HARVEY NICHOLS Insignia 2018
- SKU:
- 4040252
- UPC:
- 2310060437738
99 points, “One of the best Insignias ever. Alive and changing all the time.” – James Suckling
98 points, “Full-bodied, perfectly balanced, and layered on the palate, with silky tannins, this quintessential Insignia is up with the finest vintages of this cuvée I've tasted and is in the same realm as the 1997 (the first vintage I bought for my personal cellar), 2001, 2002, 2007, 2012, 2013, 2015, and 2016.” – Jeb Dunnuck
98 points, “This impressive blend combines 87% Cabernet Sauvignon with 8% Petit Verdot, 3% Malbec and 2% Cabernet Franc, ageing the whole for 24 months in 100% new French oak. Elements of cedar, sage, dried herb and underbrush meet rich red fruit and chalky tannins, with a dusting of cocoa throughout.” – Wine Enthusiast
97+ points, “Deep garnet-purple coloured, it comes storming out of the glass with powerful notes of blackcurrant cordial, stewed black plums and boysenberries, plus hints of cedar chest, graphite, menthol and wet slate with a fragrant waft of clove oil. The medium to full-bodied palate already demonstrates remarkable balance at this youthful stage, featuring a firm backbone of fine-grained tannins and bold freshness to support the tightly wound, crunchy black fruits, finishing long and spicy.” – Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate
To all intents and purposes, Joseph Phelps invented the Bordeaux blend in California, a style that has now become ubiquitous and world famous. For that reason alone, Insignia is a legendary red.
The 2018 is a blend of 87% Cabernet Sauvignon, 8% Petit Verdot, 3% Malbec and 2% Cabernet Franc, sourced from Las Rocas (30%, Stags Leap District), Yountville (18%, Oak Knoll District), Banca Dorada (13%, Rutherford), Suscol (18%, South Napa Valley), Home Ranch (14%, St. Helena), Las Rocas (12%, Stags Leap District) and Barboza (7%, Stags Leap District). So, as you might expect, there’s some incredible complexity here and some sensational terroir. Aged in new French oak for two years, it’s a heady mix of blackberry, dark chocolate, stewed plum, blackcurrant, blueberry jam, menthol, pine, tobacco, violet, rosebud, graphite, liquorice, clove, dried herbs, black pepper and salty oyster shell. Although exquisite now, don’t rush into opening it just yet, as it will continue to develop for decades to come. If you can’t resist it though, maybe pick up two and hide one in the cellar because it’s unlikely to hang around with critic scores like those.
Joseph Phelps took over his father’s construction business in the 1960s. The company secured a contract to build a winery in Napa Valley, and he promptly fell in love with the region. In the early-1970s he bought a cattle ranch near St Helena and began planting vines. In 1974, he and his winemaker, Walter Schug, created the iconic Insignia – California’s first proprietary Bordeaux-style blend. This wine changed the course of American wine forever. Today, Joseph Phelps farms more than 170 hectares of vines over nine estates, and unlike many of its contemporaries of that 1976 Judgement of Paris era, it remains family owned. And you know we’re big fans because Joseph Phelps made our Premium Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 2017 using some grapes declassified from Insignia in that vintage.
SKU No.: 4040252
Style No.: 951265
Region: California
Alcohol by volume (ABV): 14.5%
Volume: 750ml
Allergens: Sulphites
99 points, “One of the best Insignias ever. Alive and changing all the time.” – James Suckling
98 points, “Full-bodied, perfectly balanced, and layered on the palate, with silky tannins, this quintessential Insignia is up with the finest vintages of this cuvée I've tasted and is in the same realm as the 1997 (the first vintage I bought for my personal cellar), 2001, 2002, 2007, 2012, 2013, 2015, and 2016.” – Jeb Dunnuck
98 points, “This impressive blend combines 87% Cabernet Sauvignon with 8% Petit Verdot, 3% Malbec and 2% Cabernet Franc, ageing the whole for 24 months in 100% new French oak. Elements of cedar, sage, dried herb and underbrush meet rich red fruit and chalky tannins, with a dusting of cocoa throughout.” – Wine Enthusiast
97+ points, “Deep garnet-purple coloured, it comes storming out of the glass with powerful notes of blackcurrant cordial, stewed black plums and boysenberries, plus hints of cedar chest, graphite, menthol and wet slate with a fragrant waft of clove oil. The medium to full-bodied palate already demonstrates remarkable balance at this youthful stage, featuring a firm backbone of fine-grained tannins and bold freshness to support the tightly wound, crunchy black fruits, finishing long and spicy.” – Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate
To all intents and purposes, Joseph Phelps invented the Bordeaux blend in California, a style that has now become ubiquitous and world famous. For that reason alone, Insignia is a legendary red.
The 2018 is a blend of 87% Cabernet Sauvignon, 8% Petit Verdot, 3% Malbec and 2% Cabernet Franc, sourced from Las Rocas (30%, Stags Leap District), Yountville (18%, Oak Knoll District), Banca Dorada (13%, Rutherford), Suscol (18%, South Napa Valley), Home Ranch (14%, St. Helena), Las Rocas (12%, Stags Leap District) and Barboza (7%, Stags Leap District). So, as you might expect, there’s some incredible complexity here and some sensational terroir. Aged in new French oak for two years, it’s a heady mix of blackberry, dark chocolate, stewed plum, blackcurrant, blueberry jam, menthol, pine, tobacco, violet, rosebud, graphite, liquorice, clove, dried herbs, black pepper and salty oyster shell. Although exquisite now, don’t rush into opening it just yet, as it will continue to develop for decades to come. If you can’t resist it though, maybe pick up two and hide one in the cellar because it’s unlikely to hang around with critic scores like those.
Joseph Phelps took over his father’s construction business in the 1960s. The company secured a contract to build a winery in Napa Valley, and he promptly fell in love with the region. In the early-1970s he bought a cattle ranch near St Helena and began planting vines. In 1974, he and his winemaker, Walter Schug, created the iconic Insignia – California’s first proprietary Bordeaux-style blend. This wine changed the course of American wine forever. Today, Joseph Phelps farms more than 170 hectares of vines over nine estates, and unlike many of its contemporaries of that 1976 Judgement of Paris era, it remains family owned. And you know we’re big fans because Joseph Phelps made our Premium Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 2017 using some grapes declassified from Insignia in that vintage.
SKU No.: 4040252
Style No.: 951265