It began with a vision. A belief in the possibility of something bigger and better – something that didn’t quite exist yet. In the early 1970s, Napa Valley was a sleepy agricultural town on the brink of a fine-wine awakening.
Drawing on his construction experience, Joe set about establishing the building blocks of winemaking excellence.
By embedding his no-compromise philosophy deep into the bedrock of the winery, Joe set the framework to push for greatness. In 1974, he had the idea to make a unique blend each year, one that would represent the finest wine he could make from each vintage. He didn’t necessarily think it would always be a Cabernet Sauvignon either. His only thought was to make one wine that represented the best of Joseph Phelps Vineyards. Today, Insignia is widely regarded as a qualitative benchmark for Californian winemaking that has earned Joseph Phelps its longstanding reputation for excellence.
The production has been scaled back to the point where all the fruit comes from estate vineyards, which is something of a rarity in California. This is now a brilliantly focused, dynamic producer that refuses to rest on its laurels.
In our honest opinion in Pinto Wines this wine can compare easely with top Burgundy wines at this price point. We have aged some of these wines in store and are ready to be enjoyed.
