2009 Joseph Phelps, Insignia, Napa Valley 1x6L

Vinous 94

Saturated bright ruby. Cassis, black cherry, mocha, graphite, dark chocolate and violet on the nose. Enters the mouth with a flavor of dark chocolate, then utterly silky and smooth in the mid-palate, delivering concentrated, deep flavors of black fruits and licorice complicated by minerals, violet and dark chocolate. If this wine does not yet show quite the personality or definition of the ’07, it finishes pure and extremely long, with substantial fully buffered tannins and an element of medicinal reserve. This really fills the mouth without leaving any impression of heaviness. I suspect that there’s still more positive bottle development ahead for this beauty, [Stephen Tanzer, 25/07/2019]

Anticipated maturity: 2021-2035