💪👍 Big, bold cab. Nice. — 2 years ago
Been awhile since I pulled out an Insigna.
The 03 Pichon Lalande is the better wine and steak pairing. However, Napa Cabernet is the choice to finish steak and enjoy on its own after. You never want to do Napa before Bordeaux IMHO. It’s much harder to adjust from sweeter to something more earthy.
Enjoyed the 05 as my score reflects. I don’t remember it being as sweet as it was in previous tastings. Still quite good. It just tipped my sweet scale a little too much.
The body is, rich, lush & round. It’s achieved good evolution after 13 years in bottle and will continue to improve over the next 6-8 years and last another 15 years. As I mentioned, the fruit was ripe & sweet. Blackberries, black plum, black raspberries, plums, hints of blueberries and strawberries haunting the backend. Rich, dark earth, Rutherford dusty tannins and dry soils, purple cola, touch of fresh tobacco & graphite, light baking spices of; cinnamon, dash of clove, nutmeg and vanillin, anise to black licorice, saddle-wood, used leather, dry stems, some dry, crushed rocks/limestone with red, dark, purple and blue florals. The acidity round and nicely executed. The finish was similar wire to wire. It’s, lush, rich, elegant, touch too sweet, polished, well balanced & knitted with a soft, persistent, dark spice on the long set. Very enjoyable second bottle.
Photos of; Joseph Phelps Winery & sloping estate vines, inside lounge are with views of the back side, tasting terrace and front lobby/salon area upon entering past check in. — 6 years ago
Bold wine. Earthy, tabbaco, smoke and spice. Good tannins and light acidity at end. — 7 years ago
Rich, full bodied cab. Notes of toasted oak and coffee. Great finish. Delicious just opened and even better after aerating/breathing. — 8 years ago
This drinks bold, can be paired with food or without. So damn good. Another bottle please. — 9 years ago
Rich and creamy. Great yellow color. Fruity, vanilla oak smell. Layered flavors. Vanilla, buttery, soft spice as it finishes. — 10 years ago
Lucious floral and fruit aromas followed by bold flavors of raspberry jam with subtle oak overtones. Well structured and balanced with great mouthfeel and a great lingering finish. One of my favorite big Pinot Noir's. — 11 years ago
Rich dark fruit, blackberry/raspberry tone with no tannins. Full bodied. Expensive, but worth the price. A special occasion wine — a year ago
Wow! Almost perfect. Maybe should have waited another year, but oh so good. Rich, complex, smooth. — 3 years ago
2017 is fab. Great QPR. Intense with backbone. Give it a few more years. it doesn’t get much better at this price-point. — 6 years ago
Rich and deep flavors with chocolate, orange and hint of smoke. — 7 years ago
Last night in MT at the lake. Gave this several hours of air. Nice dark tawny color. Vibrant in the glass. The nose is great right away and stayed on point through the evening. Notes of black cherries, warm raspberries, old cedar, some plums and a little leather saddle. Rich and silky in the mouth. Velvet glove. Long finish. Great wine. — 7 years ago
Fantastic. Rich dark berry fruit with leathery sweet nose. Really lovely paired with roasted wild ducks. — 8 years ago
Brought out the good stuff for V-Day. Aerated and decanted this bottle of beast for over an hour. Intensely rich fruit, rounded out by tannins that have clearly softened given the age of this wine. So rare to experience a bottle of this magnitude. The first few sips have been absolute heaven, and the balance will surely get better. — 9 years ago
Smooth and rich with a great finish. — 10 years ago
Wow. More flavor, much better than their regular cab. Silky, velvet, smooth. Chocolate. Rich fruit. Big, full flavor, lots of flavor. Not old world style for sure, not subtle. It's a big bomb. We would pay up to $75 for this so a bit overpriced to us.
— 10 years ago
Bold and beautiful! — 12 years ago
The first couple times I tried 08 I was definitely too quick to judge. It needs a ton of air, and it’s different from the rich, oxidative, nutty house style of the past, particularly the warm and ultra forward 2006, the previous release. 2008 is indeed young, tightly wound with a pulsating core of energy.
