Search results for "joseph phelps cabernet sauvignon"

Winemaker Notes The Insignia is fresh and focused on entry with expressive cocoa powder, graphite and earthy spices. Elegant and complex with a supple, creamy texture and bold tannins, this latest vintage offers luscious ripe plum and blackberry character with hints of roasted coffee and dark cherry throughout the palate to a long, velvety finish. About Winery Joseph Phelps Vineyards is a family-owned and operated wine estate with vineyards and wineries in Napa Valley and on the western Sonoma Coast. The winery was founded in 1973 by Joseph Phelps, a successful construction executive and entrepreneur whose early interest in wine led him to establish vineyards on a 670-acre former cattle ranch in Napa Valley. Over the next 42 years Joe became one of the most respected figures in the California wine industry, building Joseph Phelps Vineyards into a critically-acclaimed winery internationally known for its iconic wines and unwavering commitment to quality. Joe’s son, Bill Phelps, joined the family business in 1998 after a successful career in law, and as Executive Chairman now oversees Joseph Phelps Vineyards with a continued dedication to excellence. Family owns and farms 425 acres of vines in Napa Valley on nine estate vineyards in St. Helena, Rutherford, Oakville, Stags Leap District, Oak Knoll District, South Napa and Carneros, as well as 100 acres over two vineyards on the western Sonoma Coast. Strategically chosen over many decades, each vineyard has its own personality and brings a different characteristic to our wines. Our commitment to an estate-based model is our way of ensuring consistency and the highest quality we can possibly achieve. Our estate vineyards, paired with select long-term grower relationships, give our winemaking teams unparalleled depth and diversity when it comes to producing Joseph Phelps wines.

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2016 | JS 98 | Pre Order Classic Napa richness, blackberry, cassis, chocolate, long finish. 2018 | JS 99  One of the best Insignias ever; complex, layered, age-worthy. 2019 | RP 96 | Pre Order Dense, brooding black fruit, cigar box, tobacco, powerful tannins. 2021 | RP 96 | Pre Order Young, structured, dark cherry, plum, eucalyptus; high tannins, long aging potential. About Winery Joseph Phelps Vineyards is a family-owned and operated wine estate with vineyards and wineries in Napa Valley and on the western Sonoma Coast. The winery was founded in 1973 by Joseph Phelps, a successful construction executive and entrepreneur whose early interest in wine led him to establish vineyards on a 670-acre former cattle ranch in Napa Valley. Over the next 42 years Joe became one of the most respected figures in the California wine industry, building Joseph Phelps Vineyards into a critically-acclaimed winery internationally known for its iconic wines and unwavering commitment to quality. Joe’s son, Bill Phelps, joined the family business in 1998 after a successful career in law, and as Executive Chairman now oversees Joseph Phelps Vineyards with a continued dedication to excellence. Family owns and farms 425 acres of vines in Napa Valley on nine estate vineyards in St. Helena, Rutherford, Oakville, Stags Leap District, Oak Knoll District, South Napa and Carneros, as well as 100 acres over two vineyards on the western Sonoma Coast. Strategically chosen over many decades, each vineyard has its own personality and brings a different characteristic to our wines. Our commitment to an estate-based model is our way of ensuring consistency and the highest quality we can possibly achieve. Our estate vineyards, paired with select long-term grower relationships, give our winemaking teams unparalleled depth and diversity when it comes to producing Joseph Phelps wines.

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Winemaker Notes The 2013 Matriarch, which may well be the finest Matriarch made to date, could easily stand on its own as a single-vineyard offering. Made from the odds and ends of the single-vineyard wines, nevertheless this is pretty great wine, and I joked with the winemaking team that maybe their selection process was too draconian. Dense purple, with notes of mulberry, blackberry, chocolate, cocoa and espresso, the wine is dense, full-bodied, opulent, and a total hedonistic turn-on. About Winery Sourced from select hillside estates, the Cabernet Sauvignon wines of BOND vividly demonstrate the range of Napa Valley's finest terroirs. From the more than eighty vineyards we have worked with over the past quarter century, we have slowly and vigilantly selected five sites. BOND became our covenant and shared commitment to produce only the best expression of the land. By way of this valuable experience, we had the opportunity to identify select properties that we felt had the potential to define the ‘Grand Crus’ of Napa Valley. These small hillside Cabernet vineyards, ranging in size from 7 to 11 acres, became the basis for the wines of BOND.

