2013 Insignia

I just an email for 2013 Insignia presale… hesitant for $199. Anyone else buying up any of the 2013 Insignias?

If you’re going to spend $200-ish for a Napa Cab, Insignia is, year in and year out, a no-brainer.

No-brainer?
A really good wine, perhaps, and a long history (for Napa) of consistency, but a blue-chip wine. Like a Dominus, or Opus One. If you’re buying to drink, you should love the style. If you’re buying as an investment, I don’t know if it’s likely to appreciate that much given its wide availability.

A lot of wines you could buy for that price, and maybe two bottles of some really good ones. I would buy two bottles of Ridge Monte Bello futures for that price every time, but that’s just me. :slight_smile:

I was hedging because I am not 100% sure how much I like insignia. $200 is a lot to spend on a wine to drink it in 5-10 years and realize I didn’t like it that much.

It’s a no brainer pass. Sure it has pedigree, but this has evolved over the years into a more modern, mega ripe style. I am sure its bold and flamboyant as this bottle usually is, but for two bills, I would seek something with more personality and precision. Much smaller production, and price tag too.

How about buying and a bottle at retail that will probably have a little age and see if you like it?

I haven’t had this wine since the 1995 vintage and it was pretty ripe then I thought , so if it’s even moreso now then that’s an easy pass for me. Oh , I paid 75 or $80 retail for it when I bought it so $200 seems a bit much. I could buy grand cru Burgundy for that which I’d much rather have at this point. I suppose if you’re into Cali cabs to a certain extent I could see buying it.

I’m seeing $199 from a lot of retailer’s emails so I don’t think that’s special pricing. No need to rush to buy.

Prefer to find back vintages at auction. Have picked up some late '80’s and early '90’s ones that have held up and aged very well.

I cant speak for the '13’s, but I tasted the 2012 Backus and Insignia at the winery in DEC, and I much preferred the Backus, for what its worth. Much more approachable now. Granted, the Insignia needs several more years to fully integrate, and it is tasty juice, but the Backus was already seemingly hitting its stride.

I have an Insignia coming in my DEC shipment, so I will wait for it then, but if you can find the Backus, put a couple down for 3-5 years and you’ll be pleased…

There area lot of back vintages of Insignia at retail for $120-150. 2013 is a great vintage, so I can see it being more expensive that many of those vintages, but it’s probably worth looking around to see what else you can get for your dollar.

I am not overly familiar with napa cabs, but I did have a 2008 this past year next to a 96 calon segur. I very much preferred the profile of the calon segur but I know that’s not fair.

I felt the 08 insignia was a good wine, but I couldn’t handle more than a glass because it tired out my palate. I felt like it was too much of everything and a little too much fruit maybe? Of course I can’t ask anyone else to speak for me, but in your collective opinions, would I not like the 13 Insignia then? Esp with an asking price of $200?

Jerome, I think you are correct with respect to the 2013 made in similar fashion to the 2008, and perhaps maybe not that appealing to you. You may want to try the 2013 Corison Napa for less than half the price. This will not tire out your palate. Its fresh lively and complex.

That is an interesting data point. I have generally found Backus to be the more backward of the two wines, needing significant time to come around. Interesting that it turned out differently in '12.

I, for one, like ripe and full rather than thin and acidic. My palate never gets tired drinking rich wines. I’m funny that way…

Big fan of Insignia, especially when it gets the right age on it. Agree that the 2012 Backus is drinking great right now. Probably the best Backus I’ve had, at least at this stage.

At the recent Phelps party, they were pouring the 86, 96, 2006, 2012 Insignias and they are all drinking great. A recent 1997 magnum of Insignia is among the best wines I have ever had. I’m a buyer of this every year. I tasted at Corison as well and the 2013 Napa is not in this league, but you might try the 2013 Forman, which is as good and half the price.

Insignia is a solid wine year in and year out! However it’s far from a no-brainer for 200. If Napa is your thing for 200, I’d go up in KL auction site and look for older vintages of sports woods, seavey, tor and many others. You might get 2 bottles of them ready to drink instead of something you need 5/7 years before it’s ready

Rob, I agree that Corison is not in the same league as Insignia. Insignia is in the standard league, while Corison in the major league. I’ll admit that I’ve had some great Insignia’s from 1984-1987, but I am not impressed with the recent vintages, outside of 2001. Corison wines usually need a few years to resolve, and then they become terrific. With regard to Forman we just enjoyed a bottle of 2010, and there is no equal in California, I am reminded of first growth Bordeaux in a great year. You guessed it Forman is in the premier league.

The Phelpd Insignia is in the standard league? Like it or not I would not place it there.

A couple other wines in that $200 price point worth checking out, all 2012s:
Scarecrow M’Etain
Odette Cabernet (around $125, so for fifty bucks more, two bottles of exceptional vino)
Dunn Trailside
Bond Matriarch (their B label, but better than 90% of most wineries A label)
Cade Howell Mountain Reserve (if you like HM juice, this cant be missed)