TN: 2013 Joseph Phelps Insignia (USA, California, Napa Valley)

WINE TALK
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2013 Joseph Phelps Insignia - USA, California, Napa Valley (4/22/2018)
Opened a bottle for my mom’s birthday dinner, and it showed exactly as I hoped. Rich red and black fruit was supported by firm but not at all hard tannin, and a broad, vanilla and cedar tinged finish. The balance was impressive, no heat or anything extreme. Delicious now or any time after that.

Posted from CellarTracker

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I don’t mean to spoil the enthusiasm here but Joseph Phelps is for the most part out of favor these days.

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Phelps has some of the best wine experiences in Napa (the hands-on blending seminar is super fun), but I frequently find Insignia to be inconsistent when I open it at home. When it’s on, though, it’s on.

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With whom? And your point?

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What’s to spoil? David opened a highly regarded wine for his mom and it tasted great. I think it’s cool he posted on this wine.

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I just added some life to an otherwise dormant thread. I agree with Nick that the wines are inconsistent, perhaps a risk to take with such large production. The Insignia’s I’ve enjoyed most were all from the 70’s and 80’s.

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I always love Insignia…even as a guy who sells against it. Well made and great version of what a Napa Valley BDX blend can be…very well made. Same with the 1991, 92, 94, 95, 96, 97, 98 and 99 …one heck of a decade for Insignia.

Much like Hillside Select. Just well made consistent wine.

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Many fond memories of 1994 and 1995 Insignias at the Steakhouse at Harrah’s in Reno. They used to sell it at a small fraction above retail, and with the retro food it was the best ticket in town. In the “old days” even the regular cab was notable, but I’ve not tasted the lineup in many years. With the high production and Insignia into the $300s I’m passing, but I do long for the days when you could get these for an affordable markup.

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Thanks so much. I will be sure to tell my mom that her favorite wine is out of favor. She will so appreciate your input. [snort.gif]

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Support for your thesis? I consider Insignia akin to Dom Perignon.

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I still see it regularly around $250 before any discounts. Granted that is still freaking expensive, but my mom’s birthday only comes around once a year.

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Local grocery store has them for $199 a bottle before 10% mix and match six pack. It is now at the cusp of my per bottle price and I haven’t yet picked up any. Maybe when they run their semi-annual 20% off cab/blend sale, I will bite.

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I would agree with this. Insignia seems to do a remarkable job of being relatively large scale but maintaining consistency and quality. I’m not a buyer anymore but I still think its a wonderful wine. Their Joseph Phelps Cab at around $50 if a very good wine as well.

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I have fond memories of these wines as well, and the reg. Cab used to be pretty darned good. Have not had in awhile but I found an ‘orphan’ '93 that I brought to a wine dinner a few months back and it was gorgeous . . .

Cheers.

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I suppose Chris is right in that they carry no “cult” status and are not difficult to obtain or neat and insidery like Fait-Main, Tusk, Pulido-Walker, Macdonald, Purlieu, Levy & McLellan, or something in that vein. But every year that receive uniformly high ratings from nearly every single critic of note. The wines from the 90s and early 2000s show a wonderful ability to age and evolve, and are still drinking very well. They’ve succeeded in recent vintages as well.

Perhaps they’re not as “cool” as they once were, but then neither is Shafer Hillside Select, Harlan, Bryant, etc. but they’re still making great wines. There is simply much greater market saturation and competition at the price point. I would like to see Insignia trend down in price given the market competition, but that seems unlikely. Most of the Insignias are selling below retail on the secondary market. KL has auction lots ending at $170 a bottle for a 2 bottle lot of the 2014 and other earlier vintages.

But again, who is down on Insignia? Favor is subjective, so where’s the support for your position? This still smacks of the Sea Smoke thread’s OP: Hey should I buy this or will my friends think it’s uncool? Instead of, “how was the quality of the 2013 Insignia?” you’ve gotten “you know, broham, Insignia is really not super cool right now.”

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I feel so bad not being a proper hipster Cab drinker.

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I’ve only had insignia once and thought it was a very good wine. However it’s a bit out of my price range as I can’t have it delivered for under 200 a bottle. I put a cap on myself at 125 a bottle so that precludes me. If i could get it at 125 I’d load up every year.

Thanks for the note David.

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David, If your mom enjoyed the Insignia, and you as well, then thats what matters most! Cheers

I thought the Insignias from 1978, 1984, 1985, 1986, 1987 were all spectacular, and more recently I really enjoyed the 2001. However I never understood the 2002? WS Wine of the Year or not. I recently sampled the 2012 and 2014 and wasn’t that impressed either. It is made in a different style these days, which obviously a lot of folks enjoy. I am loyal to the uncompromising Kings and Queens of Cabernet who really don’t give a rats ___ to what the professional critics have to say.

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I have tasted back to the early days of Insignia as well. Regardless of stylistic preferences, it is a very well made wine.

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So my big questions are (i) who are the uncompromising Kings and Queens of Cabernet who really don’t give a rats ass; (ii) aren’t substantially all cabs made in a very different style than the 70s and 80sl; and (iii) aren’t the producers that have hung on to a 13.5% abv and earlier picking at lower brix style hard core “out of favor”?

As for not getting the 2002 but liking the 2001, that’s a major head scratcher as the 2002 has more lift, balance, and structure than the 2001 and drinks like a slightly more traditional very age-worthy napa cab. Perhaps the most age-worthy Insignia of the past 30 vintages.