Joseph Phelps Vertical Tasting at Cafe Maxx

"Oh I'd be a rich man if I had all the money I owe. But to have that much, I oughta' help them sell my soul. One and one make two, two and two make four, That figure don't drive the rent man from the door. Just got time for a little more wine. Just got time for a little more wine."

A Little More Wine by Savory Brown

I like this guy, there's always time for a little more wine!   Until your time runs out and then there is no more wine for you!!  That’s why I always say- drink the good stuff first!!

This Insignia Vertical tasting just popped on to the calendar and at this price it should sell out quickly.    The Cheval Blanc vertical tasting the following night which also just popped on the Calendar is also just about sold out!!  I just realized that it’s almost time for my summer vacation and we need a few “once in a lifetime” tastings just in case the plane crashes or the car goes off the side of the road.  You can remember me as the guy that said always drink the good stuff first and I really mean it!!

One Napa Valley winery that I would consider to be a "first growth" if such a thing existed would be Joseph Phelps Winery and the wine of course - Insignia.

Insignia was the very first Bordeaux inspired blend that was made in California dating back to the 1974 vintage, before Opus One and long before any of the elite "Cult" wines of Napa that today garner $200+ in price upon release and more in the aftermarket.

We tasted many of these wines on this offering over the years and I will never forget the "collectors series" wine dinner we hosted at Cafe Maxx with winemaker Craig Williams where we showcased 10 vintages of Insignia back to 1986 from local collectors cellars.  Every vintage on the table including the 1998 and 2000 were outstanding!  A testament to a great producer, their wines are excellent even in a difficult vintage.

This is another collector’s dinner but all these wines are coming out of the cellar of one of our wine drinking people who just had a near death experience so we put this event on the calendar to make sure we get at least one more chance to share one of his favorite Napa Valley wines with you!  This tasting costs less than the price of a single bottle of this wine in most restaurants and it includes dinner at Cafe Maxx! 

Check out our offering of all the Joseph Phelps wines that are available in the South Florida market right now.

Chef Oliver Saucy will be sending out a few small courses to accompany the tasting wines and we will be ordering off the menu for dinner.  This event is limited to 16 tasters and the price of this tasting/dinner is $275 + tax + gratuity, for reservations call 954-523-9463.

Joseph Phelps Insignia Vertical Tasting at Cafe Maxx

Thursday June 26, 2014

7pm

 

Tasting Line-Up:

 

1994 Joseph Phelps Insignia

(96 Points) The 1994 Insignia (a blend of 88% Cabernet Sauvignon, 10% Merlot, and 2% Cabernet Franc) is spectacular. I have had the wine a half-dozen or more times, and it is unquestionably opulent, sexy, flamboyant, explosively rich, concentrated, and a thrill to drink. Already gorgeous, it promises to evolve gracefully for two decades or more. The color is a healthy saturated dark purple. The spicy nose offers aromas of black currants, allspice, pain grille, and soy, with scents of a burning wood fire thrown in for additional complexity. This full-bodied, opulent, dazzling wine is exhilarating to drink.

Joseph Phelps is doing a phenomenal job with their Insignia. The winery produces 10,000-12,000 cases of this proprietary red wine, all of it aged in 100% new oak. Vintages since 1991 have been superb. Perhaps the best back-to-back vintages ever produced of this wine are the 1994 and 1995, which rival the great Insignias made in 1974 and 1976.  Wine Advocate #120, Dec 1998

 

1995 Joseph Phelps Insignia

(97 Points) The 1995 Insignia may be slightly better than the 1994 - as hard as that is to believe. The final blend is 90% Cabernet Sauvignon, 7% Merlot, and 3% Petit Verdot. The 1995 exhibits a character similar to the 1994 - cassis, fruitcake, cedar, herbs, coffee, and black fruits intermixed with smoke - but the 1995 is slightly longer in the mouth. It is a wine of extraordinary extraction, full body, and marvelously pure fruit. Moreover, it has managed to soak up the 100% new oak aging, leaving only subtle pain grille notes. The tannin may be slightly more noticeable in the 1994, but my instincts suggest the 1995 is even richer and longer than the 1994 - as amazing as that sounds. This prodigious Insignia should be at its best over the next 20-25 years.  Wine Advocate #120, Dec 1998

