| Score: |
90 JG.
". . . the team at Joseph Phelps worked tirelessly in the vineyards during this year to get yields down sufficiently to get the crop fully ripened. This they may have succeeded a bit more than was good for them, as the 1980 Insignia weighed in at . . . 13.8% in alcohol when all was said and done in this vintage. The wine is aging nicely . . . . The bouquet is a sweet blend of black berries, chocolate, pomegranate, mint, lovely soil tones, gentle smoke tones and a bit of chipotle pepper with extended aeration. On the palate the wine is full-bodied, deep and quite powerful for Insignia, with tangy acids . . . melted tannins and fine length and grip on the finish. There are no signs of heat or a lack of balance on the backend . . . . It is a very fine success for the vintage . . ." John Gilman, View From the Cellar, Mar/Apr 2009, Issue #20 |