Wine Review
Joseph Phelps Vineyards
St. Helena, Napa Valley
2007 Sauvignon Blanc
Price: about $32
This lovely Sauvignon Blanc has enticing floral and fruit aromas that lead to appealing lime, melon, and citrus flavors complicated by hints of vanilla and spice. a rich texture, and a lingering, creamy finish. While this luscious wine would certainly amplify the pleasures of any meal featuring salmon, it possesses more than enough of the inherently crisp, palate-cleansing character traditionally found in Sauvignon Blanc to go equally well with seasoned poultry dishes.
Joseph Phelps Vineyards
Napa Valley
2005 Insignia
Price: about $200
A masterful blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, and Petite Verdot from estate-owned vineyards in five agricultural districts, Joseph Phelps Vineyards 2005 Insignia has immensely attractive aromas of cherry, spice, anise, and vanilla-oak that lead to layered complexities of flavor, including black cherry, plum, and currant that are accompanied by perfectly integrated notes of spice and oak. All of these well-balanced riches are supported by firm tannins and close in an extended finish. For a wine with such an impressive structure, Joseph Phelps 2005 Insignia is surprisingly accessible, though it would certainly benefit from a decade or more of cellaring.
