2001 Insignia

[K_John_Joseph]

My favorite Cabs from Phelps were from the 70s and the 80s. Great wines. Aged beautifully. After that, for my palate, they went too much to the dark side.

I suppose exposure to good burgundy will do that to you.

[YLee]

To the OP: CT average score is 93.7 ( in July and Sept 2021) and Vinous score is 95+( review in 2016). So no, the new guys on the block aren’t making “better” wines. Maybe they are making wines newer collectors/drinkers like but that is a separate issue. Buy some newbies, cellar them 20 yrs then you will have struck out or hit a home run.
I don’t have 20+ more yrs so I am very happy with 2001 and older Insignia’s right now.

Totally agree. I do have some “newbies” aging in the cellar, but I always found it sad and “inconvenient” that one has to wait for so long in order to enjoy a good wine. I wish there was some process where wine would be awesome straight out of the bottle, but I guess that’s a topic for a different conversation. I have been tempted to purchase older vintages from stores or auctions, but always hesitated to pull the trigger since one never truly knows if these bottles were kept properly.

It would be great if all wine makers released their wines when the maker feels it is ready to be drunk, eg. LdH, Rayas (des Tours, etc), Latour

[Zachary_Mancini]

I had the 01 Insignia 6 months ago and it was absolutely stellar. One of my favorite insignias I’ve ever had. I also agree it’s better than the 02 right now.

[Mike_Walsh]

The older Insignias made by Craig Williams are some of the best Napa wines ever.

What was the last year that he made one?

He left before harvest in 2008 (Williams Resigns from Phelps After 32 Vintages | Wine Spectator)