Joseph Phelps Insignia Napa Valley 2005

97 points Connoisseurs' Guide '2008 Wine of the Year': "92% Cabernet Sauvignon; 7% Petit Verdot; 1% Merlot. This year's version of Insignia is a stunning wine that vies for very top honors of the vintage. Its utterly enveloping aromas of perfectly ripe currants, creamy oak and dried violets are followed up in the mouth with wonderfully extracted, carefully proportioned Cabernet flavors that go on and on. The wine is lush yet solidly structured with a fine sense of balance and tannin right where it should be, and, as good as the wine will be in its youth, it will be better yet with age. (Dec 2008)"

96 points Robert Parker: "The 2005 Proprietary Red Insignia (14.5% alcohol and typically aged 24 months in new French oak) is a blend of 92% Cabernet Sauvignon, 7% Petit Verdot and 1% Merlot. Juicy, fresh and vibrant, with a dense, ruby/purple color, and a classic nose of licorice and crème de cassis as well as hints of new saddle leather and earth, the wine is a brilliant blend that after ten years shows no evidence of the 24 months it spent in new French oak. Full-bodied, opulent, but still youthful, this wine looks set for another 25-30 years of aging. The wine’s best elements are its finesse and elegance allied to great richness and intensity. This wine is accessible now, as most Insignias tend to be, but much of its greatness will be revealed over the next two decades. (Jun 2015)"

95 points Wine Enthusiast: "This is not a wine for tonight, or next year, or for at least the next six years. It's shut down in tannins, with an astringency that can't be overcome even with decanting, although that won't stop people from opening it before its time. Buried beneath the tannins are well-developed black currant, roasted meat and cedar flavors that define upscale Napa Cab. Really fine and distinguished, a wine to cellar and enjoy for many years. Cellar Selection. (May 2009)" 94 points Wine & Spirits: "This vintage of Insignia is primarily cabernet sauvignon (92 percent), blended with small amounts of petit verdot and merlot, sourced from Phelps's estate vineyards in Rutherford, Stags Leap District, south Napa and St. Helena. For now, it's a sleek wine, with black currant flavors equal to a substantial presence of oak. The tannins are superripe and luxurious; they gain detail with air, becoming more mineral while allowing a fresh scent of roses to come forward. Accessible now for its richness, this will yield more complex pleasures with ten years of age. (Jun 2009)"

'Proprietary Blend of the Year (2008)' Wine News: "Showing more opulent Napa Cabernet character than past vintages with but 7% merlot and 1% petit verdot in the blend. Deeply saturated purple and opaque in appearance. Forward, enticing nose of violets, anise and black currant-black cherry fruit with notes of mocha fudge and shy dried herbs. Smooth and luscious with well-balanced, supple tannins and a classic structure, it delivers amazing depth and concentrated, layered, extracted flavors of exquisitely ripe black fruits and dried, minced black cherry, subtle spice and well-integrated oak that persist a full minute or more in the finish. A masterpiece that deserves a minimum of 4 to 5 years of cellaring and will certainly gain more complexity over the next 5 to 10 years. (Dec 2008/Jan 2009)"

'5-Star California Red Blends', Quarterly Review of Wines: "92% Cabernet Sauvignon, 7% Petit Verdot and 1% Merlot. Deep, rich, plush, well-concentrated, blackberry and mocha flavors that go on forever. Co-Best of Show. (Summer 2009)"