2018 JOSEPH PHELPS "INSIGNIA" Founded in the early 1970s by Joseph Phelps, a pioneer in the California wine industry, Joseph Phelps Winery dedicated itself to producing wines of character, quality, and significance, a signature of their wines. Their flagship wine, Insignia, is a Bordeaux-style blend created to represent the best of their Estate, the 2007 vintage earning the distinction as "one of the world's finest Cabernet Sauvignon-dominated blends," by Robert Parker, raking in four perfect 100 point scores along the way, and the honor of "Wine of the Year" by Wine Spectator magazine with their 2002 vintage. Representing the strength of the 2018 vintage, this year's blend centers around 87% Cabernet Sauvignon, heightened with Petit Verdot, Malbec, and Cabernet Franc, sourced from premier sites in Stags Leap, Yountville, Rutherford, and Saint Helena. Insignia has modeled consistency, supreme quality, and balance for more than forty years; the 2018 vintage represents one of their most extraordinary efforts, earning 99 points, and ranking #42 on James Suckling's top 100 list. Winery Notes: "The 2018 Insignia opens with beautifully perfumed floral, dark fruit, anise and cigar box aromatics. A wine of depth, elegance and finesse, the palate is fresh and focused with creamy texture and layers of blackberry, mocha and black cherry. The seamless tannin structure and balance culminate in an uplifting, lengthy finish."