Joseph Phelps Insignia 2016

This is a lengthy, powerful blend of 84% Cabernet Sauvignon, 10% Petit Verdot and 3% each of Cabernet Franc and Malbec. Together they coalesce as one seamless, complex experience of black currant, brambly berry and black pepper, with accents of graphite, pencil and cedar. Robust in tannin and youthful energy, it will benefit from aging. Enjoy 2026–2031.

A very deep purple colour in the glass. Ripe but not overblown on the nose, all damson, blackberry and baked vanilla. The palate is powerful but balanced, bright acidity and grippy tannins tempering the glossy black fruit. Expansive, heady and rich, this is a blockbuster that warrants bottle age.

Lovely density and intensity with dark berries, blueberries and inky undertones with hints of spice, chocolate and walnuts. Medium to full body, fine tannins and a flavorful finish. The texture and length are fantastic here. Complex. Hints of smoky wood at the end. This needs three to five years more in bottle age. Exciting wine. Try after 2022.

Bottled in January 2019, the 2016 Insignia is a blend of 84% Cabernet Sauvignon, 10% Petit Verdot, 3% Cabernet Franc and 1% Malbec, aged for 24 months in 100% new French oak barrels. Deep garnet-purple colored, the nose is a little reticent to begin, needing a fair bit of coaxing to reveal beautifully beguiling notions of wild blueberries, warm blackberries, black currant cordial, cloves and cedar chest with nuances of camphor, yeast extract, charcuterie and candied violets. Medium to full-bodied, the palate has fantastic elegance and depth, revealing loads of subtle floral, black fruit and earthy layers with a firm, very finely grained texture and seamless freshness, finishing with epic length. 13,400 cases were made.

This is laden with flavors of dark currant, blackberry and black cherry preserves, infused gently with alder, incense and black tea notes, all carried by a long swath of fine-grained tannins. Hints of warm stone and tobacco gild the finish. Cabernet Sauvignon, Petit Verdot, Cabernet Franc and Malbec. Best from 2021 through 2035. Tasted twice, with consistent notes. 13,500 cases made.

Made by longtime winemaker Ashley Hepworth, Joseph Phelps 'Insignia' is a blue chip stock in the Napa Valley. The wine - first made in 1974 - was the valley’s first proprietary 'Bordeaux blend'. It comes from non contiguous estate vineyards, mostly on the valley floor and lower hillsides. Insignia has a certain old fashioned character. The 2016, a bit oaky at first, is also packed with juicy, dense, sweet berry flavours, plus notes of tobacco and graphite. More than many Insignias when they are young, the 2016 already possesses a wonderful thick softness and length.