 

1996 Joseph Phelps Insignia

(92 Points) The 1996 Insignia (83% Cabernet Sauvignon and 17% Merlot) exhibits a dark purple color in addition to an elegant nose of cedar wood, fruitcake, coffee, and black currants. Medium to full-bodied, with a firm underpinning of tannin, classic black currant flavors, and a long finish, this effort is impressive, but tight and narrowly-constructed. Anticipated maturity: 2001-2020.  Wine Advocate #126, Jan 2000

 

1997 Joseph Phelps Insignia

(96 Points) Joseph Phelps' flagship wine is their fabulous Insignia, a wine with a tremendous track record back to the debut vintage of 1974. It is produced in significant quantities (18,000-20,000 cases) for a wine of such quality.

The prodigious 1997 Insignia (83% Cabernet Sauvignon, 14% Merlot, and 3% Petit-Verdot) lives up to its pre-bottling promise. Tasted on three separate occasions, every bottle has hit the bull's eye. The color is a saturated thick-looking blue/purple. The nose offers up explosive aromas of jammy black fruits, licorice, Asian spices, vanillin, and cedar. Full-bodied as well as exceptionally pure and impressively endowed, this blockbuster yet surprisingly elegant wine cuts a brilliant swath across the palate. A seamless effort with beautifully integrated acidity, sweet tannin, and alcohol, it is still an infant, but can be drunk with considerable pleasure. Anticipated maturity: now-2025.   Wine Advocate #132, Dec 2000

 

1998 Joseph Phelps Insignia

(91 Points) Joseph Phelps' flagship wine is their fabulous Insignia, a wine with a tremendous track record back to the debut vintage of 1974. It is produced in significant quantities (18,000-20,000 cases) for a wine of such quality.

A great achievement, the 1998 Insignia (78% Cabernet Sauvignon and 22% Merlot) is a fabulous wine from what was a far more challenging vintage. Approximately 18,000 cases were made, an amazing quantity in a year that produced far less promising raw materials. Evolved, 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. It can be drunk now as well as over the next 15-16 years.   Wine Advocate #132, Dec 2000

 

1999 Joseph Phelps Insignia

(91 Points) There are 15,000 cases of the 1999 Insignia, a blend of 71% Cabernet Sauvignon, 21% Merlot, 6% Petit Verdot, 1% Cabernet Franc, and 1% Malbec. The core of this offering tends to come from Rutherford-grown fruit. The saturated dense purple-colored 1999 offers a tight but promising nose of incense, spice box, black fruits, and vanilla. This elegant, stylish, and medium to full-bodied offering is made in a more French-like, finesse style than such blockbusters as 1997, 1996, 1995, and 1994. Give it 3-4 years of cellaring and consume it over the following 15-18.   Wine Advocate #142, Aug 2002

 

2000 Joseph Phelps Insignia

(91 Points) The 2000 Insignia (20,000 cases) is a blend of 77% Cabernet Sauvignon, 19% Merlot, 3% Petit Verdot, and 1% Malbec. A strong effort for the vintage, it possesses a dense ruby/purple color in addition to a powerful nose of licorice, espresso roast, and black currants, medium to full body, a lush mid-palate, and a sweet, concentrated finish with no hard edges. It is a forward, precocious Insignia to enjoy over the next ten years.

The bulk of the fruit for the Insignia cuvee comes from vineyards on Manley Lane as well as the Stags Leap area. All the Petit Verdot and Malbec utilized is from the vineyard adjacent to the winery. The Insignia cuvee has been one of Napa’s great Cabernet Sauvignon-based wines since its inception in 1974. In the eighties, this offering seemed to fall off a bit, but it was phenomenal in the seventies, and most of those vintages are still alive. Moreover, it has been absolutely brilliant since 1991. Remarkably,18,000-20,000 cases of this wine are produced in top vintages.   Wine Advocate #150, Dec 2003

 

2001 Joseph Phelps Insignia

(99 Points)  The sensational, prodigious 2001 Insignia Proprietary Red Wine (89% Cabernet Sauvignon, 8% Petit Verdot and 3% Malbec) has never performed better. Still extremely youthful with a dense purple color as well as a beautiful bouquet of cedar, charcoal, incense, creme de cassis and black cherry jam, fabulous intensity, a multidimensional mouthfeel and a skyscraper-like texture, it is a Napa classic that is still very youthful and belies its age of ten years. Like its stablemate, it should age impeccably for 35 or more years. Kudos to Joseph Phelps Vineyards!

