A BRIEF DETOUR

Hello:

I am taking a brief detour from the $20 and under wines today. That is because I had occasion to dip into our small cellar this weekend for a very special bottle of wine. It was such a pleasant experience, that I thought I would share it with you.

The wine, a 1998 Insignia by Joseph Phelps winery, is a very well-regarded Cabernet Sauvignon blend. Dorianne and I purchased it at a church charity auction in 2006 as part of a six pack of wines of various sources - the Insignia was the "pick of the litter," needless to say. The 1998 Insignia currently retails for around $120.

Here are some notes from the Phelps Website http://www.jpvwines.com:

BLEND & GRAPE SOURCES: 78% Cabernet Sauvignon and 22% Merlot, primarily from estate-owned vineyards in Stag's Leap and Rutherford, with additional fruit coming from independent growers in Rutherford, Carneros and Coombsville.

HARVEST DATES: Sep. 30 - Oct. 20, 1998.

WINEMAKING DATA: Grapes were harvested between September 21, - October 29, 1998 at an average 24.0° - 25.0° Brix, fermented in stainless steel tanks, then aged 20 months in new French oak barrels before being blended and bottled in September, 2000.

The occasion was a dinner for two good friends, one an avid if inexperienced wine enthusiast, the other a non-drinker. They had gifted Dorianne and I with a 2003 Opus One this past holiday season, hence the uncorking of the Insignia for dinner.

I decanted the wine about 45 minutes before serving, as we had a Chardonnay with some St. Andre and Edam cheese accompanied by a medley of olives before dining. The appetizers were served in the kitchen while Dorianne cooked and I grilled outside. The dinner menu: a very tender skirt steak marinated in champagne vinaigrette, roasted new red potatoes with fresh garlic, asparagus spears, and a fresh sourdough loaf.

The Insignia opened the meal with a toast - and instant comments by Dorianne and our wine-drinking guest about the quality of the wine. The Insignia had a wonderful full bouquet, a rich mouth-feel, and the flavors of smoky spice and cassis. It was a perfect complement to the steak and potatoes dinner. I was secretly glad to have a non-drinker at the table, as there were refills for the three drinkers.

Here are the notes from Robert Parker (from the Phelps website):

WINEMAKING QUOTES:
"The 1998 Insignia . . . is a fabulous wine from a . . . challenging vintage. More evolved than the 1997, with a saturated ruby/purple color, it possesses a sumptuous bouquet of smoke, cedar, licorice and cassis. This full-bodied, fat, succulent effort reveals admirable purity and symmetry, and a soft finish with remarkably deep flavors that caress the palate." Score: 91. Robert M. Parker, Jr.s' The Wine Advocate. 12-23-00

This was truly a special event for us, and we savored the experience. I must say, that over the past year we have come into possession of two more bottles of the 1998. Now that I have tasted one, I truly look forward to the occasion to open another.

The Wine Saver