Scott@Mister A’s-San Diego

8.9

2021 vintage. 8.26.26. — 3 days ago

Jay Kline

9.1

Popped and poured; enjoyed over the course of a few hours. The 2015 “Southing” pours a deep ruby color with a transparent core; medium viscosity with light staining of the tears. On the nose, the wine is developing with notes of ripe and bruised strawberry, raspberry, pomegranate, red flowers, mushroom and fine baking spices. On the palate, the wine is dry with medium tannin and medium acid. Confirming the notes from the nose. The finish is medium. Drink now through 2035. — a month ago

K Brooks

9.1

Delicious with Pat’s grilled steak. Lovely nose, dark fruit and long finish. ($89) — 13 days ago

Robert Swart

9.0

45 years on, and still singing. Our friends’ wedding anniversary year. Classic tertiary Saint-Julien: cedar, forest floor, dried cherry, tobacco, pencil shavings — fruit fully resolved into savory complexity. Silky, perfumed, no rough edges. Need time to breathe for nose to be appealing. — 8 days ago

Gabriella Boros

10

A perfect wine. Balanced and complex. A gorgeous first hit of plum with a hint of cherry. So broad fruit at first but then settles on the tongue with a noise terror of tannin. No bitterness just smooth and lovely. Girgeous wine. 2010 vintage gift bottle from Donna and Anders — a month ago

Jay Kline

9.2

Popped and poured; enjoyed over the course of 90min. The 2024 “White Hill” pours a pale straw color with medium viscosity. On the nose, the wine is developing with bright notes of star fruit, passion fruit, stone fruits, lemons, a touch of freshly struck matchstick, some white flowers and minerals. On the palate, the wine is dry with medium+ acid. Confirming the notes from the nose. The finish is medium+ and slightly saline. I love the character of these wines. Really tasty stuff. Drink now through 2034+. — 2 months ago

Conrad Green

9.6

A great bottle. Intense and deep fruit. Plum and iodine with a hint of leather and blood. Such a consistent wine and many years ahead — a month ago

Brandon Boesch

9.7

2009 at Caruso’s in Montecito. So freaking good. Well balanced. Dark fruit, some hints of pepper, cedar, more fruit, there’s also a freshness of herbs and lighter fruit that was lovely. Had with steak and beets in like 6 different preparations. Perfect pairing. — 2 months ago

Scott@Mister A’s-San Diego

8.9

1998 vintage. Not the greatest Napa vintage obviously. Nice fill. Opened and decanted. Some sed but less than expected. Tasted after 30 minutes, 1 hour, 1.5 hours, 2 hours and 4 hours. Light-medium body. Dusty, dark plum nose. nondescript intro with a greenish finish initially. Greenish qualities faded with time and a ringing, dark cherry component took center stage. Not a hottie but desirable enough, with time. Drank nicely with balanced structure/fruit after two hours open. 7.15.26. — a month ago

KA

9.3

Gibson’s Italia Chicago — a month ago

Jessie

9.0

Tired but jammy dried fruit, rubber, BS, violets, rose.
Cherry, pomegranate, red current, nice acid and body. Beautiful! — 16 days ago

Tom Garland

9.5

1/2 hour decant(decent fine sediment). A striking dark ruby red with bricking. On the nose: Captivating notes of dark fruit, forest floor, worn leather, mushroom, cigar, smoked meat, some bandaid(brett). Taste: silky, classic, elegant wine with dried red berries, currants, tobacco, saline, minerals and a cedar graphite long dry finish. YUM! What a thrill to drink tonight! — a month ago

with Brenda

Somm David T

Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator

9.5

I recently had a conversation with a few Joseph Phelps Ambassador’s at Pebble Beach Food & Wine in April. I said, I had every vintage of Insignia back to 2006 in storage. They said, “you should really drink up the 2006.” So, I coravined an 06 last weekend, a taste. I agreed then. But tonight not the case, it shows it still has a fair amount of life. Another 5-8 yrs and perhaps plus.

My Ribcap, a definition of Medium Rare Plus.

The nose reveals floral; blackberries, black raspberries, both plums, poached strawberries, dark cherries and blue fruit notes. Melted dark chocolate, mocha, caramel, softly layered baking spices, very underrated graphite, steeped tea, mid berry cola, red licorice, limestone powder, dry top soil, dry twig, red, dark candied to slightly withering florals w/ liquid violet cola.