Two brilliant wines from Joseph Phelps Vineyards, the Insignia is closer to drinkability, but it still needs another five years whereas the Backus Vineyard requires 7-8. Both are 35-40 year wines for those with cold cellars and youthful genes.  Wine Advocate #195, Jun 2011

 

2002 Joseph Phelps Insignia

(98 Points) The 2002 Insignia (a blend of 78% Cabernet Sauvignon, 14% Merlot, 7% Petit Verdot and 1% Malbec) is performing even better than it did post-bottling. A cross Napa County blend of some of their finest vineyard sources, it offers a super-sweet nose of creme de cassis, charcoal, incense, cedar and forest floor, full body and silky tannins. It is one of the few Napa Cabernet Sauvignon blends that is world-class, capable of 30+ years of cellaring, and made in abundant quantities (between 8,000-15,000 cases). I remember tasting the 1974 Insignia in the late 1970's and stating that it would need to be drunk in its first 5-6 years of life. Wrong. That wine, which is now 38 years of age, is still a beauty!

The Backus Vineyard is planted in the red soils of the steep hillsides of Oakville, overlooking Screaming Eagle and Rudd Estate. Joseph Phelps’ most famous wine, which first debuted in 1974, is their proprietary red wine blend called Insignia.  Wine Advocate #201, Jun 2012  

2003 Joseph Phelps Insignia

(94 Points)  The 2003 Insignia (15,000 cases) performed much better this year than last, when I tasted it right after bottling. A blend of 84% Cabernet Sauvignon, 10% Petit Verdot and the rest Malbec and Merlot, it offers up attractive aromas of licorice, black currants, espresso roast, and background toasty oak. Full-bodied, opulent, and rich with outstanding depth, purity, and harmony, sweet tannin, and a long finish, it is approachable now, but will easily last for 20 years.   Wine Advocate #168, Dec 2006

 

Chef Oliver Saucy will be sending out a few small courses to accompany the tasting wines and we will be ordering off the menu for dinner.  This event is limited to 16 tasters and the price of this tasting/dinner is $275 + tax + gratuity, for reservations call 954-523-9463.

 

A brief history of Joseph Phelps:

Joseph Phelps, a Colorado construction magnate, came to the Napa Valley to build wineries for others.  Like everyone else who loves wine and visits this beautiful valley, he quickly succumbed to the romance of it all.  In 1972 he purchased a 600-acre ranch in the hills east of St. Helena and began planting it to different varietals.  The wooden cellars, on a west-facing slope of the home property, are a tribute to two arts, architecture and winemaking.  Two pavilions are joined by a closed bridge housing offices.  One pavilion contains fermentors - steel in an otherwise woodsy environment - and the other holds lofty racks of French oak barrels.  In addition to the home ranch, Phelps now owns vineyards in Stags Leap, Rutherford, Yountville, and the Carneros District.

The first Phelps wine to appear in the marketplace was a 1973 Johannisberg Riesling. That it was an immediate success was no surprise; the winemaker was Walter Schug, born and trained in Germany. Schug left the winery in 1983 to devote full time to his new venture, Schug Cellars. (His assistant from almost the beginning, Craig Williams, assumed the reigns as winemaker.)  The winery gradually began to produce a wide range of interesting, high-quality varietals - not only from its own ranch, but also from selected growers in the Napa Valley and in Sonoma County as well.  In fact, Phelps once made one of California's best Zinfandels from eighty-year-old vines in Sonoma's Alexander Valley.  However, the winery gradually began to trim its number of offerings and concentrate primarily on the Napa Valley for fruit sources.