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Winemaker Notes The 2022 Insignia is fresh and focused on entry with expressive cocoa powder, graphite and earthy spices. Elegant and complex with a supple, creamy texture and bold tannins, this latest vintage offers luscious ripe plum and blackberry character with hints of roasted coffee and dark cherry throughout the palate to a long, velvety finish. About Winery Joseph Phelps Vineyards is a family-owned and operated wine estate with vineyards and wineries in Napa Valley and on the western Sonoma Coast. The winery was founded in 1973 by Joseph Phelps, a successful construction executive and entrepreneur whose early interest in wine led him to establish vineyards on a 670-acre former cattle ranch in Napa Valley. Over the next 42 years Joe became one of the most respected figures in the California wine industry, building Joseph Phelps Vineyards into a critically-acclaimed winery internationally known for its iconic wines and unwavering commitment to quality. Joe’s son, Bill Phelps, joined the family business in 1998 after a successful career in law, and as Executive Chairman now oversees Joseph Phelps Vineyards with a continued dedication to excellence. Family owns and farms 425 acres of vines in Napa Valley on nine estate vineyards in St. Helena, Rutherford, Oakville, Stags Leap District, Oak Knoll District, South Napa and Carneros, as well as 100 acres over two vineyards on the western Sonoma Coast. Strategically chosen over many decades, each vineyard has its own personality and brings a different characteristic to our wines. Our commitment to an estate-based model is our way of ensuring consistency and the highest quality we can possibly achieve. Our estate vineyards, paired with select long-term grower relationships, give our winemaking teams unparalleled depth and diversity when it comes to producing Joseph Phelps wines.

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Winemaker Notes The 2016 Insignia is fresh and focused on entry with expressive cocoa powder, graphite and earthy spices. Elegant and complex with a supple, creamy texture and bold tannins, this latest vintage offers luscious ripe plum and blackberry character with hints of roasted coffee and dark cherry throughout the palate to a long, velvety finish. About Winery Joseph Phelps Vineyards is a family-owned and operated wine estate with vineyards and wineries in Napa Valley and on the western Sonoma Coast. The winery was founded in 1973 by Joseph Phelps, a successful construction executive and entrepreneur whose early interest in wine led him to establish vineyards on a 670-acre former cattle ranch in Napa Valley. Over the next 42 years Joe became one of the most respected figures in the California wine industry, building Joseph Phelps Vineyards into a critically-acclaimed winery internationally known for its iconic wines and unwavering commitment to quality. Joe’s son, Bill Phelps, joined the family business in 1998 after a successful career in law, and as Executive Chairman now oversees Joseph Phelps Vineyards with a continued dedication to excellence. Family owns and farms 425 acres of vines in Napa Valley on nine estate vineyards in St. Helena, Rutherford, Oakville, Stags Leap District, Oak Knoll District, South Napa and Carneros, as well as 100 acres over two vineyards on the western Sonoma Coast. Strategically chosen over many decades, each vineyard has its own personality and brings a different characteristic to our wines. Our commitment to an estate-based model is our way of ensuring consistency and the highest quality we can possibly achieve. Our estate vineyards, paired with select long-term grower relationships, give our winemaking teams unparalleled depth and diversity when it comes to producing Joseph Phelps wines.

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2017 | JD 99 Deep garnet colored, the 2017 Cabernet Sauvignon Few and Far Between prances out with fragrant earth and underbrush scents over a warm cassis and blackberry preserves core, plus wafts of unsmoked cigars and mossy tree bark. The medium to full-bodied palate reveals a perfumed, graceful expression of the vintage, featuring silky tannins and a lively backbone, finishing with a spicy kick. 2018 | JD 100 The 2018 Cabernet Sauvignon Few And Far Between Vineyard is pure magic and tops out my scale. From a site near Eisele Vineyard, it has a complex bouquet of red, blue, and black fruits as well as new leather, freshly sharpened pencils, bouquet garni, and assorted spices. Deep, full-bodied, ripe, and sexy, it shows the structured, pure, precise style of the 2018 vintage while bringing classic Hundred Acre depth, richness, and length. Drink this sensational beauty over the coming 20-25 years. About Winery Hundred Acre is not simply a winery—it is a legend carved into Napa’s hillsides. Founded by Jayson Woodbridge in 2000, its philosophy is one of uncompromising precision: fruit chosen berry by berry, wines born in underground caves called The Ring, and bottles crowned with a 24-carat gold ring as a symbol of perfection. From Morgan’s Way to Ark and Few and Far Between, each vineyard is treated as sacred ground, yielding Cabernets that have earned more than seventy-eight perfect scores. Inspired by the whimsical Hundred Acre Wood yet executed with obsessive craftsmanship, the estate has become a beacon of rarity and myth, where every release is both a treasure and a testament to the pursuit of the extraordinary.

