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2018 Joseph Phelps Backus Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon

Not Currently In Auction

Latest Sale Price

October 29, 2023 - $195

Estimate

RATINGS

97James Suckling

Aromas of mint, dark berries and black olives follow through to a medium to full body with lightly chewy and layered tannins that are long and focused. Lots of black-olive and conifer undertones... Very long.

97+ Jeb Dunnuck

More blackcurrants, black cherries, mulberries, graphite, crushed stone, lead pencil, and tobacco notes define the nose, and it's full-bodied, with an incredible depth of fruit and richness on the mid-palate, building tannins, and a great finish.

96+ The Wine Advocate

...notes of plum preserves, baked black cherries and crème de cassis, plus nuances of pencil shavings, bouquet garni, crushed rocks and unsmoked cigars with a touch of cardamom...palate is full-bodied and seductively rich, delivering mouth-coating black and blue fruit preserves with loads of exotic spice accents and a velvety texture, finishing long with a refreshing herbal lift.

96Wine Spectator

...dense plum, black currant and blackberry fruit flavors...with licorice root, warm earth, menthol and roasted alder notes playing an equal part. Everything melds steadily through the long, smoldering finish.

94-97Vinous / IWC

...silky, perfumed personality. Blackberry, blueberry, lavender, spice and mint all build in the glass...stands out for its freshness and verve. Inky dark fruit, graphite, menthol and licorice linger...

REGION

United States, California, Napa Valley

Napa Valley AVA is the most famous winemaking region in the United States and one of the most prestigious in the world. With nearly 43,000 acres of vineyards and more than 300 wineries, it is the heart of fine wine production in the United States. Winemaking started in Napa in 1838 when George C. Yount planted grapes and began producing wine commercially. Other winemaking pioneers followed in the late 19th century, including the founders of Charles Krug, Schramsberg, Inglenook and Beaulieu Vineyards. An infestation of phylloxera, an insect that attacks vine roots, and the onset of Prohibition nearly wiped out the nascent Napa wine industry in the early 20th century. But by the late 1950s and early 1960s Robert Mondavi and other visionaries were producing quality wines easily distinguishable from the mass-produced jug wines made in California’s Central Valley. Napa Valley’s AVA was established in 1983, and today there are 16 sub-appellations within the Napa Valley AVA. Many grapes grow well in Napa’s Mediterranean climate, but the region is best known for Cabernet Sauvignon. Chardonnay is also very successfully cultivated, and about 30% of the AVA’s acreage is planted to white grapes, with the majority of those grapes being Chardonnay,

TYPE

Red Wine, Cabernet Sauvignon

One of the most widely grown grape varieties, it can be found in nearly every wine growing region. A cross between Cabernet Franc and Sauvignon Blanc. It’s a hardy vine that produces a full-bodied wine with high tannins and great aging potential.