2004 Joseph Phelps Insignia

A blend of 72% Cabernet Sauvignon, 14% Merlot, 12% Petit Verdot and 2% Malbec, the 2004 Insignia was aged 24 months in new French oak. It boasts a dense ruby/purple color as well as rich, full-bodied, supple tannins, abundant fruit and exciting levels of complexity and richness. This cuvee’s large production makes it one of the finest quality/quantity Cabernets produced in Napa Valley. Drink it over the next two decades. Tel. (707) 963-2745; Fax (707) 963-4831

(cabernet sauvignon with 14% merlot, 12% petit verdot and 2% minerals) Bright ruby-red. Complex nose melds cassis, black cherry, lead pencil and cedar. Sweet and fat but with a firm structure and very good vinosity. There's a sappy quality to the currant, cedar and chocolate flavors. Boasts the density of the vintage's best examples but, in comparison to the Backus, the tannins hit the palate a bit earlier. The very long finish hints at cedar and graphite. I'd put this aside for a couple of years.

(74% cabernet sauvignon, 13% merlot, 11% petit verdot and 2% malbec; entirely from estate fruit for the first time) Good medium ruby color. Black raspberry, minerals, cocoa and coffee on the nose. Sweet, dense and penetrating; ripe but not at all over the top. The dark berry flavors are complicated by chocolate and minerals. A very lush wine with lovely vibrancy. Finishes with sweet tannins that spread out to saturate the entire palate. Looks like another very strong vintage for this winery's flagship red wine.