1990 Joseph Phelps, Insignia, Napa Valley

Joseph Phelps established Insignia as a proprietary Bordeaux-style blend, crafted annually to express the vintage's finest selection from diverse Napa Valley estate vineyards, notably Rutherford Bench's Banca Dorada and the Stags Leap District's Las Rocas. The 1990 vintage was characterized by early heavy rains that led to reduced yields, followed by a warm, dry season without significant heat spikes, fostering concentrated fruit with inherent structural integrity. This resulted in a wine exhibiting substantial, well-managed tannins, a firm mid-palate density, and a balanced acidity that preserved the wine's freshness. Aged in new French oak, the 1990 Insignia presents an architectural framework built for longevity, demonstrating the interplay of its multi-vineyard origins and the season's optimal physiological ripeness.