Joseph Phelps Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley 2021

Description

Joseph Phelps was a successful builder in Colorado when he threw himself into wine. After establishing a branch office for his construction company in the San Francisco Bay Area, he began to explore the Napa and Sonoma wine regions. He was particularly intrigued by Napa’s potential. In 1973, when he first encountered the Napa Valley property that would become the home of Joseph Phelps Vineyards, it was a 600-acre former cattle ranch near St. Helena. According to Joe, there wasn’t a grape in sight, only ‘lots of nice-looking cattle.’)

A winery was built and ready for the 1974 harvest, which yielded two wines that would prove to be highly influential in the coming decades. One was California’s first varietally-labeled Syrah – a little-known grape in California at the time. These early experiments with Syrah led to wider interest in Rhône grapes like Mourvèdre, Marsanne, Grenache and Viognier. The other is the now-iconic Insignia, the original proprietary Napa Valley Red Blend..

True to character, Joe never stopped striving for excellence throughout his life. His quest to locate optimal growing conditions for Pinot Noir and Chardonnay led him to the town of Freestone on the western Sonoma Coast. In the late 1990s, Phelps played a pioneering role being among the vanguard of wineries to develop Pinot Noir and Chardonnay vineyards on the Sonoma Coast.

Joe Phelps left the winery an incredible legacy: estate vineyards in some of Napa Valley and Sonoma Coast’s finest appellations. Today, the winery owns and farms 525 acres of vines across 11 estate vineyards, including St. Helena, Rutherford, Oakville, Stags Leap District, Oak Knoll District, South Napa, Carneros, and Freestone. Strategically chosen over many decades, each vineyard has its own personality and brings a different characteristic to the wines.

The Napa Cabernet was aged for sixteen months in 48% new oak (50% French, 50% American) and 52% older French and American oak barrels before bottling. The coopers included Ermitage, François Frères, Demptos (French & American), Canton (American), Dargaud Jaegle, Orion and Taransaud. The latest vintage has classically expressive aromatics of ripe currant, tobacco, leather, pencil shavings and dark chocolate notes. A rich, fleshy wine that is full-bodied, dense and layered with dark plum, blackberry and savory spices. It is a vibrant and alive offering with acid structure and depth for long-term cellar aging.

"This rich, fleshy, full-bodied 2021 has solid mid-palate depth, the structure and density that's the hallmark of the vintage, and a great finish. It's a beauty." -Jeb Dunnuck

Food Match

Cheese and Charcutererie - aged cheddar, reggiano, finocchiona, bresaola. Grilled Dishes - cabbage and celeriac, duck breast, swordfish. Beef - filet mignon, braised beef shortrib