Joseph Phelps Insignia Cabernet Sauvignon 2001 750mL

The 2001 vintage produced extremely balanced, concentrated and flavorful fruit with generous yields, despite a variable growing season usually associated with less successful years. A warm spring resulted in early budbreak, followed by a few days of freezing temperatures which caused some detrimental frost in early April (a natural thinning!). Prior to flowering, record high temperatures in early May caused rapid vine growth, and maturation was further accelerated by heat spikes in early June. Finally, mild temperatures in July and August provided ideal growing and ripening conditions and allowed vines to recover from their growth spurt in the spring. 

Some of the early-maturing red varieties were harvested on September l0th with fully developed flavors and tannins. The mild temperatures which followed allowed further hang time and flavor development for the later-maturing Cabernet Sauvignon, most of which was picked during the last week of September through the first week of October. The advent of hot, dry weather which maintained its grip through most of October afforded even the most stubborn vineyards a chance to ripen and produce some of their best fruit since 1997. Grapes were harvested at an average 24.8° Brix and fermented in stainless steel tanks.

Grape Varietals:

89% Cabernet Sauvignon, 8% Petit Verdot, 3% Malbec

Tasting Notes:

At this early stage, the 2001 Insignia exhibits a dark purple color; ripe, concentrated, blackberry and cherry fruit flavors, and an abundance of ripe, sweet tannins.

99 Points - Robert Parker's Wine Advocate, "The sensational, prodigious 2001 Insignia Proprietary Red Wine (89% Cabernet Sauvignon, 8% Petit Verdot and 3% Malbec) has never performed better. Still extremely youthful with a dense purple color as well as a beautiful bouquet of cedar, charcoal, incense, creme de cassis and black cherry jam, fabulous intensity, a multidimensional mouthfeel and a skyscraper-like texture, it is a Napa classic that is still very youthful and belies its age of ten years. Like its stablemate, it should age impeccably for 35 or more years. Kudos to Joseph Phelps Vineyards!"

98 Points - Jeb Dunnuck, "I loved the 2001 Insignia, and it more than held its own in a serious lineup of great wines. Still ruby/plum-hued, with a killer nose of sweet red and black fruits, spicy oak, flowers, and graphite, it hits the palate with full-bodied richness, a deep, layered, opulent, yet still remarkably precise mouthfeel, sweet tannins, and a blockbuster of a finish. It's very much in the style of this structured vintage, and it has a slight Bordeaux-like vibe."

97 Points - James Suckling, "This shows superb complexity, with fresh and baked black cherry, mint, graphite, mocha and chocolate aromas. Some tobacco leaf. It’s full-bodied and continuous. Supple, ripe and mellow tannins coat the dark fruit almost imperceptibly. Excellent concentration with plenty of life."