Press Accolades

2007 Joseph Phelps Sauvignon Banc (St. Helena)
Score: 93 points

Vivid, ripe and tropical, offering pineapple, dried mango, peach and apricot flavors, with mineral grace notes that gain momentum on the finish. Offers refreshing acidity and a light body. Drink now. – M.W. (May 31, 2009)

2005 Joseph Phelps Insignia Proprietary Red Wine (Napa Valley)
Score: 95 points

Possesses sweet aromas of black cherries, cassis, chocolate, camphor, and a subtle hint of roasted herbs. Medium to full-bodied and elegant, with a European style imposed on the rich, velvety, California fruit, this cuvée will benefit from several years of bottle age and will easily keep for three decades. (December 31, 2008)

2006 Freestone Vineyard Chardonnay, Sonoma Coast - 92 points
2006 Fogdog Chardonnay, Sonoma Coast - 93 points
2006 Ovation Chardonnay, Sonoma Coast - 92 points

2006 Joseph Phelps Insignia Proprietary Red Wine (Napa Valley)
Score: 91-93 points

Bright, deep ruby. Primary aromas of cassis, violet, tar, minerals, licorice and nutty oak. Sweet black raspberry and mocha flavors are complicated by tar and licorice from the petit verdot... Finishes with fine dusty tannins and excellent persistence. (May/June 2008)

2006 Freestone Pinot Noir (Sonoma Coast)
Score: 93 points

Captivating aromas of strawberry, raspberry, flowers, incense, mocha and loam, with... blood orange emerging as the wine opens in the glass. Quite supple, even creamy in the middle palate, with musky red berry, earth and spice flavors... Some wholecluster and whole-berry fermentation has contributed both an intriguing floral/spicy quality and a creamy sweetness... this second release of the estate’s flagship pinot is a knockout. (December 2008)

Freestone Vineyards 2006 Chardonnay (Sonoma Coast)
Score: 95 points

Joseph Phelps has been working this cool-climate vineyard for years. Now it’s paying off in this acidic Chardonnay with a tang of the sea. Rich in Meyer lemon, lime, guava and spice flavors, its coating of smoky oak adds exotic levels of buttered toast and crème brulée. Fascinating and tremendous. (February 2009)