Joseph Phelps

Had a nice dinner last night featuring the wines of Joseph Phelps - one of the most consistant, if not overly glamourous, wineries that have ever existed in California. The 2005 Sauvignon Blanc is nice and crisp with perhaps a little bit of maloactic fermentation and a little of of lees stirring (both promote a creaminess and a richer texture in wines). Nice fruitiness with a grapefruit punch. Really nice, not an in your face style. The 2004 Le Mistral was my least favorite wine of the night. To me, this syrah based wine, was a bit too "Pinotage" for me... tasted like there was a little too much sulphur and had a rubber-boot character to it. The 2003 Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley was a nice effort. Classic black currant and cinnamon with notes of anise and plums. This wine needs a little time to settle down, but the soft tannins and ripe finish make this a very nice wine. The 2003 Insignia was showing very well last night. I had tasted it before, but had never been overly impressed by it. It is quite a bit lighter than the 2001 and 2002, but it has an elegant streak that those wines don't show right now. Has a long, cedary finish with plums and violets. The 1996 Insignia (magnum) was pretty. The last 2 of the 3 magnums showed more fruit than the first. Plums, cherry candy, cedar with an elegant finish. The wine is very, very good, but I wouldn't be holding these wines any longer.