The winery's truly monumental wines are usually red and are based on the cabernet grape.  In each vintage Phelps produces a regular Napa Valley Cabernet from grapes grown on several of the Phelps ranches as well as grapes purchased from independent growers.  Some of the Phelps regular Cabs have been outstanding; the 1975 (probably the winery's best ever), the 1977, and the 1980 were at the top of their price class in the Napa Valley.  In the middle 1980's Phelps acquired and developed two new vineyards in the Napa Valley - one in Rutherford along Manley Lane in the heart of the bench area and the other in the Stag's Leap District immediately north and adjacent to the historic Fay Vineyard.  These two ranches have provided the backbone for the Phelps regular Cabernet as well as a Merlot that was first produced in 1989.  Although we felt that the Phelps regular Cabernets had slipped in the years since 1980, beginning with the 1992 they have been again among the best in their price class.  In fact, the recent Cabernets are probably the best regular bottlings produced at this winery in nearly twenty years.  Although a portion of the fruit is purchased from independent growers, over half comes from the winery's Las Rocas Vineyard in the Stags Leap District and the winery's Manley Lane Vineyard in the Rutherford Bench area.  Really special, however, have been the vineyard-designated Cabernets (one from the Backus Vineyard and one from the Eisele Vineyard) and the super special Insignia bottling.  The Eisele bottling was discontinued after the 1991 vintage, because - unfortunately for Phelps - Milton Eisele sold his legendary vineyard to Bart Araujo (The Araujo Estate Cabernet has already garnered enormous critical acclaim under its new owners).   The Insignia bottling - the flagship of the winery and the first Meritage blend ever made in California (1974) - has been consistently fine for two decades.  However, beginning with the 1989 vintage, it has clearly been in the top handful of red wines produced in every vintage.

Over the last few years things have been turned upside down at Phelps Winery.  When long time president Tom Sheldon and long time winemaker Craig Williams were both forced to retire in May of 2008, a lawsuit followed.  Unfortunately Tom Sheldon died in July of 2008 of brain cancer, but both men were awarded their 40% stake in the winery that was given to them by Joseph Phelps in 1999.     In a binding judgment issued Sept. 9, 2008 retired Judge William Bettinelli ruled that Mr. Shelton is entitled to a total of $12,264,000 in damages and Mr. Williams is owed $11,856,000, according to the ruling.  Their attorney stated for the record; "Everyone in Napa knows what Tom Shelton and Craig Williams did for the Phelps brand and the Phelps family," said Hainline. "It is time for the Phelps family to do the right thing, honor their agreements and acknowledge how these two men made monumental contributions to enhance the status and reputation of Joseph Phelps Vineyards and their work was what made the winery successful." 

This lawsuit left a bad taste in the mouth of many people in Napa Valley, but on my visit to Joseph Phelps winery in July of 2009 the staff had their best foot forward and were moving on, trying to look toward the future.  Ashley Hepworth was promoted to winemaker in 2008, she has been with the winery since 1999 and we don't think that the style of the wines will change.

 

Other wines Available from Joseph Phelps Winery:

Joseph Phelps Sauvignon Blanc Napa 2012

Price: $39.00       Sale $34.32          Case $398

The 2012 Sauvignon Blanc opens with aromas of honeysuckle, Meyer lemon zest and notes of pear and jasmine, with underlying minerality that follows through perfectly to the palate. The wine is focused with flavors of lemon meringue, key lime and a hint of green pineapple leading to a balanced finish with beautiful acidity and a creamy texture

Joseph Phelps Chardonnay Freestone Sonoma Coast 2012

Price: $52.50       Sale $46.20          Case $536

The 2012 Chardonnay opens with stone fruit, fragrant white flower, crushed rock and lemon zest aromas. Nicely balanced with a creamy texture and lush mouthfeel, the Meyer lemon crème brûlée, apricot and nutty toasted brioche flavors culminate in a long, opulent finish marked by sweet fruit and citrus.

 

Joseph Phelps Chardonnay Freestone Sonoma Coast 2010

Price: $52.50       Sale $46.20          Case $536

(92-94 Points) The 2010 Chardonnay Freestone Vineyards is gorgeous. Subtle hints of oak frame expressive white stone fruits, citrus and floral notes in this impeccable, layered Chardonnay. Focus, delineation and superb overall balance are the hallmarks here. This is a fabulous showing from Phelps. Anticipated maturity: 2013-2018.

