The Insignia bottling by Joseph Phelps has always been at the top of the critic's list since day one. Moreover, it is a staple of any fine restaurant or resort. It routinely receives lofty scores, and the 2002 was even given the honor of becoming Wine Spectator's Top Wine of the Year! With the winery moving more and more towards sustainable farming, the grapes become healthier, and the wine goes from strength to strength!
ROBERT PARKER'S WINE ADVOCATE 96 POINTS - "There are 10,400 cases of the impressive 2022 Insignia, a wine that has been entirely estate-grown since 2004. In a vintage impacted by an extended Labor Day heat wave, nearly two-thirds of the production came from the more shaded west side of Napa Valley, with harvest extending from September 7 through October 5. Scents of new suede, baking spices, loam and ripe cherries mingle easily on the nose, while the full-bodied palate is rich, expansive and velvety, becoming just a little bit more open-knit on the lengthy finish. While unlikely to be a long-lived, legendary Insignia, it's still a delicious, forward wine that should drink well for close to 20 years."
ANTONIO GALLONI 94 POINTS - "The 2022 Insignia is dark, sumptuous and super expressive. Ripe black cherry, cedar, dried herbs, mint and lavender are all finely knit together. Most of the fruit in 2022 was from Banca Dorada and Las Rocas in Stags Leap, both cooler sites that fared better in this challenging vintage. Soft contours round things out in style."
JEB DUNNUCK 93-95 POINTS - "The 2022 Insignia is a similar blend to the 2021 and checks in as 93% Cabernet Sauvignon, 4% Petit Verdot, and 2% each of Malbec and Cabernet that's still resting in new barrels. It has a terrific dense purple/plum color as well as a perfumed, lifted nose of red and blue fruits, candied flowers, chocolate, and nicely integrated oak. Medium to full-bodied, it's balanced, shows the plush, riper style of the vintage, has good tannins, and outstanding length."
ROBERT PARKER'S WINE ADVOCATE 96 POINTS - "There are 10,400 cases of the impressive 2022 Insignia, a wine that has been entirely estate-grown since 2004. In a vintage impacted by an extended Labor Day heat wave, nearly two-thirds of the production came from the more shaded west side of Napa Valley, with harvest extending from September 7 through October 5. Scents of new suede, baking spices, loam and ripe cherries mingle easily on the nose, while the full-bodied palate is rich, expansive and velvety, becoming just a little bit more open-knit on the lengthy finish. While unlikely to be a long-lived, legendary Insignia, it's still a delicious, forward wine that should drink well for close to 20 years."
ANTONIO GALLONI 94 POINTS - "The 2022 Insignia is dark, sumptuous and super expressive. Ripe black cherry, cedar, dried herbs, mint and lavender are all finely knit together. Most of the fruit in 2022 was from Banca Dorada and Las Rocas in Stags Leap, both cooler sites that fared better in this challenging vintage. Soft contours round things out in style."
JEB DUNNUCK 93-95 POINTS - "The 2022 Insignia is a similar blend to the 2021 and checks in as 93% Cabernet Sauvignon, 4% Petit Verdot, and 2% each of Malbec and Cabernet that's still resting in new barrels. It has a terrific dense purple/plum color as well as a perfumed, lifted nose of red and blue fruits, candied flowers, chocolate, and nicely integrated oak. Medium to full-bodied, it's balanced, shows the plush, riper style of the vintage, has good tannins, and outstanding length."
