2009 Joseph Phelps - Insignia Bordeaux Blend - USA - California - Napa - Napa Valley - Red

I really liked this. Nice flavors, still a little closed, but much more approachable than Insignia usually is at this stage.

An early look at the 2009 Insignia (83% Cabernet Sauvignon, 13% Petit Verdot and 4% Merlot) suggests they may have hit the trifecta at Joseph Phelps. Perhaps the most forward, precocious and sexy Insignia out of the gate, this wine shows wonderfully sweet tannins, already evolved complexity, an inky/purple color and sweet blackberry and cassis fruit intermixed with lavender, violets and spice box. The wood is already pushed to the background and the wine is stunningly textured as well as long. This was one of the finest 2009s I tasted. Joseph Phelps' flagship wine, which they have been making for 36 years, is the Insignia, which boasts a remarkable track record. Phelps, always a visionary, was the first to recognize that a blend of grapes could be better than a single varietal cuvee. Phelps produces a 100% Cabernet Sauvignon from the Backus Vineyard situated on the eastern slopes of the Oakville Corridor overlooking Screaming Eagle and Rudd Estate.