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2018 | Wine Independent 100 The 2018 Cabernet Sauvignon Dark Ark is a 100-case selection derived from Ark Vineyard barrels that were notably darker and denser than the rest. Loaded with black cherries, cassis and loam notes, it's full-bodied, a bit brooding but concentrated, rich and supple, with a long, velvety finish. A true powerhouse, it's clearly one of Hundred Acre's top 2018s. 2022 | D 100  A barrel selection drawn from nine distinct blocks within the Hundred Acre Ark Vineyard, Dark Ark represents the densest and most powerful expression of this site. The wine is immensely satisfying, filled with pure cassis, red and black currant fruit, spiced plums, and seductive toasty brown oak spices, all framed by extraordinary textures that are all satiny, silky, velvety, you name it. About Winery Hundred Acre is not simply a winery—it is a legend carved into Napa’s hillsides. Founded by Jayson Woodbridge in 2000, its philosophy is one of uncompromising precision: fruit chosen berry by berry, wines born in underground caves called The Ring, and bottles crowned with a 24-carat gold ring as a symbol of perfection. From Morgan’s Way to Ark and Few and Far Between, each vineyard is treated as sacred ground, yielding Cabernets that have earned more than seventy-eight perfect scores. Inspired by the whimsical Hundred Acre Wood yet executed with obsessive craftsmanship, the estate has become a beacon of rarity and myth, where every release is both a treasure and a testament to the pursuit of the extraordinary.

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2016 | WE 91 Plummy red fruit is softly layered around rich toasted notes of cinnamon and cedar in this 100% varietal wine. Well put together, it has a dense heartiness to it that shines in complexity and overdelivers on its price point About Winery Priest Ranch wines are grown and made at the Somerston Estate in the Eastern Hills of Napa Valley. The eastern part of the Somerston property was originally settled by Joshua James Priest who arrived in California in 1849. Priest gained title to 638 acres of the Catacula land grant in Soda Valley and he and his descendants managed to hold on to most of the ranch for over a century. Today, all the Priest Ranch wines are 100% Estate Grown and made from selected vineyard blocks that express integrated and intensely rich, yet approachable qualities. Priest Ranch wines represent the diversity and richness of the Somerston Estate.

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2018 | WA 99 The 2018 Ridge Monte Bello is a classic, age-worthy red blend from the Santa Cruz Mountains in California. It blends 68% Cabernet Sauvignon, 18% Merlot, 11% Petit Verdot, and 3% Cabernet Franc. Praised for its incredible structure, it will cellar beautifully for a decade or more. 2019 | JS 99 Complex aromas of blackberry, tobacco, roasted coffee bean and wintergreen. On the palate, concentrated plum layered with well-coated tannins, firm acidity, oak spice and notes of licorice on the long finish.     About Winery Ridge Vineyards is a famed Californian wine producer founded in 1962, and based in the Santa Cruz Mountains, but with vineyards in several parts of the state. Its flagship wine, Monte Bello, is a Cabernet Sauvignon-dominated Bordeaux blend known for delivering the complexity and elegance of Bordeaux wines, as well as typical California fruit intensity. It is also well known for its range of Zinfandel wines and Zinfandel-based blends, led by the Geyserville cuvée. Wines made from Petite Sirah, Carignan and a Grenache – Mataro blend have also been longstanding features in the range, and Ridge has made a small amount of Chardonnay each vintage for many decades. In recent years the portfolio has expanded considerably. Newer additions include a Lytton Estate Rosé, a limited-release Mendocino Falanghina, and a trio of Rhône-variety white wines from Adelaida Vineyard in Paso Robles. The renowned trio of vineyards, Monte Bello, Geyservillle and Lytton Springs account for the majority of Ridge's production, with the remainder coming from the estate's East Bench site and a number of key contract growers. Montebello is situated at around 800m (2600ft) above sea level in the Santa Cruz Mountains, a few miles south of San Jose. The history of the Monte Bello vineyard and winery dates back to the 1880s.  All of the Bordeaux varieties are grown on the Monte Bello vineyard. Those plots that have been shown to provide the most ageworthy, complex wines go into the flagship wine, which bears the vineyard's name. The remaining parcels, which tend to produce relatively approachable, youthful wines, are earmarked for the Estate Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot. Blind tastings confirm the selection and the wines are blended over two sessions in the following February and May. Klein Cabernet Sauvignon is a barrel selection from a part of the estate planted by the Alsatian Pierre Klein in the late 1880s. The Estate Chardonnay also comes from the Monte Bello Estate vineyards. Geyserville is an estate (and township) located in the Alexander Valley AVA, Sonoma County. It lies more than 100 miles by car to the north of Monte Bello. The property is owned by the Trentadue family who, since 1966, have sold grapes to Ridge for the single-site, Zinfandel-based wine of the same name. It is home to the oldest vines farmed by Ridge, with some in the "Old Patch" more than 130 years of age. Lytton Springs is also known for powerful Zinfandel. It is located in Dry Creek Valley AVA, neighboring Alexander Valley to the west. Ridge first purchased grapes from 1972, then bought the estate outright in 1991. Winemaking across the portfolio combines old-school techniques with sophisticated laboratory analysis to give early warnings of any problems. Ridge only uses native yeasts, and avoids filtration in favor of settling and racking with occasional egg-white fining. Paul Draper, who joined Ridge in 1969, is one of the world's most celebrated winemakers. His awards include Decanter Man of the Year (2000), COPIA Award for winemaking (2004) and the James Beard Award (2007). In 2015, a Decanter Magazine poll of his peers voted him in the top five most admired winemakers in the world.

