Joseph Phelps Insignia 2018

James Suckling: Blackberries and dark chocolate with mint, pine and clove. Sweet tobacco, violets and flowers too. A touch of graphite. Fresh and complex. Full-bodied, with ultra-fine, dusty tannins and a wonderful, extremely long finish. Flavorful and refined. A classic from 2018. Needs time, but is so approachable and beautiful. One of the best Insignias ever. Alive and ever-evolving. 40% Stags Leap AVA. 87% Cabernet Sauvignon, 8% Petit Verdot, 3% Malbec and 2% Cabernet Franc. Age for five or six years, but it’s already wonderful.

Falstaff: Dark ruby, purple reflections. Fine, slightly restrained confit of wild berries, delicate aromas of raspberry and cherry, fresh orange zest, attractive bouquet, a touch of cassis in the background. Complex, full-bodied, highly elegant, sweet cherry fruit, integrated tannins, fine touch of nougat on the finish, great length, minerality on the finish, with potential to age for decades. PM.

Wine Enthusiast: This impressive blend combines 87% Cabernet Sauvignon with 8% Petit Verdot, 3% Malbec, and 2% Cabernet Franc, aging it all for 24 months in 100% new French oak. Elements of cedar, sage, dried herbs, and undergrowth meet rich red fruits and chalky tannins, with a hint of cocoa throughout. Enjoy between 2028 and 2038. Virginie Boone.

: The 2018 Insignia is 87 percent Cabernet Sauvignon, 8 percent Petit Verdot, 3 percent Malbec, and the remainder Cabernet Franc, sourced from a blend of vineyards (mostly in the southern part of the valley) and aged for two years in new French oak. It features a stunning bouquet of cassis, currants, dark chocolate, graphite pencil, and tobacco. While it’s unmistakably Napa, it has a regal, structured, almost Bordeaux-like vibe. Full-bodied, perfectly balanced and layered on the palate, with silky tannins, this quintessential Insignia is among the finest vintages of this cuvée I have tasted, and ranks with the 1997 (the first vintage I acquired for my personal cellar), 2001, 2002, 2007, 2012, 2013, 2015 and 2016. Production: 17,000 cases.

The Wine Advocate: The 2018 Insignia is a blend of 87% Cabernet Sauvignon, 8% Petit Verdot, 3% Malbec and 2% Cabernet Franc. Vineyard sources this year include: 30% Las Rocas (Stags Leap District), 18% Yountville (Oak Knoll District), 13% Banca Dorada (Rutherford), 18% Suscol (Southern Napa Valley), 14% Home Ranch (St. Helena), 12% Las Rocas (Stags Leap District), 7% Barboza (Stags Leap District). It was aged for 24 months in 100% new French oak barrels. Deep garnet in color with purple highlights, it exudes powerful notes of cassis, cooked black plums and blackberries, as well as hints of cedarwood, graphite, menthol and wet slate with a scent of clove oil. The palate, medium to full-bodied, already demonstrates remarkable balance at this young stage, with a firm backbone of fine tannins and striking freshness to support the crisp and intense black fruits, finishing long and spicy. Production: 17,000 cases.