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Tasting notes
87% Cabernet Sauvignon, 9% Petit Verdot, 2% Cabernet Franc, 2% Malbec. Fruit sourced from six of their many Napa Valley vineyards with 20% from Suscol in the far south and 19% each of Bianca Dorada in Rutherford and La Rocas in Stags Leap – 36% in total from Stags Leap AVA. Aged for 24 months in 100% new French oak barrels. Extraordinarily deep colour for an 11-year-old wine: almost black! A really lovely mature nose with all the, indubitably Napa, ripe elements nicely knit together. But on the end there's a slightly charred note and a little bit of heat. But a treat overall. (JR)
Critic scores
Average Score
The Wine Advocate
Jancis Robinson MW
More reviews and scores
Roughly 10 years after the vintage, the 2014 Insignia continues to drink well. Cedary cigar box aromas join ripe cherries on the nose, while the medium to full-bodied palate is plush, open-knit, soft and accessible, with ample length on the finish. Ready to drink now and for the next decade, the blend this vintage is 87% Cabernet Sauvignon, 9% Petit Verdot, 2% Cabernet Franc and 2% Malbec.
The 2014 Insignia has turned out beautifully. Finely sculpted, nuanced and classic in structure, the 2014 is built on a core of energy and brightness. There is a level of purity and delineation in the flavors that is remarkable. Bright red cherry, lavender, rose petal and graphite add to the wine's sculpted personality. The 2014 is not an obvious or especially opulent Insignia, but rather a wine that makes its case with its impeccable balance. A closing flourish of bright, floral notes adds the final shades of nuance.
About the producer
California winery Joseph Phelps is best known for its flagship Insignia cuvée, one of the first and finest proprietary red wines in the Napa Valley.
Product details
Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Malbec/ Auxerrois / Cot
Red
Dry