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2022 |  JS 93 A lovely deep saturated ruby color, this Cabernet opens with a vibrant nose of black raspberry, blackcurrant and blackberry preserves alongside delicate hints of violet. On the palate, ripe dark plum, black cherry, classic redcurrant and hibiscus flower support savory Chaparral sagebrush notes of lavender and Bay Laurel, while the fruit remains bright and boisterous, enveloping the mouth with a medium to full body and lip-smacking appeal. The texture is soft and silky with velvety-rich tannins that provide a nice grip and firmness with good depth and balance. Concluding with a refined and polished character, the finish is long and sumptuous with an enchanting seductive character. About Winery A fashionable country resort in the mid-twentieth century, popular with Hollywood due to its 1892 stone Manor House and historic gardens, legends of bootleggers and gangsters, ghosts and gypsies, Stags' Leap has been home to three major family groups up through the modern revitalization of the winery that began in the 1970s. Stags Leap Manor, as it was called in the 1920s, was known as one of the prominent country retreats in the Napa Valley at a time when resort and spa business was big. In addition to lodging and dining, amenities included lawn tennis, swimming, horseback riding, children's activities, golf, music, cards, a library, and Napa Valley wines and liquors (prior to and after Prohibition). An intimate valley within the greater Napa Valley, Stags Leap is a place of natural beauty, storied buildings and gardens, a lively history, and a reputation for elegant wines showing finesse and intensity.

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2008 | WA 94 The 2008 Cabernet Sauvignon Special Selection is the first example of this cuvee to include Merlot (about 14%) in the blend. The Merlot component has given the wine a cocoa/chocolate nuance to its black currant, licorice-infused fruit. The tannins are velvety soft and the wine is beautifully textured and full-bodied. It is ideal for drinking now and over the next 15 years. 2016 | WS 95 The 2016 Caymus Special Selection Cabernet Sauvignon is a rich, opulent Napa Valley red defined by lush aromas of blackberry jam, cassis, and cocoa. The palate bursts with ripe blackcurrant, dark cherry, and plum, layered with sweet vanilla oak, espresso, anise, and a long, velvety mocha finish. 2019 | WS 94 Flashy, with boysenberry and mulberry pâte de fruit notes that roll through, throwing off licorice snap and acai berry notes as well. Ends with a high-gloss toasty finish.   About Winery In 1972, Chuck Wagner started Caymus Vineyards with his parents, Charlie and Lorna, with a humble plan and an uncharted future. The Wagner family were farmers with deep roots in the Napa Valley – in 1857, Chuck Wagner’s great-great grandfather captained a wagon train to California from Bible Grove, Missouri. Working together for decades, Chuck Wagner and his parents established the family’s work ethic, appetite for innovation, down-to-earth sensibility, and deep appreciation of the pleasures of good food and wine enjoyed with family and friends.

