Winemaker Notes

The 2014 Cabernet Sauvignon highlights blackberry, dried blueberry and violet with notes of graphite and cloves followed by opulent layers of black currant jam, roasted coffee, tobacco, dried fig and vanilla bean. A full-bodied, deeply concentrated wine with supple tannins and a lengthy finish.

Critical Acclaim

James Suckling – 93 points

Layered and subtle with currant, light chocolate, almond and cedar character. Medium body, polished tannins and a flavorful finish, yet this always reserved and polished. Enjoy. Drink or hold.

Wine Enthusiast – 93 points

This wine is predominately Cabernet Sauvignon, with smaller amounts of other Bordeaux red varieties. Together, they offer bold, ripe red-currant and -berry flavors, with a rich entry and gravelly texture. Highly stylized, grippy tannins and a leather note provide additional strength.

Robert Parker's Wine Advocate – 92 points

Phelps is now producing three cuvées of Cabernet Sauvignon – their Napa Valley, their flagship proprietary red Bordeaux blend called Insignia (which they debuted in 1974), and their Oakville steep hillside vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon called Backus. The basic Cabernet Sauvignon, the 2014 Cabernet Sauvignon Napa is 84% Cabernet Sauvignon, 8% Merlot and the rest Petit Verdot, Malbec and Cabernet Franc. It saw 18 months in a combination of both French and American casks. This is their biggest cuvée (27,000 cases) and it is a beauty. The 2014 is supple, with silky tannins, dark plum, blackcurrant and licorice-infused fruit with a touch of spice, a lushness on the attack and mid-palate, and a silky finish. This wine was meant for early drinking, but there is no doubt it has the concentration and overall balance to age nicely for 15-20 years