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Joseph Phelps

Joseph Phelps Vineyards is a family-owned winery based in St. Helena. It was founded in 1973 when Joseph Phelps, a building contractor from Colorado, arrived in Napa Valley to build wineries. He soon decided to make his own wine and purchased a former cattle ranch near St. Helena. Phelps Vineyards now owns or leases 560 acres of vineyards in Napa Valley and the Sonoma Coast. The estate owns choice properties in St. Helena, Stags Leap, Oakville, Rutherford, South Napa Valley and Oak Knoll. Phelps is best known for Insignia, its flagship Napa Valley blend of red Bordeaux varieties first produced in 1974. Awarded Wine Spectator’s “Wine of the Year” in 2005, Insignia is widely regarded as a qualitative benchmark for California winemaking. Besides Cabernet Sauvignon and small amounts of Petit Verdot, Merlot and Malbec, Phelps also grows Chardonnay, Syrah, Pinot Noir, Sauvignon Blanc and Scheurebe. The estate produces 50,000 cases annually from Napa Valley and an additional 15,000 cases from the Sonoma Coast.

1978 Joseph Phelps Backus Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon

Light capsule condition issue; lightly depressed cork; light signs of past seepage; top shoulder fill

WS  92   

1988 Joseph Phelps Backus Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon

Depressed cork; light label condition issue

1978 Joseph Phelps Cabernet Sauvignon

Light capsule condition issue; lightly depressed cork; light signs of past seepage; very top shoulder fill; label condition issue

VN  90   

1980 Joseph Phelps Cabernet Sauvignon

Light capsule condition issue; very top shoulder fill; label condition issue

1982 Joseph Phelps Cabernet Sauvignon

Light capsule condition issue; very top shoulder fill; light label condition issue

2015 Joseph Phelps Cabernet Sauvignon

JS  93   
JD  93   
WA  91   

2016 Joseph Phelps Cabernet Sauvignon

JS  94   
WA  93   
VN  92   
WS  91   
JD  91   
JR  16   
4 available
Bid *

2019 Joseph Phelps Cabernet Sauvignon

Light label condition issue

WS  92   
CT  92   
JD  92   
WA  91-93   
VN  90-93   

1978 Joseph Phelps Insignia

Light capsule condition issue; light signs of past seepage; base neck fill; light label condition issue

WS  93   

1978 Joseph Phelps Insignia

Light capsule condition issue; light signs of past seepage; very top shoulder fill

WS  93   

1994 Joseph Phelps Insignia

Lightly elevated cork; light label condition issue

RP  96   
WS  96   
CT  94.1   

1995 Joseph Phelps Insignia

Light label condition issue

RP  97   
WS  94   
ST  94   

2001 Joseph Phelps Insignia

RP  99   
WE  96   
ST  94   
CT  93.7   
WS  90   

2001 Joseph Phelps Insignia

1.5ltr

Light label condition issue

RP  99   
WE  96   
ST  94   
CT  93.7   
WS  90   

2002 Joseph Phelps Insignia

RP  100   
WS  96   
ST  95   
WE  92   
JR  15   
WS  #1 of 2005   

2005 Joseph Phelps Insignia

RP  95   
ST  93+    
WS  92   
JR  17+    

2006 Joseph Phelps Insignia

RP  95+    
WS  94   
WE  94   
ST  90+    
JR  17   

2007 Joseph Phelps Insignia

RP  99   
WE  97   
WS  96   
ST  94   
CT  94.3   
JR  17   
3 available
Bid *

2007 Joseph Phelps Insignia

Lightly depressed cork

RP  99   
WE  97   
WS  96   
ST  94   
CT  94.3   
JR  17   

2010 Joseph Phelps Insignia

Light capsule condition issue

WE  97   
ST  96+    
RP  95   
WS  94   
JS  93   

2010 Joseph Phelps Insignia

WE  97   
ST  96+    
RP  95   
WS  94   
JS  93   

2011 Joseph Phelps Insignia

WE  96   
VN  93   
JS  92   
RP  90-93   
4 available
Bid *

2012 Joseph Phelps Insignia

Lightly depressed cork

RP  97-100   
JS  97   
JD  97   
VN  96   
CT  94   
WS  93   
5 available
Bid *

2013 Joseph Phelps Insignia

RP  98+    
WE  98   
VN  97   
JS  95   
CT  94.1   
WS  93   
2 available
Bid *

2019 Joseph Phelps Insignia

WA  96-98   
VN  94-97   
CT  93.6   
JR  17   
2 available
Bid *