2012 Joseph Phelps Insignia California Red

2012 Joseph Phelps Insignia

97 JD

Featured Review

Another sensational 2012 is the 2012 Cabernet Sauvignon Insignia, which is 75% Cabernet Sauvignon and the rest Petit Verdot, Merlot, Malbec, and Cabernet Franc. Aged two years in new barrels, this is a decidedly opulent, sexy wine that has loads of crème de cassis, roasted herbs, lead pencil, lavender, and exotic spice. With a massive, expansive, broad, yet also weightless texture, it has a stacked mid-palate, no shortage of structure, and a blockbuster finish. It’s an incredible Cabernet that can be drunk today with incredible pleasure or cellared for two decades or more. Jeb Dunnuck

Jeb Dunnuck | 97 JD

Amazing aromas of blueberry, blackberry, mineral and bark. Complex nose. Full body plus super integrated tannins with superb balance and depth. Coffee and chocolate too. Very long and mind-bending. A tribute to the vintage. Drink or hold. A long life ahead of it. A blend of 75% cabernet sauvignon, 10% merlot, 10% petit verdot, 3% malbec, and 2% cabernet franc.

James Suckling | 97 JS

The flagship wine of the estate in reds is their Insignia, which has been one of the great Bordeaux blends made in California since the debut vintage in 1974. It usually has 30+ years aging potential, even in lighter vintages, of which the 2012, 2013 and 2014 are decidedly not. The 2012 Proprietary Red Insignia, a final blend of 75% Cabernet Sauvignon, 10% Petit Verdot and the rest Merlot, Malbec and Cabernet Franc all from estate vineyards, was aged 24 months in 100% new French oak. There are 15,000 cases of it, and it’s a fabulous, classic Napa Cabernet Sauvignon. Inky purple to the rim, with notes of lead pencil shavings, incense, camphor, blackberry and creme de cassis, the wine is full-bodied, offering a multi-layered, textural, skyscraper-like mouthfeel, terrific purity, density and richness. All of this is achieved without a sense of heaviness or anything aggressive. This is a beauty to drink now and over the next 30 years.

Robert Parker | 96 RP

In this vintage, the producer's beloved blend is a commingling of 75% Cabernet Sauvignon, 10% Merlot, 10% Petit Verdot, 3% Malbec and 2% Cabernet Franc. Two years in new French oak give it a youthful, tannic nature around smoky black cherry, burly leather and full-bodied richness and concentration. Further time in the bottle should coax out the blackberry and cherry; cellar through 2027.

Wine Enthusiast | 95 WE

Saturated ruby. Very ripe aromas of black raspberry, musky espresso and mocha, but the 14.6% alcohol is in line with other recent vintages. Fleshy, plush and sweet, showing a distinctly wild, gamey aspect to its dark fruit and espresso flavors. This viscous, full-bodied wine is wonderfully sweet and sexy today. The big, building back end features huge, ripe, dusty tannins that coat the front teeth. Will it shut down in the bottle? Certainly, the 2012 will rely more on its tannins than on its acidity for longevity.

Vinous Media | 94 VM

Packs a wallop, perhaps overly so, with extracted dark berry flavors and tannic muscle. The drying sensation on the finish distracts from the ripe blackberry, earth, cedar and gravel notes. Aromas of cassis, currant and blackberry offer more promise. Either way, this is built to cellar. Cabernet Sauvignon, Petit Verdot, Merlot, Malbec and Cabernet Franc. Best from 2017 through 2030. 15,000 cases made.

Wine Spectator | 93 WS

This vintage of Insignia is 75 percent cabernet sauvignon, 10 percent each merlot and petit verdot, with the balance in malbec and franc. It’s Phelps’s most ambitious red, wearing its oak aging like a thick velvet curtain, but one that pulls aside to reveal deeply saturated flavors of plum, black cherry, cedar and tobacco. There’s some delicacy to the wine, apparent in a hint of lavender and rose, carried along on a gracious finish. A great vintage of Insignia, worthy of long aging in a cool cellar.

