Joseph Phelps Insignia 1991 from Arden Fine Wines.
Arden Fine Wines doesn’t sell many Californian wines (though we are keen on Dominus).
However, a client asked us for recommendations for the excellent 1991 CA vintage and we came up with this bottle…
Construction magnate and home winemaker Joe Phelps established his eponymous Napa winery in 1973, with the first vintage of its flagship red wine “Insignia” made in the great 1974 CA vintage.
The Californian vintage for 1991 was particularly good – especially for Napa – and much better than anywhere in Europe, though some good Vintage Port was made.
Insignia 1991 was made from 80% Cabernet Sauvignon, 10% Cabernet Franc and 10% Merlot – a great example of this fine American vintage.
See Joseph Phelps Insignia and other 1991 vintage wines here.
Joseph Phelps Insignia 1991
In 1974, the idea to blend the finest wine lots of the vintage into one bottling was revolutionary in the Napa Valley.
It was named Insignia, a distinguishing mark, to signify a wine of excellence and superior quality.
Insignia is sourced from seven Napa Valley estate vineyards planted primarily to Cabernet Sauvignon with small amounts of Malbec, Petit Verdot, Merlot, and Cabernet Franc.
Climate variation among the vineyards allows for great complexity of flavour and texture in the finished wine.
The 1991 growing season was one of the most intense and exciting in recent memory, producing a near-perfect grape crop.
The Insignia that was fashioned from these grapes certainly comprises one of the great wines of this benchmark vintage.
The wine was aged for twenty-one months in 100% new French oak barrels before bottling.
Varietal breakdown:
- 80% Cabernet Sauvignon
- 10% Cabernet
- 10% Merlot
Vineyard selections:
- 64% Banca Dorada — Rutherford AVA
- 25% Las Rocas — Stags Leap AVA
- 11% Trusted Grower fruit from Trench vineyards