I was deeply impressed with the wines I tasted from Joseph Phelps’s Freestone property on the Sonoma Coast. The Pinots are made with some whole clusters, but it is the distinctive personality of the Calera clones that seems to define those wines. The Chardonnays are both done in a full malolactic style. The Pastorale sees a little bit more time in oak and also gets a slightly higher percentage of new barrels. These beautiful Chardonnays and Pinots deserve considerable attention. The 2010 Chardonnays were scheduled to be bottled in March 2012.  Wine Advocate #199, Feb 2012

Joseph Phelps Pinot Noir Freestone Sonoma Coast 2011

Price: $52.50       Sale $46.20          Case $536

This wine fills the senses with pleasing aromas of cassis, dark plum, dried herbs and earthy notes of cedar and forest floor. A silky mouth feel and lingering flavors of black cherry, allspice, wild mushrooms and black tea mingle with hints of toasty vanilla bean and Freestone’s characteristic tangerine peel. Bright acidity and balanced tannins create a captivating Pinot Noir with a long, rich finish.

1994 Joseph Phelps Cabernet Sauvignon Napa  

Price: $88.00    Your Price: $70.40 Quantity in Stock: 13

 

1998 Joseph Phelps Cabernet Sauvignon Premier Napa Valley Auction

Price: $80.00    Your Price: $70.40

Quantity in Stock: 1

 

2011 Joseph Phelps Cabernet Sauvignon Napa

Price: $69.75       Sale $61.38          Case $712

85% Cabernet Sauvignon, 13% Merlot and 2% Petit Verdot from 100% estate-grown Napa Valley vineyards: 37% Spring Valley Ranch in St. Helena, 25% Yountville in Oak Knoll District, 13% Suscol in South Napa, 12% Banca Dorada in Rutherford, 7% Stags Leap District and 6% Backus Vineyard in Oakville.

The 2011 Cabernet Sauvignon has beautiful aromatics of plum, cherry, currants, coffee, cocoa and hints of allspice, fresh thyme, tobacco and forest floor. The body is laced with integrated tannins, great freshness and red fruit characteristics.

1991 Joseph Phelps Insignia Napa

Price: $398.00    Your Price: $318.40

Quantity in Stock: 1

(100 points)  An extraordinary dense plum/purple color is followed by a seductive as well as explosive bouquet of white chocolate, creme de cassis, spring flowers, licorice and a touch of graphite. This full-bodied, opulent 1991 reveals a flawless integration of acidity, tannin, wood and alcohol. Magnificent in the mouth with an opulent and voluptuous texture, and not a hard edge to be found, it reveals mindboggling purity and vigor. This sensational Insignia can be enjoyed over the next 10-15+ years. eRobertParker.com #1113, Nov 2013

 

1992 Joseph Phelps Insignia Napa

Price: $216.00    Your Price: $

Quantity in Stock: 1

 

1993 Joseph Phelps Insignia Napa

Price: $229.00    Your Price: $

Quantity in Stock: 1

 

1994 Joseph Phelps insignia Napa

Price: $288.00    Your Price: $253.44

Quantity in Stock: 6

(98 points)  The 1994 boasts an inky/purple color along with a glorious nose of black raspberries, blackberries and black currants that is still somewhat primary despite nearly 18 years in bottle. The Phelps team kept this cuvee in 100% new French oak for 28 months. Its magnificent structure, intensity and purity of fruit, ripeness, balance combined with authoritative power and the magnetic appeal of this full-bodied, Bordeaux-styled wine are extraordinary. This amazing effort is just coming into its best years, and should drink well for at least another 15-20 years.  eRobertParker.com #1113 Nov 2013

 

1995 Joseph Phelps Insignia

Price: $244.00    Your Price: $214.72

Quantity in Stock: 1

 

1997 Joseph Phelps Insignia Napa  

Price: $420.00    Your Price: $

Quantity in Stock: 2

(100 points)  An inky/plum/purple color is accompanied by a stunning bouquet of violets, charcoal, creme de cassis and a hint of toast. Prodigious when it hits the palate with a full-bodied expansiveness, there is not a hard edge to be found in the 1997, only velvety tannins, compelling depth and fruit intensity, and stunning purity. It is a perfect expression of Napa viticulture and wine that should continue to age effortlessly for two decades or more.  eRobertParker.com #1113 Nov 2013

 

1998 Joseph Phelps Insignia Napa

Price: $149.00    Your Price: $119.20

Quantity in Stock: 4

(91 points) Joseph Phelps' flagship wine is their fabulous Insignia, a wine with a tremendous track record back to the debut vintage of 1974. It is produced in significant quantities (18,000-20,000 cases) for a wine of such quality.

