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Tasting notes
I was also able to taste a bottle of the 2013 Insignia, which was based on 88% Cabernet Sauvignon, 5% Petit Verdot, and the rest Malbec, Merlot, and Cabernet Franc. Dense purple-hued with no lightening at the rim, it offers a kiss of maturity in its ripe blackberry and currant fruit as well as notes of new leather, graphite, camphor, and smoked tobacco. It's a powerhouse on the palate, with full-bodied richness, no hard edges, and one monster of a mid-palate. It has another 20-30 years of longevity.
Critic scores
Average Score
Robert Parker
Wine Enthusiast
More reviews and scores
88% Cabernet Sauvignon, 5% Petit Verdot, 3% Merlot, 3% Malbec, 1% Cabernet Franc. Very heavy special top-heavy bottle. Extremely deep crimson. Intense and a bit exaggerated compared with the mellowness of the regular Cabernet. (JR)
The 2013 Insignia (their 40th vintage) is a blend of 88% Cabernet Sauvignon, 5% Petit Verdot, and the rest Merlot, Malbec and Cabernet Franc. This wine is aged 24 months in 100% new French oak barrels, and the production can vary from just over 10,000 cases to nearly 20,000 cases in a very abundant vintage. There were 12,300 cases produced in 2013, and 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. It’s interesting to note that the Phelps winemaking staff had been gradually reducing the amount of Merlot in this wine over recent vintages. The 2013 should hit its peak in 5-7 years and last for 35-50.
The 2013 Insignia is just as magnificent as it has always been. Refined and polished to the core, but with all of the power of the vintage, the 2013 simply has it all. Crème de cassis, lavender, plum and exotic spices infuse this deeply expressive edition of the Phelps flagship wine. The 2013 is remarkably silky for such a big wine.
About the producer
California winery Joseph Phelps is best known for its flagship Insignia cuvée, one of the first and finest proprietary red wines in the Napa Valley.
Product details
Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Malbec/ Auxerrois / Cot
Red
Dry