Joseph Phelps Insignia 2002
Cabernet Sauvignon
from Napa Valley, California
winemaker's notes:
Wine Spectator's #1 Wine of 2005!
The 2002 Insignia is full of black cherry jam and allspice aromas, with luscious notes of boysenberry, ripe plums, toasted oak and tobacco. The exceptionally elegant mouthfeel coats the palate with layer after layer of tannin, followed by a lengthy, textured finish containing sweet oak notes and a hint of blackberry.
78% Cabernet Sauvignon, 14% Merlot, 7% Petite Verdot and 1% Malbec primarily from estate-owned vineyards in Stag's Leap and Rutherford, with additional fruit coming from independent growers.
"...This beauty is more extroverted than the 2001...
-Wine Advocate
"A triumph... Just gorgeous right out of the bottle, but should develop effortlessly through the decade and beyond."
-Wine Enthusiast
"A rich, polished, seductive style... powerful, yet elegant and deftly balanced, finishing with a long, succulent aftertaste..."
-Wine Spectator
critical acclaim:
"Ruby-red. Sexy aromas of black raspberry, cedar, coffee, tobacco and bitter chocolate. Lush and smooth on entry, then dense and juicy in the middle, with intense, layered, sharply delineated dark berry and dark chocolate flavors saturating the entire palate. A powerful wine that is already quite expressive. Builds impressively on the back half, showing superb extract and a sweet finishing flavor of dark chocolate. This is consistently one of California 's very few great cabernet-based wines that is not from a single vineyard. Williams ranks this '02 with the winery's top recent vintages: 2001, 1999, 1997, 1994 and 1991."
95 Points
International Wine Cellar
"This celebrated wine is not mind-blowing right now. It’s dry, oaky, tannic and soft. There’s a wealth of cassis and moo shu pork flavors, and huge new oak. Yet it holds itself back, teasing but withdrawing into its tannic cloak. Collectors, be reassured it’s worth stashing. Drink now through 2010, but after that, it’s a gamble."
92 Points
Wine Enthusiast
user reviews:
The top 3 most liked reviews for this wine.
A Customer - Los Angeles, CA
The ultimate in California red wine. Any wine lover would be delighted to have a bottle (or 6) in their cellar.
A Customer - Las Vegas, NV
Wow... This wine deserves to be Wine Spectator's Wine of the Year. Impressive.
