Winemaker Notes
The 2009 Cabernet Sauvignon from Backus Vineyard shows classic Oakville graphite, forest floor and dark fruit characteristics with an elegant tannin structure. Beautiful, creamy texture and minerality showcase the dark plum, blueberry and cassis flavors with notes of violet and allspice that follow through to a long, smooth finish.
Professional Ratings
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The 2009 Cabernet Sauvignon Backus Vineyard is very nicely balanced from start to finish. In this vintage, the Backus isn’t as overtly ripe as it can be. Hints of tobacco, crushed flowers, new leather and spices add complexity to the inky black fruit. Firm, powerful tannins suggest it will be years before the 2009 is ready to provide maximum pleasure. From time to time, the wine’s inner perfume and expressive black fruit show a glimpse of their potential, but the 2009 is a wine that begs for cellaring. Anticipated maturity: 2019-2029.
Rating: 94+
Joseph Phelps Vineyards is a family-owned winery committed to crafting world class, estate-grown wines. Founded in 1973 when Joe Phelps purchased a former cattle ranch near St. Helena in the Napa Valley, the winery now controls and farms nearly 375 acres of vines on eight estate vineyards in St. Helena, the Stags Leap District, Oakville, Rutherford, Oak Knoll District, Carneros and South Napa Valley. In 1999, the Phelps family added 100 acres of vineyard property near the town of Freestone on the Sonoma Coast, where Phelps now grows Pinot Noir and Chardonnay.
Phelps is best known for its flagship Napa Valley blend of red Bordeaux varietals, Insignia, first produced in 1974. Awarded Wine Spectator's "Wine of the Year" in 2005, Insignia is widely regarded as a qualitative benchmark for California winemaking.
One of the most prestigious wines of the world capable of great power and grace, Napa Valley Cabernet is a leading force in the world of fine, famous, collectible red wine. Today the Napa Valley and Cabernet Sauvignon are so intrinsically linked that it is difficult to discuss one without the other. But it wasn’t until the 1970s that this marriage came to light; sudden international recognition rained upon Napa with the victory of the Stag’s Leap Wine Cellars 1973 Cabernet Sauvignon in the 1976 Judgement of Paris.
Cabernet Sauvignon undoubtedly dominates Napa Valley today, covering half of the land under vine, commanding the highest prices per ton and earning the most critical acclaim. Cabernet Sauvignon’s structure, acidity, capacity to thrive in multiple environs and ability to express nuances of vintage make it perfect for Napa Valley where incredible soil and geographical diversity are found and the climate is perfect for grape growing. Within the Napa Valley lie many smaller sub-AVAs that express specific characteristics based on situation, slope and soil—as a perfect example, Rutherford’s famous dust or Stags Leap District's tart cherry flavors.