the late 60s, Joseph Phelps was running one of the largest construction companies in the U.S. when he won the bid to build Souverain Winery (now Rutherford Hill) located a few miles outside of St. Helena. Enamored with the beautiful Napa Valley and contemplating a career change, in 1973 he bought the 600-acre Connolly cattle ranch in Spring Valley, and began planting vineyards. The winery was completed in 1974 and that same year the first Syrah was made, the first grapes were crushed at the new facility and the first Insignia was produced. It was a period of unparalleled activity, creativity, ingenuity, entrepreneurship and risk-taking and it put Joe Phelps on the map of top Napa Valley wine producers.
Nearly four decades later, the flagship wine, Insignia, is recognized as one of the world’s great wines. Twenty nine of 34 vintages have been rated ninety or more points by various wine publications. From 1990 to 2007, the average score from Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate is 94.5 pts., with the lowest score still a fabulous 91. The 2002 vintage was “Wine of the Year” by Wine Spectator Magazine, and the 2007 vintage has been rated 98 points by Robert Parker and 96 points by Wine Spectator Magazine.
Over the years, the goal of becoming 100% estate grown resulted in carefully planned acquisitions of prime vineyards in the Napa Valley. Today, the Phelps estate consists of the Spring Valley Home Ranch outside of St. Helena, Banca Dorada in Rutherford, Las Rocas and Barboza vineyards in Stags Leap, Yountville Vineyard in Oak Knoll, Suscol Vineyard in South Napa and Backus Vineyard in Oakville.
Beginning with the 2009 vintage, estate-grown wines include Cabernet Sauvignon, Sauvignon Blanc, Viognier, Insignia, Backus (the single vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon from Oakville) and Eisrébe, a dessert wine made from the Scheurebe grape. In addition, a small amount of Syrah is produced from fruit owned by Hyde Vineyards in Los Carneros.
Though the main focus is on Bordeaux varietals, Joe Phelps has had a life-long love affair with the wines of Burgundy and a desire to craft wines in that style. Originally Chardonnay was sourced from St. Helena, later from Yountville and then from Los Carneros. Through the years, however, Joe continued to search for the ideal spot to grow both Chardonnay and Pinot Noir, and his search ended when the perfect combination of climate, soil and location was found in Freestone, located in the Sonoma Coast AVA, a mere eight miles from the Pacific Ocean. In 1999, 200 acres were acquired and planting began. Today, 80 acres of Pinot Noir and 20 acres of Chardonnay are producing some remarkable wines which are available for tasting at the Freestone Guest Center. Visit Freestone Vineyards to learn more.Cabernet SauvignonCabernet Sauvignon is probably the most famous red wine grape variety on Earth. It is rivaled in this regard only by its Bordeaux stablemate Merlot, and its opposite number in Burgundy, Pinot Noir. From its origins in Bordeaux, Cabernet has successfully spread to almost every winegrowing country in the world. It is now the key grape variety in many first-rate New World wine regions, most notably Napa Valley, Coonawarra and Maipo Valley. Wherever they come from, Cabernet Sauvignon wines always seem to demonstrate a handful of common character traits: deep color, good tannin structure, moderate acidity and aromas of blackcurrant, tomato leaf, dark spices and cedarwood.
Used as frequently in blends as in varietal wines, Cabernet Sauvignon has a large number of common blending partners. Apart from the obvious Merlot and Cabernet Franc, the most prevalent of these are Malbec, Petit Verdot and Carmenere (the ingredients of a classic Bordeaux Blend), Shiraz (in Australia's favorite blend) and in Spain and South America, a Cabernet – Tempranillo blend is now commonplace. Even the bold Tannat-based wines of Madiran are now generally softened with Cabernet SauvignonUSAAmerican wine has been produced since the 1500s, with the first widespread production beginning in New Mexico in 1628. Today, wine production is undertaken in all fifty states, with California producing 84% of all U.S. wine. The continent of North America is home to several native species of grape, including Vitis labrusca, Vitis riparia, Vitis rotundifolia, and Vitis vulpina, but the wine-making industry is based almost entirely on the cultivation of the European Vitis vinifera, which was introduced by European settlers. With more than 1,100,000 acres (4,500 km2) under vine, the United States is the fourth-largest wine producing country in the world, after Italy, Spain, and France.California2021 vintage: "Unlike almost all other areas of the state, the Russian River Valley had higher than normal crops in 2021, which has made for a wine of greater generosity and fruit forwardness than some of its stablemates." - Morgan Twain-Peterson Napa Valley Napa Valley Wineries and Wine (Napa Valley Vintners)Oakville |
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