94 -96 points,

Robert Parker's Wine Advocate, June 1995

The 1993 Insignia (80% Cabernet Sauvignon / 20% Merlot) is another spectacular effort. Aged in 100% new oak casks, this wine will not be ready to drink before 2000, but it is a candidate for 20-25 years of delicious drinking. It boasts an opaque black/purple color, a fabulous nose of violets, blackcurrants, spice, and subtle oak, full body, rich, sweet tannin, low acidity, and a long, heady, highly-extracted finish. It's a beauty! Tel. (707) 963-2745

95 points,

Robert Parker's Wine Advocate, December 1996

As I reported last year, the 1993 Insignia is one of northern California's most impressive wines. While this vintage seems to suffer from a slight degree of irregularity, there is no shortage of profound Cabernets. For example, the 1993 Insignia possesses a dense, almost opaque ruby/purple color, as well as a huge, sweet nose of blackcurrants, fruitcake, spice, and vanilla. This classic, rich wine, with a sweet, ripe mid-palate, displays a full-bodied, layered, super-concentrated personality. Although still a baby in terms of development, it is remarkably successful because of the ripe tannin, high glycerin, and intensity of fruit. It will easily last for two decades, although I suspect most of it will be consumed within 7-10 hours of purchase. When speaking of great red wines, what about the succession of exceptional Insignias Phelps has produced since 1991? How much fun well-heeled collectors will have comparing the 1991, 1992, 1993, 1994, and 1995, and probably the 1996, in 10-20 years. The early line on these wines is spectacular, as all of them possess outstanding potential. The 1993 and 1994 Insignias appear to have an edge on the 1995, but I imagine the 1995 will perform more strongly with another 6-12 months of barrel age.

96 points,

Robert Parker's Wine Advocate, December 1995

Joseph Phelps has been on a hot streak since the 1991 vintage, having turned in outstanding efforts in 1992, even more exhilarating 1993s, and blockbuster 1994s. The 1993 Insignia Proprietary Red Wine is made from 80% Cabernet Sauvignon and 20% Merlot, and is aged in 100% new oak. It is meant to be the most complex and compelling wine in the Joseph Phelps portfolio. The wine continues to exhibit spectacular richness, and is even stronger from bottle than it was from cask. It boasts an opaque purple/black color, and a fabulous nose of Asian spices, sweet, toasty oak, black fruits, and minerals. This highly extracted, huge, full-bodied wine possesses great sweetness and ripeness of fruit, an expansiveness to its flavors, and a blockbuster finish. A great Insignia, it rated even higher than the 1992. Tel. (707) 963-2745; Fax (707) 963-4831

About Winery

In the late 60s, Joseph Phelps was running one of the largest construction companies in the U.S. when he won the bid to build Souverain Winery (now Rutherford Hill) located a few miles outside of St. Helena. Enamored with the beautiful Napa Valley and contemplating a career change, in 1973 he bought the 600-acre Connolly cattle ranch in Spring Valley, and began planting vineyards. The winery was completed in 1974 and that same year the first Syrah was made, the first grapes were crushed at the new facility and the first Insignia was produced. It was a period of unparalleled activity, creativity, ingenuity, entrepreneurship and risk-taking and it put Joe Phelps on the map of top Napa Valley wine producers.

Over the years, the goal of becoming 100% estate grown resulted in carefully planned acquisitions of prime vineyards in the Napa Valley. Today, the Phelps estate consists of the Spring Valley Home Ranch outside of St. Helena, Banca Dorada in Rutherford, Las Rocas and Barboza vineyards in Stags Leap, Yountville Vineyard in Oak Knoll, Suscol Vineyard in South Napa and Backus Vineyard in Oakville.

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