Lot 372
DUNN VINEYARDS CABERNET SAUVIGNON HOWELL MOUNTAIN 2008 (2) WS 91 WA 98
JOSEPH PHELPS INSIGNIA 2005 (1) WA 96
Lot 372 Details
DUNN VINEYARDS CABERNET SAUVIGNON HOWELL MOUNTAIN 2008 (2)
Napa Valley.
u. 2 x bn. 1 x scraped label. 1 x cracked wax capsule.
The 2008 Cabernet Sauvignon Howell Mountain takes things to another level, as hard as it may seem to believe. This was another difficult vintage for Dunn. Yields were down a full 50%. In exchange, nature rewarded Dunn with the fruit to make an epic wine that could very well turn out to be a modern-day legend. The 2008 is a huge, towering wine packed with dark fruit, licorice, tar, asphalt and licorice. Layers of perfume are woven throughout this majestic effort. The 2008 should only be purchased by the very patient, but it is a legendary wine in the making. Anticipated maturity: 2028-2043. WS 91 WA 98
JOSEPH PHELPS INSIGNIA 2005 (1)
Napa Valley.
u. bn. scuffed label.
The 2005 Proprietary Red Insignia (14.5% alcohol and typically aged 24 months in new French oak) is a blend of 92% Cabernet Sauvignon, 7% Petit Verdot and 1% Merlot. Juicy, fresh and vibrant, with a dense, ruby/purple color, and a classic nose of licorice and crème de cassis as well as hints of new saddle leather and earth, the wine is a brilliant blend that after ten years shows no evidence of the 24 months it spent in new French oak. Full-bodied, opulent, but still youthful, this wine looks set for another 25-30 years of aging. The wine’s best elements are its finesse and elegance allied to great richness and intensity. This wine is accessible now, as most Insignias tend to be, but much of its greatness will be revealed over the next two decades. June 2015 Drink: 2015-2045 WA 96