2007 Joseph Phelps Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley

Good deep ruby-red. Sweet, open aromas of ripe plum and currant complemented by chocolatey oak. In a fat, lush style, showing the sweetness of the vintage in spades. Not a particularly gripping wine but one that should give considerable early pleasure. The substantial tannins are dusty and fine.

The 2007 Cabernet Sauvignon Napa (20,000 cases produced) may be the finest regular cuvee produced here in nearly two decades. Its dense ruby/purple hue is followed by an opulent bouquet of cassis, blue fruits, crushed rocks, and floral undertones. Pure, juicy, deep, medium to full-bodied, and loaded, this 2007 should drink beautifully young, yet keep for 15-20+ years. In case you think the aging curves I have described are unrealistically long, I have the Joseph Phelps regular Cabernets from the mid-seventies as well as the Insignias in my cellar, and those wines are still drinking beautifully at 30+ years of age. Today’s wines are better made. Tel. (707) 963-2745; Fax (707) 963-4831

Bright ruby. Vibrant nose offers black raspberry, mocha, bitter chocolate and violet. Still a bit youthfully brutal but offers a more refined texture than the '06, with an inner-mouth violet character missing in the earlier vintage. Finishes with substantial but ripe tannins and excellent palate-staining persistence. Promises to be a strong vintage for this release.