A great achievement, the 1998 Insignia (78% Cabernet Sauvignon and 22% Merlot) is a fabulous wine from what was a far more challenging vintage. Approximately 18,000 cases were made, an amazing quantity in a year that produced far less promising raw materials. Evolved, 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. It can be drunk now as well as over the next 15-16 years. Wine Advocate #132 Dec 2000

 

1999 Joseph Phelps Insignia Napa

List Price: $205.00   

Quantity in Stock: 3

(91 points) There are 15,000 cases of the 1999 Insignia, a blend of 71% Cabernet Sauvignon, 21% Merlot, 6% Petit Verdot, 1% Cabernet Franc, and 1% Malbec. The core of this offering tends to come from Rutherford-grown fruit. The saturated dense purple-colored 1999 offers a tight but promising nose of incense, spice box, black fruits, and vanilla. This elegant, stylish, and medium to full-bodied offering is made in a more French-like, finesse style than such blockbusters as 1997, 1996, 1995, and 1994. Give it 3-4 years of cellaring and consume it over the following 15-18. Wine Advocate # 142 Aug 2002

 

2003 Joseph Phelps Insignia Napa

Price: $179.00   

Quantity in Stock: 1

(94 points) The 2003 Insignia (15,000 cases) performed much better this year than last, when I tasted it right after bottling. A blend of 84% Cabernet Sauvignon, 10% Petit Verdot and the rest Malbec and Merlot, it offers up attractive aromas of licorice, black currants, espresso roast, and background toasty oak. Full-bodied, opulent, and rich with outstanding depth, purity, and harmony, sweet tannin, and a long finish, it is approachable now, but will easily last for 20 years. Wine Advocate #168 Dec 2006

 

2004 Joseph Phelps Insignia Napa

Price: $225.00    Your Price: $180.00

Quantity in Stock: 2

Robert Parker JR.'s The Wine Advocate (94-96 Points). The soft, opulent 2004 Insignia (a 10,000-case blend of 72% Cabernet Sauvignon, 14% Merlot, 12% Petit Verdot, and 2% Malbec) is already seductive and lush. Offering abundant quantities of cassis, incense, graphite, plums, blackberries, and black currants, it will be hard to resist young, but should age effortlessly for two decades or more. Wine Advocate #168 (Dec 2006)

 

2009 Joseph Phelps Insignia Napa

Price: $210  Sale $184.90

Quantity in Stock: 9

2009 Joseph Phelps Insignia Napa (Magnum)

Price: $429.00    Your Price: $377.52

Quantity in Stock: 2

(93-96 Points) The 2009 Cabernet Sauvignon Insignia is a big, generous wine that covers the palate with waves of dark red fruit. Today it is beautifully expressive and opulent yet also well balanced. An explosive finish rounds things out in style. This looks to be a relatively approachable Insignia. Floral, spicy notes round out the finish. In 2009 the blend is 83% Cabernet Sauvignon, 13% Petit Verdot and 4% Merlot. Anticipated maturity: 2014-2029. Wine Advocate #198, Dec 2011

 

2010 Joseph Phelps Insignia Napa (Magnum)

Price: $477.00        Your Price: $419.76

Quantity in Stock: 3

2010 Joseph Phelps Insignia Napa Price: $217.50                    Sale $191.40 Quantity in Stock: 7

(95 Points) A gorgeously intense bouquet of lead pencil shavings, spring flowers, black currants, blackberries, and subtle smoke and forest like aromas jumps from the glass of this full-bodied, rich, concentrated wine with soft tannins, a multidimensional mouthfeel, and a long, rich finish displaying well-integrated acidity, tannin, alcohol and wood. This beauty is one of the top Insignias produced over recent years. It should age easily for 20+ years.

The stunning 2010 Insignia, which is now in bottle, was made from 84% Cabernet Sauvignon, 10% Petit Verdot and the rest Merlot and Malbec, 11,060 cases were produced, and it achieved 14.9% natural alcohol. All of the fruit came from estate vineyards.  eRobertParker.com #1113, Nov 2013