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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.

1995 Joseph Phelps Backus Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon

Light label condition issue

RP  93   
WS  91   
ST  91   

2002 Joseph Phelps Backus Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon

Light label condition issue

RP  96+    
WE  95   
CT  95.2   
ST  92+    

2003 Joseph Phelps Backus Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon

Light label condition issue

RP  98+    
ST  92+    

2021 Joseph Phelps Backus Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon

JD  99   
WA  97+    
VN  97   

1980 Joseph Phelps Cabernet Sauvignon

3.0ltr

Light capsule condition issue; light signs of past seepage; label condition issue

1980 Joseph Phelps Cabernet Sauvignon

3.0ltr

Light capsule condition issue; label condition issue

1980 Joseph Phelps Cabernet Sauvignon

3.0ltr

Light capsule condition issue; light label condition issue

1996 Joseph Phelps Cabernet Sauvignon

1.5ltr

Lightly depressed cork; light label condition issue

WS  92   

1998 Joseph Phelps Cabernet Sauvignon

1.5ltr

2005 Joseph Phelps Cabernet Sauvignon

Light label condition issue

WS  90   
ST  90   

1991 Joseph Phelps Eisele Cabernet Sauvignon

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

RP  92   

2019 Joseph Phelps Freestone Vineyard Pinot Noir

Lightly depressed cork

WA  96   
WE  94   
JD  94   
VN  93   
WS  92   

1994 Joseph Phelps Insignia

Base neck fill

RP  96   
WS  96   
CT  94.1   

1995 Joseph Phelps Insignia

RP  97   
WS  94   
ST  94   

1996 Joseph Phelps Insignia

Lightly depressed cork

WS  93   
RP  92   
ST  92   

1997 Joseph Phelps Insignia

RP  100   
WS  97   
ST  94   
JR  17   
WS  #5 of 2000   

1998 Joseph Phelps Insignia

WS  93   
RP  91   
ST  91   

2000 Joseph Phelps Insignia

Light capsule condition issue; light label condition issue

WS  92   
ST  92+    
RP  91   

2002 Joseph Phelps Insignia

Base neck fill

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

2003 Joseph Phelps Insignia

Light capsule condition issue

RP  97   
WE  96   
ST  92   
WS  90   

2003 Joseph Phelps Insignia

RP  97   
WE  96   
ST  92   
WS  90   

2008 Joseph Phelps Insignia

Light capsule condition issue; light label condition issue

WA  97   
JS  95   
WS  94   
ST  93+    
WE  93   

2008 Joseph Phelps Insignia

WA  97   
JS  95   
WS  94   
ST  93+    
WE  93   

2008 Joseph Phelps Insignia

1.5ltr

WA  97   
JS  95   
WS  94   
ST  93+    
WE  93   

2009 Joseph Phelps Insignia

WA  95   
ST  94   
WS  91