The Story
Joe Phelps was a Colorado construction magnate who came to Napa in the early 1970s to build a winery for someone else and ended up building one for himself. The estate went on to make Insignia, the wine that proved Napa could do a Bordeaux-style blend on its own terms, and this Napa Valley Cabernet is the house translated into everyday language. It's mostly Cabernet Sauvignon with a supporting cast of the usual Bordeaux varieties, sourced across the valley and raised in oak. The 2022 leans polished and balanced rather than blockbuster, which is a compliment. Moet Hennessy bought the estate in 2022; the wine still tastes like Phelps.
Description
Joe Phelps was a Colorado construction magnate who came to Napa in the early 1970s to build a winery for someone else and ended up building one for himself. The estate went on to make Insignia, the wine that proved Napa could do a Bordeaux-style blend on its own terms, and this Napa Valley Cabernet is the house translated into everyday language. It's mostly Cabernet Sauvignon with a supporting cast of the usual Bordeaux varieties, sourced across the valley and raised in oak. The 2022 leans polished and balanced rather than blockbuster, which is a compliment. Moet Hennessy bought the estate in 2022; the wine still tastes like Phelps.
