1976 Joseph Phelps Vineyards Insignia Proprietary Red Wine Napa Valley

"Joseph Phelps's 1976 Insignia was off the charts. The 1976 was made predominantly (94%) from Eisele fruit, so this bottle provided a fascinating contrast with the other 1970s Eisele Cabernets earlier in the evening. I loved the wine's extraordinary bouquet and huge, explosive finish. It's hard to say how long the 1976 will last, but it showed no signs of fading anytime soon. The 1976 Insignia is an American icon. It was an unforgettable bottle worthy of closing this great night of food and wine." - Antonio Galloni Review Date: February 2012

"A big, rich red, it offers a dense garnet color along with notes of unsmoked cigar tobacco and Asian spices, a full-bodied, deep, concentrated, broad, savory mouthfeel, plenty of sweet red and black fruits, ripe tannin and remarkable freshness as well as delineation. The 1976 Insignia was nearly perfect when I initially tasted it. An incredible drought in the summer months made 1976 one of the driest years on record, resulting in a tiny crop of thick-skinned, tannic berries with very little juice-to-skin ratio. This was the first vintages in which Joseph Phelps decided to utilize what is one of the great first-growth sites of Napa Valley, the Eisele Vineyard. The final blend was 94% Cabernet Sauvignon from Calistoga's Eisele Vineyard (now owned by the Bordelais, in particular Chateau Latour) and 6% Merlot from the Stanton Vineyard. The alcohols were 13.8% and 785 cases were produced. The 1976 also enjoyed a longer barrel aging of 15 months in a combination of American and French oak." - Robert M. Parker, Jr. Review Date: November 2013