CLONYC 2 Joseph Phelps Insignia Vertical Tasting

 Joseph Phelps Insignia Vertical Tasting

Tasting Notes

 

All notes by Ben Sherwin

This is California?
Clearly the weakest of the 4 flights, these wines had a Bordeaux feel to them.

• 1991 Joseph Phelps Insignia - USA, California, Napa Valley
  An exquisite wine. The nose was very restrained at first but opened up beautifully and became more expressive as the evening wore on. Herbal, earthy gave way to plums and truffle. The whole wine came into much more focus with some air time. A herbs, cedar and sour cherry flavors were well balanced with a bright acidity. It really grew in the glass. Great structure and complexity. Not nearly as big as I expected. WOTF.
• 1992 Joseph Phelps Insignia - USA, California, Napa Valley
  Pretty shut down with very little on the nose. Various attempts at resuscitation by vigorous swirling revealed a little, but not much. Tannins mask a core band of fruit that never really took off. Clipped and slightly astringent on the finish. It was the little engine that couldn't.
• 1993 Joseph Phelps Insignia - USA, California, Napa Valley
  Not terribly expressive nose of cedar and black cherry. More tar and leather than fruit in the mouth. Supple on the midpalate, but then a bit astringent on the finish. It wasn't quite all that bad, but it wasn't particularly good either.

Now We're Rolling
There seems to be a sea change with the '95 from an Old World style to the classic California profile.

• 1994 Joseph Phelps Insignia - USA, California, Napa Valley
  This could have used some decanting. Tightly wound, it took a while to open up and show anything. Slightly off-putting nose at first (sulphur?) that blew off after a while. Revealed classic Cabernet notes (currant, tobacco, cedar) but never really got going to where I expected to go. I think this needs more time for the tannins to resolve and show off. I also think this suffered by the format and by being next to the '95 and '96. A step up from the '92 and '93 though. Ultimately, it left me puzzled and a bit disappointed given the hype on this one. Some thought this bottle was flawed.
• 1995 Joseph Phelps Insignia - USA, California, Napa Valley
  The first WOW wine of the tasting. Deep, dark and brooding. The fruit jumps out of the glass here-very California. Young and vibrant, this one had a dense, complex core of fruit (blueberry, blackberry), as well as secondary notes of cedar and tobacco. If I had to pick a hole in this one it is that the finish wasn't as extraordinary as the rest of the experience. Still, a phenomenal wine. Drink now, drink later. Tied for WOTF. WOTN.
• 1996 Joseph Phelps Insignia - USA, California, Napa Valley
  I loved this wine. Real primary at this stage it began with notes of prune and oak but soon exploded with vibrant, young fruit (cherry, raspberry!). The oak is clearly there, but well integrated already and will improve. Great earthiness to this one as well. This will benefit with a bit more bottle time. The surprise wine of the evening given the reviews. Tied with '95 for WOTF.

Opulence and Structure Surrounding a Weakling
The '98 really sticks out like a sore thumb between these two beauties.

• 1997 Joseph Phelps Insignia - USA, California, Napa Valley
  Phenomenal wine. Dark, super rich and concentrated. Ripe, plush black fruits that come in wave after wave. Hints of vanilla, espresso and herbs and, after a bit, I picked up some crushed mint as well. Sweet tannins that are fully resolved. How long was the finish? I'll tell you when it ends. A real blockbuster of a wine. I'm not sure how this is going to look in 10 years, but who cares when it is drinking so well now. WOTF. My WOTN.
• 1998 Joseph Phelps Insignia - USA, California, Napa Valley
  The poor '98. Sandwiched between the '97 and '99 it really looked like a loser. Still, for a '98, it was pretty good. Cherries on the nose and that's really the lasting impression here. Someone said cough syrup but I don't think it was that bad, but it was a little sweet on the entry. Maybe I've got Zin on the brain, but I thought it tasted like a old, Claret-like Zinfandel with a little bramble fruit and spiciness (which precipitated odd looks from those around me). To complete the trifecta here, it was also a bit astringent on the finish. I think there was general consensus that this was the worst wine on the night.
• 1999 Joseph Phelps Insignia - USA, California, Napa Valley
  Where the '97 was all about "drink me" fruit, the '99 was all about backbone. Tightly wound with a dense core of currant, black cherry, anise and cedar. Nicely structured, with firm acidity and chalky tannins. It was not unpleasant to drink now (an understatement), but the grip really masks the complexity of the fruit and shortens the finish. A young blockbuster built to age, I thought this was kind of a throw-back to the finesse of the '91.

Flight of the Flights
The '00 is pretty good for the vintage, but the '01 and '02 are a great yin and yang that will be drunk and compared for years

• 2000 Joseph Phelps Insignia - USA, California, Napa Valley
  This is a nice wine. A good job for a bad vintage, but it's really nothing to write home about. Smooth on the entry it fades a little on the finish. Good fruit, but not much of it. Crushed mint. Solid if unspectacular.
• 2001 Joseph Phelps Insignia - USA, California, Napa Valley
  Tightly wound beast, this is wonderfully put together and could eventually be the best of the lot. Densely packed fruit (plum, blackberry, sour cherry) with notes of cedar, leather and mint. Great balance-powerful but elegant. Long finish. It should be cellared now to let the tannins resolve but this is a great wine. Tied for WOTF.
• 2002 Joseph Phelps Insignia - USA, California, Napa Valley
  Believe the hype. The '02 was a wonderful marriage of the structure of the '99 and the fruit of the '97. Still young and grippy, the nose was nonetheless crawling out of the glass. It really ate up the air (it was decanted) and showed complex, layered fruit framed by vanilla, anise and smoke. Wonderfully long finish that spread out beautifully. I really feel that this is a profound wine that will last for 20+ years in fine form. Tied for WOTF. My #2 of the night (with the thought that it will someday be better than the '97).