The palate shows well resolved, rounded, velvety M+ tannins. Nicely ripe fruits that are floral; blackberries, black raspberries, both plums, poached strawberries, dark cherries and blue fruit notes. Melted dark chocolate, mocha, caramel river, softly layered baking spices-clove, nutmeg, cinnamon stick & vanillin, warm caramel, dark Asian spices with palate burrowing heat, dry tobacco/ leather, cedar, grilled meats, very underrated graphite, sweet tarriness, black licorice, steeped tea, mid berry cola, red licorice, limestone powder, dry top soil, dry twig, red, dark candied to slightly withering florals w/ liquid violet cola, candied to withering; dark, red, blue florals wrapped in liquid violets, epic rainfall acidity, well balanced-structured-toned, elegant finish that lasts minutes and falls on earth & heated spice.

95-96 peaking. — a month ago

"Odedi"

9.2

Dark ruby/ inky in color with a short purple rim.

Red and black fruits on the nose with cedar, chocolates, spices, tobacco, coffee and black pepper.

Full-bodied and elegant with medium acidity and long legs.

Dry on the palate with sweet raspberries, cherries, black currants, black plums, cedar, licorice, chocolates, herbs, coffee, light earth, spices, tobacco leaf and light pencil lead.

Long finish with fine grained tannins and tangy cherries.

This young Cabernet Sauvignon based Bordeaux blend from Napa Valley is starting to drink beautifully now. Rich and easy drinking.

Fruit forward and complex, soft and smooth. Spicy and entertaining, powerful yet refined. Showing good balance albeit a little hot at the back of the throat, at this point.

Will continue to age nicely in the next 15 to 20 years and shows good potential to become a 94+ point wine.

A great sipping wine that will also pair nicely with food.

A blend of 87% Cabernet Sauvignon, 9% Cabernet Franc, and 4% Petit Verdot.

15% alcohol by volume.

92 points.

$250. — a month ago

John Malcolm

9.4

Sticking with my rating from two years ago, but I would add tasting lavender and plum. Delicious! — a month ago

Eric Urbani

9.4

LF always impresses — a month ago

Gladys Xiques

9.2

Aged purple fruit. Paired with meat chili — 10 days ago

Somm David T

Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator

9.2

Better with the Rib-cap. The 08 vintage was spotty to good. This one shows the shortcomings of the 08 vintage. Really good fruit, but lacks typical, depth, mid palate, and length.

The nose is class Bordeaux.Ripe to ruby fruits of, black plum skin, slightly syrupy blackberries, plum, dark cherry liqueur, strawberries, dark currants. Dark chocolate cake with glaze, screaming, lead pencil shavings, tobacco, leather, dry riverstone, limestone marl, forest floor with dry leaves, soft, incense, black, licorice, red, cola, dry herbs, tomato, leaf, with dark and red flowers, framed in violets.

The palate is ripe to ruby fruits of, black plum skin, slightly syrupy blackberries, plum, dark cherry liqueur, strawberries, dark currants. Dark chocolate cake with glaze, screaming, lead pencil shavings, deep, dark spice that expands wide, nutmeg, cinnamon stick, caramel and vanillin, dry tobacco with ash, leather, dry riverstone, limestone marl, dry crushed rocks, forest floor with dry leaves, moist clays, soft, incense, black, licorice, red, cola, savory dry herbs, tomato leaf, dry oak barrel shaving to cedar with dark and red flowers, framed in violets, acidity is ok, just not right, finish is good, not great, it falls hard on spice and is short of a minute.

93 with the Rib-cap. Green Bean from my organic gsrden. Drink now through 2035. — a day ago

Scott@Mister A’s-San Diego

9.1

2023 vintage. FLB jetsam. Decanted and tasted after 30 minutes and 1 hour. Medium/medium-heavy body. Dark color. Round impressions. Pleasant berry escapades on the back end with spritzes of rhubarb. This was waay too young and could definitely use 2-3 years to dump the baby fat and reapply. Nicely made. Just needs more time to reveal all the wonders within. 6.26.26. — 2 months ago

Joel Lara

9.4

Upon opening, this seemed a bit disjointed, with muted fruit flavors and strong herbal notes. Decanting didn’t seem to help much, but day 2 it finally opened up nicely, with nice complexity and intensity on the palate. Cherry, raspberry, cassis, bay leaf, dried Italian herbs, anise, cloves, vanilla, cedar, earth, and balsamic notes all come through. Really tasty, but maybe a bit too intense. I can see this improving with a few more years of aging so the flavors coalesce and soften a bit more. — a month ago