Joseph Phelps Insignia (375ML half-bottle) 2002
- WS
- RP
- JS
- JD
- WE
- RP
- WS
- WW
- JD
- JS
- D
- RP
- WS
- RP
- WW
- JS
- WE
- JD
- CG
- WS
- D
- RP
- JS
- JD
- WE
- JS
- RP
- WE
- WW
- RP
- WE
- WW
- TP
- JS
- W&S
- D
- WS
- JS
- JD
- RP
- WE
- CG
- WS
- W&S
- WE
- RP
- D
- JS
- WS
- WE
- RP
- CG
- WS
- RP
- WE
- JS
- W&S
- WS
- RP
- JS
- WS
- WE
- RP
- CG
- WS
- TP
- JS
- WE
- W&S
- CG
- RP
- WE
- WS
- CG
- RP
- WE
- W&S
- WS
- RP
- WE
- WS
- W&S
- WE
- RP
- WS
- RP
- WE
- W&S
- WS
- RP
- W&S
- WS
- RP
- WS
- W&S
- RP
- RP
- WS
- WE
- W&S
- RP
- WS
- RP
- WS
- RP
- WS
- RP
- WS
- RP
- WS
- RP
- WS
- RP
- RP
Winemaker Notes
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
All Vintages
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.
Undoubtedly proving its merit over and over, Napa Valley is a now a leading force in the world of prestigious red wine regions. Though Cabernet Sauvignon dominates Napa Valley, other red varieties certainly thrive here. Important but often overlooked include Merlot and other Bordeaux varieties well-regarded on their own as well as for their blending capacities. Very old vine Zinfandel represents an important historical stronghold for the region and Pinot noir is produced in the cooler southern parts, close to the San Pablo Bay.
Perfectly situated running north to south, the valley acts as a corridor, pulling cool, moist air up from the San Pablo Bay in the evenings during the hot days of the growing season, which leads to even and slow grape ripening. Furthermore the valley claims over 100 soil variations including layers of volcanic, gravel, sand and silt—a combination excellent for world-class red wine production.