2000 INSIGNIA RED WINE (90-92)
"The 2000 Insignia reveals a smoky, rich, cassis characteristic, medium to full body, and an open-knit, lush, generous style . . . Expansive, fleshy and seductive, it should drink well for 15–16 years." (8-31-02)
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Special Report: California Cabernet 2000
92-94 Joseph Phelps Insignia Napa Valley 2000
"Serves up lots of ripe, rich, spicy cherry, currant, plum and blackberry fruit. Tightly focused, with fine balance. Finished with spicy, cedary oak and good length." (7/31/01) |
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2000 Insignia Proprietary Red Wine Napa Valley.
"Very good saturated ruby color. Roasted currant, mocha and dark chocolate on the nose. Lush and soft but nicely delineated, with a chewy texture and solid underlying minerality. A large-scaled fruit bomb with a seamless texture. Finished with building but thoroughly sweet tannins. 91-94."
– May/June 2002, Issue 102
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March 21, 2003
Ben Giliberti
Big Wines, Big Bucks
"Every couple of years, Napa’s Merryvale winery . . . has the guts to put its top-of-the-line Profile Cabernet blend up against some of the biggest names of Napa in a blind tasting open to the press and key restaurateurs in Washington, D.C. Two results are worthy of note. First, Merryvale Profile did very well . . .
More astonishing, however, is the almost total dominance of Joseph Phelps 1999 Insignia. Not only did it blow away the competition, it won decisively across the country . . . Given the quality of the opposition, its performance is remarkable. Here are my notes on the Phelps.
Joseph Phelps Insignia Napa Valley 1999 ($125). Though the wine is a bit tight now on the palate, the nose is a seductive blend of spice/vanilla, pure red fruit and spring flowers. With more breathing in the glass, the palate opened up to reveal pure blackberry fruit with a hint of Pauillac mineral and cassis. Had I not known there were no Bordeaux in the tasting, I would have pegged it as 1999 Lafite-Rothschild. It would have been a wrong guess, but an apt way to convey its grace and grandeur."
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December 20, 2002
TASTINGS/By Dorothy J. Gaiter and John Brecher
The Chardonnay Gamble --
“. . . Two of our best wines were from two of America’s most venerable wineries, Joseph Phelps and Robert Mondavi . . .The Phelps was very elegant. “Buttery and a bit thick,” we wrote. “Nice, rich finish. Lemony. Really, really nicely made. Lovely and balanced. Seamless and easy.”
Joseph Phelps Vineyards 2000 (Los Carneros).
Tasters’ Comments: Best value (tie). Seamless and elegant. So easy that it seemed to go straight into our souls.
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