Joseph Phelps Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley 2021

Introduction

The Joseph Phelps Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley 2021 is a red wine from the United States, produced in the Napa Valley region of California. Joseph Phelps Vineyards was founded in 1973 by Joe Phelps, a construction magnate and home winemaker who had a pioneering spirit and a quest for excellence. The winery's foundational philosophy is a "no-compromise" commitment to quality, a pursuit of excellence, and an enduring legacy that has helped define modern Californian wine. The winery's flagship wine, Insignia (first produced in 1974), became California's first proprietary red Bordeaux-style blend, which firmly established the winery as a premier producer. Joseph Phelps Vineyards is a certified Napa Green Winery and has over 480 acres under preservation with the Napa Valley Land Trust.

Wine Description

This Cabernet Sauvignon has a deep ruby-purple hue. The aromatic profile is classically expressive and inviting, offering scents of ripe currant, ripe blackberries, dark cherries, and cassis, woven together with cocoa powder, pencil shavings, and dark chocolate. Further complexities include blackcurrants, spiced cedar, tobacco, leather, dusty minerals, savory herbs, and sweet baking spices.

The wine is primarily Cabernet Sauvignon, based on a blend of 92% Cabernet Sauvignon, 4% Petit Verdot, 2% Cabernet Franc, 1% Merlot, and 1% Malbec. The wine is full-bodied, dense, and well-structured, with a gorgeous plush or velvety texture. Flavours include dark plum, blackberry, dark chocolate, and savory spices, with bold black fruit accented by cloves and black pepper. It possesses very fine, velvety, and firm tannins that are full and firm, needing several years to mellow. Stylistically, it is a vibrant, concentrated, and compact wine that is plush without being creamy or overdone, offering depth and elegance. It was aged for sixteen months in 48% new oak (half French, half American) and 52% used French and American oak barrels. The finish is long and persistent, with dark fruits, mocha, and spices continuing to linger. The ABV is 14.5%. It should offer a drinking window that could span two decades, with best enjoyment from 2025 through 2040.

Accolades

• Wine Enthusiast - 94 points

• James Suckling - 94 points

• Vinous - 93 points

• Wine Spectator - 93 points

• The Wine Advocate - 92 points

• Jeb Dunnuck - 92 points

Food Pairing

This Full-Bodied & Robust Cabernet Sauvignon is an excellent pairing for grilled steak, roast beef, rack of lamb, lamb shank, osso buco, and sharp cheddar. Its dense, structured profile and rich black fruit flavours make it an ideal complement to these full-flavoured dishes.

Vintage Quality

The 2021 vintage in Napa Valley provided much-needed relief after the stress of 2020, with winemakers reporting outstanding quality. The growing season was mild, consistent, and largely uneventful, with very few significant heat waves. The main challenge was a severe, historic drought, which led to lower yields due to smaller clusters and berries. This reduced crop, however, resulted in high-quality fruit with exceptional colour, concentration, and flavour intensity. The final wines are aromatic, refined, and wonderfully expressive, displaying the brightness and structure of 2018 with more of the concentration and weight of 2019, making it one of the strongest vintages in recent years.