Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon

Happy New Year! 🍷

Velvet, evolution Cabernet!

Merry Christmas 2025! 🎅🎄🎁 🍷 ❄️ ⛄️

23 yrs since birth and 21 yrs in bottle and the evolution is beautiful. Perfect w/the ribroast.

Fruits still holding with excellent integration. Blackberries, black plum to pudding, strawberries, raspberries, black cherries, sandalwood, soft, dark spices with gentle heat, mocha powder, some milk chocolate, caramel notes, understated graphite, anise to some black licorice, gravel, dry stone, used tobacco & leather, mid berry cola presence, dry twig, moist clays, red, dark florals with a violet frame, excellent acidity, well; made, balanced, tensioned, structured with an elegant finish that lasts nearly two- minutes and falls of soft earthiness & soft spice.

I waited on the decant a bit after the 03 d’Armailhac. Could have shorted that pause.

I have been writing about older Phelps Napa vintages until the cows come home. This started at 93 but when we had the back-half of our steak buffet (Porterhouse, NY & Ribeye) it blossomed. It is pure finesse, elegance, integration & evolution. These do not sing until they are 15-20 years old. Fruit & earth balance and elegance. Nothing that bites back. If you like this producer, you owe it to yourself to seek out a bottle with this kind of age in good vintages. This is somewhere around its peek. Make no mistake it is better than many $150 bottles I’ve opened.

Happy holidays. 🎅🧑‍🎄 ☃️ 🎄 🎁 ❄️

The nose reveals, floral, ripe; blueberries blackberries, dark cherries, plum, boysenberries, strawberries and black raspberries. Limestone minerals, dry crush rocks, dark spice, sweet tarry notes, steeped tea, vanilla, some clove, a whiff of nutmeg, dark chocolate, saddle-wood to cedar, some black licorice, garrigue with blue flowers, violets and withering dark florals.

The body is medium full, round and lush. The tannins are around 80% resolved and still have some sticky tar. The structure, tension, length & balance have nearly come about to full evolution. Ripe; blueberries blackberries, dark cherries, baked plum, boysenberries, strawberries and black raspberries. Limestone minerals, dry crush rocks, dark spice, sweet tarry notes, steeped tea, vanilla, some clove, a whiff of nutmeg, dark chocolate, a little mushroom on the last glass, saddle-wood to cedar, some black licorice, garrigue, dry clay & top soil with blue flowers, violets and withering dark florals. The acidy is like a waterfall. The finish is ripe, elegant, well balanced, polished with powdery dry tannins on the long set. It’s finish is persistent for minutes.

Photos of; the Joseph Phelps tasting terrace, inside lounge area with original old vats and the spectacular view off the terrace.

@Dawn Emory Sampling wines along their evolutionary path is amazing. My thoughts still haven’t changed great wine for less $ with patience.

Initial nose of stewed fruits fades in about 30 minutes then its set to go as @David T recommended

'97,'02 are two of my favorite vintages. '13 is in that league but the difference is you don't have to come to my wine cellar to enjoy it. If you like Napa Cab buy, buy, buy the '13. You don't have to buy the $200 bottles. Load up on the $40 bottles and enjoy for 20 years plus🍷🍷🍷

Took a bit to open up, but this 2002 Phelps cab was delicious.

2002

The corkage fee at Capitol Cellars is reasonable and this'02 from my cellar is aging marvelously. Lots of fruit with hints of smoke.

Anybody know anything about this wine?