The first glass offers very little. Subdued, austere and youthfully reserved. But ensuing pours eventually unleash its core of powerful clean orchard fruit, coffee bean and grilled nuts. On the palate it continues to become so much more textural with crazy gains in weight, depth and fruit intensity as the night goes on. It really fills the mouth, saturating the palate with a satin-like texture, ripping citrusy acids and saline laced minerals that follow deep into its finish. Enjoyable now with enough air (needs 2 hours), but no doubt one to hold. To live forever. — 3 years ago
When in doubt, a sure bet is a well aged, good vintage Heitz. @Eric Shanks
I intended to grab an 06 but, mistakenly grabbed an 07. I’ve not had one of my 06’s yet...next weekend.
The one thing I do every time I open one of my ten year or older Heitz Napa Cabernet’s is smile & think, this was sub $35 at Costco. It’s the wine feeling/definition of stealing candy from babies.
The nose is a beautiful harmony of fruit, earth and florals. Steeped, somewhat stewed, candied fruits of; dark currants/cassis, blackberries, dark cherries, black raspberries, mix of purple fruits; boysenberries, ollieberries, & mulberries. Dark, sweet tarriness, anise to black licorice, touch of incense, fire ambers, dark spices with violets palate heat, chocolate pudding, vanilla, light; cinnamon, clove & nutmeg, dark chocolate, caramel, sweet, soft, dark spice, dark berry cola, dark cherry kirsch, dark, rich earth, limestone, crushed, dry rocks, dry top soil, moist clay, understated herbs & dry brush, brewed coffee, mint, some sage & bay leaf, tobacco, dry, old leather with amazing, fresh & slightly withering & candied; dark, red, blue, purple with a violet & lavender frame. The acidity is splendid. The long, ripe, ruby, lush, elegant, well crafted balance of fruit & earth is delicious and persists endlessly with a dark spice on the long set.
The body is; delightful, ripe, rich, lush & full. The structure, tension, length and balance are woven in a perfect tapestry. This 07 has another 10-15 years easily. The tannins are rounded, smooth but, still have a dark, chewy, tarriness with baby teeth. The beauty of the vintage is on full display. Steeped, somewhat stewed, candied fruits of; dark currants/cassis, blackberries, dark cherries, black raspberries, mix of purple fruits; boysenberries, ollieberries, & mulberries. Dark, sweet tarriness, anise to black licorice, touch of incense, fire ambers, chocolate pudding, vanilla, light; cinnamon, clove & nutmeg, dark & milk chocolate, caramel, sweet, soft, dark spice, dark berry cola, dark cherry kirsch, dark, rich earth, limestone, crushed, dry rocks, dry top soil, moist clay & dry brush, brewed coffee, mint, tobacco, dry, old leather with amazing, fresh & slightly withering & candied ; dark, red, blue, purple with a violet & lavender frame. The acidity is perfect. The finish is; rich, ripe, ruby, candied, well balanced fruit & earth, elegant and long sets into velvety, round tannins and mid dark spices.
Photos of; the winery, tasting patio, old basket press and wide shot of the winery & Estate vines. — 7 years ago

Paul T, Missing My Beautiful Wife 24/7
I could of got you 2 Austin Hope for that price🤷🏼♂️
Smooth, rich cherry and smoke. — 8 years ago
A dense, dark ruby wine! Blackberries and hints of blueberries and vanilla on nose. Attack is bold dark fruit, rich with blackberries and black cherries. Vanilla and cocoa appear in mid. Finish is long with bitter dark fruit, vanilla and pepper. Full bodied. Medium tannins. Great wine enjoyed with friends! — 8 years ago
Good color lovely nose rich and long clean — 10 years ago
As good as it gets for my taste. Big dark full bodied red with rich flavor and smooth finish. — 10 years ago
Very nice with rich spicy fruit — 10 years ago
Rich berry fruit with layers of Christmas spices and tobacco. Pretty damn close to perfection! — 13 years ago
Jack Krawczyk
Still high acid, rich ripe red fruits with a hint of mushroom. Silky. — 10 months ago