Sign In

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.

2017 Joseph Phelps Backus Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon

WA  96+    
JD  96+    
WS  95   
JS  95   
VN  94   

2012 Joseph Phelps Backus Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon

6-bottle Lot, Wood Case

WS  97   
VN  97   
RP  95   
JS  95   

2013 Joseph Phelps Backus Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon

6-bottle Lot, Wood Case

VN  97   
RP  96   
JS  93   

2014 Joseph Phelps Backus Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon

6-bottle Lot, Wood Case

Case condition issue

WA  96   
JD  96   
VN  93-96   

2014 Joseph Phelps Backus Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon

6-bottle Lot, Wood Case

See item details for bottle notes; Case condition issue

WA  96   
JD  96   
VN  93-96   

1977 Joseph Phelps Eisele Cabernet Sauvignon

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

1978 Joseph Phelps Eisele Cabernet Sauvignon

Light capsule condition issue; lightly depressed cork; top shoulder fill; light label condition issue

RP  96   
WS  94   

1985 Joseph Phelps Eisele Cabernet Sauvignon

Lightly depressed cork

RP  93   

1977 Joseph Phelps Insignia

Lightly depressed cork; very top shoulder fill; light label condition issue

RP  92   

1981 Joseph Phelps Insignia

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

1983 Joseph Phelps Insignia

Base neck fill; light label condition issue

1986 Joseph Phelps Insignia

Light capsule condition issue; label condition issue

WS  93   
RP  90   

1987 Joseph Phelps Insignia

1.5ltr

Label condition issue

WS  96   

1988 Joseph Phelps Insignia

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

1989 Joseph Phelps Insignia

5.0ltr

Capsule condition issue; signs of past seepage; base neck fill

1990 Joseph Phelps Insignia

1.5ltr

Light capsule condition issue; light signs of past seepage

WS  90   
RP  87-90   

1997 Joseph Phelps Insignia

1.5ltr

Light label condition issue

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

1997 Joseph Phelps Insignia

6.0ltr

Etched bottle

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

2000 Joseph Phelps Insignia

WS  92   
ST  92+    
RP  91   

2000 Joseph Phelps Insignia

Light capsule condition issue; lightly depressed cork; label condition issue

WS  92   
ST  92+    
RP  91   

2002 Joseph Phelps Insignia

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

2002 Joseph Phelps Insignia

1.5ltr

Lightly depressed cork

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

2006 Joseph Phelps Insignia

1.5ltr

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

2007 Joseph Phelps Insignia

Missing back label

RP  99   
WE  97   
WS  96   
ST  94   
JR  17   

2012 Joseph Phelps Insignia

375ml

Light label condition issue

RP  97-100   
JS  97   
JD  97   
VN  96   
WS  93