Insignia 2013 Napa Valley Red, Joseph Phelps

This flagship wine from Joseph Phelps is always one of Napa Valley's very best Cabernet blends, consistent vintage after vintage and this 2013 is monumental. A blend of 88% Cabernet Sauvignon, 5% Petit Verdot, 3% Merlot, 3% Malbec and 1% Cabernet Franc from 100% estate-grown Napa Valley vineyards: Stags Leap District (28% Las Rocas Vineyard and 11% Barboza Vineyard), Napa Valley (22% Suscol Vineyard), Rutherford (16% Banca Dorada Vineyard), Oak Knoll District (12% Yountville Vineyard) and St. Helena (11% Home Ranch Vineyard). Aged for 24 months in 100% new French oak from coopers Taransaud, Dargaud Jaegle, Nadalie, Demptos, Marcel Cadet and Sylvain before bottling in January 2016. Robert Parker gave it 98+ points saying "...this vintage of Insignia is certainly going to turn out to be one of the great ones... The wine offers a stunning inky blue/purple color, a gorgeous nose of blueberry and blackberry liqueur, pen ink, graphite, new saddle leather and barrique. The wine has fabulous concentration, a full-bodied, multi-layered mouthfeel, and tremendous finish with moderate tannin.... The 2013 should hit its peak in 5-7 years and last for 35-50." and Wine Enthusiast Magazine named it an Editors' Choice with 98 points saying "The mighty Insignia shows a vibrancy of purpose and craft in this, its 40th vintage... Together they find a higher calling of perfumed violet, dark plum and berry along with graphite and an edginess of dried herb. Firm, structured tannins show tremendous potential for aging and decanting. This is a near-perfect effort from a blockbuster vintage." Extremely Limited!