Joseph Phelps Cabernet Sauvignon 2021 – 750ml Southern Wine & Spirits

94pts Jeb Dunnuck

Looking at the Cabernet releases, the 2021 Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley is deep purple-hued and has a classic nose of ripe currants, tobacco, lead pencil, and chocolate. 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.
Barrel Sample: 92-94

93pts Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate

There should be around 30,000 cases of the 2021 Cabernet Sauvignon. Tasted as a final blend, taken from tank, it reveals plenty of cherries, plus a backdrop of darker, riper fruit flavors, like cassis and blueberry. There’s the requisite cedar and vanilla, from aging in oak, but it’s balanced. In the mouth, the wine is medium to full-bodied, silky-velvety smooth and easy to drink, plush without being creamy or overdone, with a long, mint-accented finish.
Barrel Sample: 91-93

Winemaker Notes

A classic Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon with inviting violet, dark fruit, tobacco, subtle baking spice and earthy dried herb aromatics. The palate is filled with expressive black cherry, blackberry and dark plum, hints of spice box and sweet vanilla bean. A focused, concentrated wine with youthful energy and freshness nimbly balanced by supple tannin structure and finesse.

Blend: 94% Cabernet Sauvignon, 3% Cabernet Franc, 2% Merlot, 1% Malbec

Winery Notes

Joseph Phelps Vineyards is a family-owned winery committed to crafting world class, estate-grown wines. Founded in 1973 when Joe Phelps purchased a former cattle ranch near St. Helena in the Napa Valley, the winery now controls and farms nearly 375 acres of vines on eight estate vineyards in St. Helena, the Stags Leap District, Oakville, Rutherford, Oak Knoll District, Carneros and South Napa Valley. In 1999, the Phelps family added 100 acres of vineyard property near the town of Freestone on the Sonoma Coast, where Phelps now grows Pinot Noir and Chardonnay.

Phelps is best known for its flagship Napa Valley blend of red Bordeaux varietals, Insignia, first produced in 1974. Awarded Wine Spectator’s “Wine of the Year” in 2005, Insignia is widely regarded as a qualitative benchmark for California winemaking.