Wine & Spirits | 92 W&S

Type of Wine	California Red : Whether it's Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Syrah or Zinfandel, Californian red wine producers have a lovely habit of taking a varietal and expressing its essence in a unique, never before seen way. From Napa Valley to the regions south of Los Angeles, there's a red for everyone - and it's never too late to start exploring.
Varietal	Proprietary Blend : Proprietary Blend is a general term used to indicate that a wine is comprised of multiple grape varietals which are either “proprietary” to the winery or is blended and does not meet the required maximum or minimum percentage of a particular varietal. This also is the case for the grape’s place of origin, especially for region, appellation or vineyard designated wines. There are endless examples of blended wines which are labeled as “Proprietary Blend” and in conjunction with each region’s stipulated wine laws and regulations makes for a vast blanket for wines to fall into. Perhaps the simplest example is California; if a wine is to be labeled as Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon, it is required to have at least 75% of the varietal (Cabernet Sauvignon) and 85% of the fruit must be cultivated from the Napa Valley wine district. If the wine does not meet the requirements, it is then labeled as Proprietary Blend.
Country	US : As one of the most prolific and innovative wine regions in the world, America is a joy to explore. Most wine connoisseurs will agree that the nation's finest and most compelling wines are being produced today, which means that we have front-row seats to one of the most inspirational stories in wine history. While other regions tend to focus on specific wine styles and have somewhat strict rules as to which varietals you could grow, areas like California have few such restrictions in place. As a result, creative visionaries behind America's most reputable estates have been able to develop compelling, unique, and innovative styles, with a level of terroir expression that rivals even France's largest giants.
Region	California : With a history of wine production that dates back to the 18th century, California currently sits as one of the world's most prolific and reputable wine regions. With an area as vast as California, you can expect a colorful collage of terroir profiles, a series of microclimates, and micro-environments that give the wine a unique, memorable appeal. The region's produce is far from homogenized in that sense, and it would take you countless hours to sample all of it. While the region boasts scars from the Prohibition era, it went through what can only be described as a viticultural Renaissance sometime after the 1960s. At that point, California went from a port-style, sweet wine region to a versatile and compelling competitor on the world market. Today, no matter which way your taste in wine leans, you can find a new favorite producer among California's most talented. Notable sub-regions include legendary names like Napa Valley and Sonoma County, places that any wine lover would die to visit. California's quintessential warm climate allows for incredibly ripe fruit expressions, a style that provides a stark contrast to Old World-inspired, earthy classics. Even where inspiration was clearly taken from staple French appellations, Californian winemakers put their own unique spin on the wine.
Subregion	Puente Alto
Appellation	Chambertin Clos de Beze
Climat/Vineyard	Los Alamos
Cru	Second Growth

Producer	Joseph Phelps : When Joe Phelps stumbled across a 670-acre ranch on the east side of St. Helena; though, he knew it was far more than he envisioned, he fell in love and took possession with the anticipation of making “a little wine.” The land reminded the Colorado native of his home and decided that it was the right place to begin his endeavor. A former builder whose passion for wine led him to become an innovative Napa Valley producer and the first to bottle an expensive Bordeaux blend with a fanciful proprietary name. At the time, Napa Valley was evolving from a sleepy agricultural community into a modern engine of fine wine production. With the likes of Robert Mondavi and Joe Heitz, with their entrepreneurial spirit to wine country and fine eye for talent, the region was transforming. Phelps joined the fray in 1973 and with the 1974 vintage released two wines that proved highly influential in the coming decades. Those two significant bottlings released by Phelps that year would become inspirational to producers throughout California. The debut vintage birthed the first commercial American release of a Syrah wine. The leading Northern Rhone Valley varietal was well known in France, but not so much in California. Phelps sensed the possibilities in its bold, enveloping flavors and was instrumental in California vintners adopting Syrah. This also led to the planting of other Rhone varietals, such as Mourvedre, Marsanne, Grenache and Viognier; the introduction of these varietals to California has proved significant in the molding of modern California Rhone-like wines. The second offering was the unveiling of the now infamous, Insignia. A wine that would become a Napa Valley icon and the foundation of Phelps portfolio. It was California’s first blend of traditional Bordeaux grapes and released under a proprietary name. Other successful and popular vintners, such as Opus One, Rubicon and Dominus began to follow suit. The implementation of a proprietary name as well as the introduction of Bordeaux and Rhone varietals would become historical and influential throughout Napa Valley and California. Over the next 42 years, Joe Phelps would become one of the most respected figures in the California wine industry, building Joseph Phelps Vineyards into a critically-acclaimed winery internationally known for its iconic wines and unwavering commitment to quality. Sadly Joe passed away in 2015 at the age of 87; though, his legacy lives on through his son, Bill who is committed to delivering wines of unequaled character. Phelps Insignia has become a legend itself, comprised mostly of Cabernet Sauvignon, Petit Verdot, Malbec and Cabernet Franc. It has become synonymous with greatness and an impressive and innovate feat that has influenced the whole of California winemaking. In addition to the famed Insignia, Phelps produces a myriad of varietals including Cabernet Sauvignon, one which is from the prestigious Backus Vineyard, Syrah, Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, and Pinot Noir, which also hail from successful and unique vineyards sites. Joe Phelps left a mark on Napa Valley, one which is duly recognized worldwide. His vision and creative mind helped transform the fundamental ideas of winemaking in California, introducing varietals and wines that have become influential to California vintners. What started out as passionate attempt to make “a little wine,” evolved into an unprecedented advancement and game changing endeavor that would alter the minds of consumers and vintners alike.