Joseph Phelps Red Bordeaux Blend Napa Valley Insignia 2001

The 2007 Insignia (a 13,500-case blend of 88% Cabernet Sauvignon, 8% Merlot, and 4% Petit Verdot) offers a seamless introduction to this flagship cuvee. Its inky/purple color is followed by aromas of creme de cassis, incense, crushed rocks, lead pencil shavings, cedar, and spice box. It possesses a massive, opulent mouthfeel, serious tannins, and no hard edges. This stunning effort should hit its peak in 5ndash;8 years, and last 40 years. I would not be surprised to see it become the greatest Insignia to date and close in on a perfect score.

Since 2004, 100% of the Bordeaux varietals used in the Insignia proprietary blend have been from estate vineyards. The beautiful, dense ruby/purple-tinged 2005 Insignia (a 12,500 case blend of 92% Cabernet Sauvignon, 7% Petit Verdot, and 1% Malbec) possesses sweet aromas of black cherries, cassis, chocolate, camphor, and a subtle hint of roasted herbs. Medium to full-bodied and elegant, with a European style imposed on the rich, velvety, California fruit, this cuveacute;e will benefit from several years of bottle age, and should easily keep for three decades.

Bright ruby. Claret-like nose offers cassis, minerals, bitter chocolate and strong soil tones. Densely packed and quite tight today, in a classically dry style. But therersquo;s also superb sex appeal and excellent energy to the flavors of plum, currant, licorice, bitter chocolate and spices. Most impressive today on the long, chocolatey aftertaste.

This vintage of Insignia is primarily cabernet sauvignon (92 percent), blended with small amounts of petit verdot and merlot, sourced from Phelprsquo;s estate vineyards in Rutherford, Stags Leap District, south Napa and St. Helena. For now, itrsquo;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.

Phelpsrsquo;s top red wine is a blend of cabernet sauvignon (88 percent), merlot and petit verdot, all grown at estate vineyards. Most of the fruit comes from the southern districts of Napa Valley, Suscol, a relatively cool site in South Napa, along with Stags Leap and Oak Knoll. That cool tone comes across in red currant flavors, in the quiet presence of a substantial wine. Itrsquo;s sleek with dark tannin that feels youthful and austere, hinting at a Christmas spice that predicts what holiday celebrations might be in store ten years down the line.

This is the first vintage of Insignia to come entirely from estate-grown fruit, from vineyards in St. Helena, Stags Leap, Yountville and Rutherford, as well as a small portion from Oakville. Phelps crafted the ripe fruit of 2004 into a luxury wine, something you might order at one of the new top-end restaurants in Las Vegas. Itrsquo;s all about lovely richness, generous and dense with nothing out of place. Think to sweet cherries and Spanish hot chocolate. Ready to enjoy.

You have to count this as another great Insignia, dry and complex and ageworthy, although the tannins are fierce now, and it may lack just a bit of the glamor of, say, the 2004 or 2001. Itrsquo;s certainly a big wine that floods the mouth with blackberry, black currant, cassis and new oak flavors. The tannins and acids make it aloof, resistant, tough. It wants time in the cellar. Best after 2013. Production was a hefty 13,500 cases.