1998 Insignia

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Drinking Window

2016 - 2021

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I tasted this year with Craig Williams on his last day as director of winemaking for Phelps. Williams is now directing the launch of Phelps' new Sonoma Coast operation and other vineyard development projects, and former assistant Sarah Gott will take over as winemaker. Williams and Gott agreed that 1999 was an unusually good year for white wine; this winery '99 reds were also extremely promising when I tasted barrel samples in late winter. There was no Backus cabernet produced in 1998, yet Phelps' Insignia bottling is a noteworthy success for this difficult year.

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Winemaker Craig Williams, who told me in passing that he suddenly figured out how to make wine in 1991, has been spending time in Burgundy of late. Phelps recently purchased and leased more than 100 acres of land near Freestone, in the Sonoma Coast appellation, where the winery will begin planting chardonnay and possibly pinot noir this year. Phelps sold off in bulk a good bit of its '98 cabernet and merlot, and declassified its Backus fruit into the Napa bottling. The winery's Insignia bottling has been consistently excellent in recent years. Williams considers the '97 his best yet, a worthy successor to the '91, '94 and '95.

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