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2018 | JS 94 A beautiful, fresh red with blackberry, blueberry and some chocolate. Pine, light toffee and coffee undertones. Dried herbs, too. Medium to full body with intensity and richness. Dusty tannins. Savory finish. Very drinkable now, but even better in 2023. 2019 | D 96 Saturated purple color with black cherry, plum, black tea, cedar and sweet toasted oak on the nose. Bramble fruit, vanilla, and mint on the palate with well-coated tannins and a long finish. 2020 | JD 90 The 2020 Cabernet Sauvignon Estate comes all from the estate Monte Bello Vineyard on the eastern side of the Santa Cruz Mountains, which is much warmer than the western side of the region. A blend of 94% Cabernet Sauvignon and 6% Merlot that was brought up in 55% new American oak, it has a bright and vibrant perfume of black plums, smoked herbs, darker chocolate, and vanilla-laced oak. It's firm, focused, and linear on the palate, with medium to full body, nicely integrated acidity, and building tannins. It should benefit from a year or two in the cellar, and I would enjoy bottles over the following decade. 2021 | D 96 Dark purple hues with black cherry, dark plum, black olive, soy, dried jerky, lilac, dried rose petals, cedar, juniper berry, and wintergreen mint. Fresh entry with building tannins that coat the entire palate. Gravelly, dusty, and mineral notes give way to layers of red and black fruits. Integrated oak with youthful tannins and acidity. Will prove to be very age-worthy.   About Winery Ridge Vineyards is a famed Californian wine producer founded in 1962, and based in the Santa Cruz Mountains, but with vineyards in several parts of the state. Its flagship wine, Monte Bello, is a Cabernet Sauvignon-dominated Bordeaux blend known for delivering the complexity and elegance of Bordeaux wines, as well as typical California fruit intensity. It is also well known for its range of Zinfandel wines and Zinfandel-based blends, led by the Geyserville cuvée. Wines made from Petite Sirah, Carignan and a Grenache – Mataro blend have also been longstanding features in the range, and Ridge has made a small amount of Chardonnay each vintage for many decades. In recent years the portfolio has expanded considerably. Newer additions include a Lytton Estate Rosé, a limited-release Mendocino Falanghina, and a trio of Rhône-variety white wines from Adelaida Vineyard in Paso Robles. The renowned trio of vineyards, Monte Bello, Geyservillle and Lytton Springs account for the majority of Ridge's production, with the remainder coming from the estate's East Bench site and a number of key contract growers. Montebello is situated at around 800m (2600ft) above sea level in the Santa Cruz Mountains, a few miles south of San Jose. The history of the Monte Bello vineyard and winery dates back to the 1880s.  All of the Bordeaux varieties are grown on the Monte Bello vineyard. Those plots that have been shown to provide the most ageworthy, complex wines go into the flagship wine, which bears the vineyard's name. The remaining parcels, which tend to produce relatively approachable, youthful wines, are earmarked for the Estate Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot. Blind tastings confirm the selection and the wines are blended over two sessions in the following February and May. Klein Cabernet Sauvignon is a barrel selection from a part of the estate planted by the Alsatian Pierre Klein in the late 1880s. The Estate Chardonnay also comes from the Monte Bello Estate vineyards. Geyserville is an estate (and township) located in the Alexander Valley AVA, Sonoma County. It lies more than 100 miles by car to the north of Monte Bello. The property is owned by the Trentadue family who, since 1966, have sold grapes to Ridge for the single-site, Zinfandel-based wine of the same name. It is home to the oldest vines farmed by Ridge, with some in the "Old Patch" more than 130 years of age. Lytton Springs is also known for powerful Zinfandel. It is located in Dry Creek Valley AVA, neighboring Alexander Valley to the west. Ridge first purchased grapes from 1972, then bought the estate outright in 1991. Winemaking across the portfolio combines old-school techniques with sophisticated laboratory analysis to give early warnings of any problems. Ridge only uses native yeasts, and avoids filtration in favor of settling and racking with occasional egg-white fining. Paul Draper, who joined Ridge in 1969, is one of the world's most celebrated winemakers. His awards include Decanter Man of the Year (2000), COPIA Award for winemaking (2004) and the James Beard Award (2007). In 2015, a Decanter Magazine poll of his peers voted him in the top five most admired winemakers in the world.

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