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In 1974 Joe Phelps had the idea to make a separate cuvee each year, one that would represent the finest wine he could make from each vintage. He didn’t necessarily think it would always be a Cabernet Sauvignon. It might be a white wine in some years, a Chardonnay or a Riesling, or it might be a Syrah or Merlot. His only thought was to make one wine that represented the best of what Joseph Phelps Vineyards could produce each year. He decided to name the wine Insignia, a proprietary name that would give him the flexibility to make the wine out of any varietal he chose.
As it happened, 1974 was a great year for Cabernet Sauvignon in Napa Valley and the 1974 Insignia was 94% Cabernet from the Stags Leap District. The following year Merlot dominated the blend, and in 1976, it returned to Cabernet, this time from the Eisele Vineyard. It was becoming increasingly clear that red Bordeaux varieties – particularly Cabernet Sauvignon - were ideally suited to Napa Valley and would consistently yield the best wines of the vintage. From 1977 on, Cabernet Sauvignon was never less than 50% of the Insignia blend and gradually became the dominant varietal. Joe’s vision evolved: Insignia would always be a proprietary red Bordeaux-style blend.
| Varietal | Proprietary Blend |
|---|---|
| Vintage | 1974 |
| Rating | 99 RP |
| Bottle Size | 750 ml |
| Bottle Quantity | 1 |
| Country | USA |
| Region | California |
| Location | North Coast |
| Producer | Phelps Joseph |
| Color | Red |
| Wine Type | Table |
| Rating | 99 RP - My early notes stated that the wine was sumptuous, very rich and incredibly impressive, but needed to be drunk within its first decade of life. Well, in September, 2013, approaching 40 years of age, it is even better than it was 36 years ago. So much for crystal balling the potential of these wines. Of course, 1974 was an unusually warm year with a fabulous Indian Summer, and the results were very ripe, concentrated Cabernet Sauvignons that a few critics thought were over-the-top and too rich. How often we hear those same complaints, with the same phony indignation, today. When tasted in September, 2013, the 1974 Insignia exhibited a dark garnet color as well as an incredible, sweet, Pauillac-like nose of Christmas fruitcake, cedarwood, rich plum and red and black fruits, and a hint of underbrush. It possesses a noble freshness and sweetness and the fruit is holding beautifully. Never in my wildest imagination could I have believed this 1974 would perform at a nearly perfect level nearly 40 years after it was made. This profound wine makes a mockery of one of the biggest sham arguments in the wine world put forth by critics who say California wines don't age. RP |
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| Wine Spectator |
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| Burghound |
|---|
| Varietal | Proprietary Blend |
|---|---|
| Vintage | 1974 |
| Rating | 99 RP |
| Bottle Size | 750 ml |
| Bottle Quantity | 1 |
| Country | USA |
| Region | California |
| Location | North Coast |
| Producer | Phelps Joseph |
| Color | Red |
| Production |
cases |
| Varietal | Proprietary Blend |
|---|---|
| Vintage | 1974 |
| Rating | 99 RP |
| Bottle Size | 750 ml |
| Bottle Quantity | 1 |
| Country | USA |
| Region | California |
| Location | North Coast |
| Producer | Phelps Joseph |
| Color | Red |
| Wine Type | Table |
| Varietal | Proprietary Blend |
|---|---|
| Vintage | 1974 |
| Rating | 99 RP |
| Barrels |
|
| Style |
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| Owners |
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| Region | California |
| Location | North Coast |
| Producer | Phelps Joseph |
| Winemaker |
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| Production |
| Robert Parker Rating | 99 RP - My early notes stated that the wine was sumptuous, very rich and incredibly impressive, but needed to be drunk within its first decade of life. Well, in September, 2013, approaching 40 years of age, it is even better than it was 36 years ago. So much for crystalballing the potential of these wines. Of course, 1974 was an unusually warm year with a fabulous Indian Summer, and the results were very ripe, concentrated Cabernet Sauvignons that a few critics thought were over-the-top and too rich. How often we hear those same complaints, with the same phony indignation, today. When tasted in September, 2013, the 1974 Insignia exhibited a dark garnet color as well as an incredible, sweet, Pauillac-like nose of Christmas fruitcake, cedarwood, rich plum and red and black fruits, and a hint of underbrush. It possesses a noble freshness and sweetness and the fruit is holding beautifully. Never in my wildest imagination could I have believed this 1974 would perform at a nearly perfect level nearly 40 years after it was made. This profound wine makes a mockery of one of the biggest sham arguments in the wine world put forth by critics who say California wines don't age. RP |
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| Wine Spectator Rating |
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| Burghound Rating |
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