Phelps Insignia - 2021 (750ml)

96 points James Suckling

A standout vintage for one of California’s most collectible cabernet sauvignons. The color is black throughout, but with a dark garnet rim. Gorgeous aromatics of spearmint, pencil shavings, toasted oak and dark plums, before a silky, fresh but firm texture takes over the palate and dusky blackcurrant, tobacco-leaf, rose-petal and cedar notes emerge and linger. Full-bodied and saturated with rounded, well-integrated tannins that emerge on the lingering finish and keep melting in the glass. It will drink best from 2028.

96 points Robert Parker

A Napa stalwart, the 2021 Insignia is a blend of 93% Cabernet Sauvignon, 3% Petit Verdot, 2% Cabernet Franc and 2% Malbec, aged in 100% new French oak. Cedar and vanilla scents accent black cherries and a hint of redcurrants on the nose, while the medium to full-bodied palate is soft and plush, easy to enjoy now but with the requisite concentration to age for up to two decades. Long, silky and tart on the finish, it's another in a long line of successful Insignias. - Joe Czerwinski

94 points Wine Spectator

Singed alder and sweet tobacco lead off, backed by waves of lush warmed cassis and plum reduction. Chestnut and warm earth notes help drive the finish. Burly and muscular now, but the core of fruit shows inner purity. This will need some time. Cabernet Sauvignon, Petit Verdot, Malbec and Cabernet Franc. Best from 2028 through 2041. 16,600 cases made.