2023 Phelps ‘Insignia’ Meritage

JD99 Including a splash of Backus Vineyard (8%), the 2023 Insignia is based on 88% Cabernet Sauvignon, 7% Petit Verdot, and 5% Cabernet Franc, aged 21 months in 100% new French oak. Inky purple-hued, it offers a pure, classic, focused perfume of crème de cassis, melted crayon, lead pencil, violets, and white flower notes. It’s full-bodied and has the vintage’s pure, focused, incredibly elegant style, with ripe tannins and a great finish. I love everything about this wine, which is pure, balanced, layered, and multi-dimensional. It can be drunk today with incredible pleasure yet should hit maturity in a decade and keep for 30 years thereafter. There are roughly 12,300 cases produced. Drink 2025-2050. WP99 Deep garnet-purple colored, the 2023 Insignia shimmies out with energetic notes of freshly crushed black and red currants, wild blueberries, and black raspberries, leading to hints of red roses, pencil shavings, and fertile loam. The full-bodied palate is elegantly styled with bright, vivacious black, red, and blue fruit layers, framed by firm, fine-grained tannins and a lively backbone, finishing long and perfumed. The blend is 88% Cabernet Sauvignon, 7% Petit Verdot, and 5% Cabernet Franc. JS98 A very good expression of Insignia and the outstanding 2023 vintage, giving classical aromas of blackcurrant, cassis and blackberry with layers of graphite, tobacco leaf, violet, dark cherry and chocolate, all wrapped in freshness and charm. The palate is full-bodied with finely integrated tannins, bright acidity and a seamless, layered mouthfeel full of power yet with restraint. Many years ahead in bottle, although delicious now. VIN98 The 2023 Insignia is a total stunner. Fresh, vibrant and explosive, the 2023 possesses mind-blowing purity and exceptional balance to match. Floral and spice notes meld into a core of blue/purplish fruit, licorice, plum and dried flowers, all finely sculpted. This is the first vintage of Insignia to incorporate some fruit from Backus (8%). Winemaker Ryan Knoth also reduced the oak imprint by using lower-impact barrels and shortening time in wood to 20-21 months versus the 24 months that was once the norm. This is a new era for Insignia.