72% Cabernet Sauvignon; 14% Malbec; 12% Petit Verdot; 2% Malbec. Among the richest and most succulent wines to be had in December's very fine bunch, Phelps's latest Insignia is a sweet and flamboyant wine that literally oozes concentrated, cassis-like fruit. It is filled out by lots of very rich, creme caramel oak, and it finds added dimension by way of its loamy earth accents. Its ample, well-tailored tannins go nearly unnoticed in light of its wonderfully plush texture, and if there are temptat...

Bright ruby-red. Complex nose melds cassis, black cherry, lead pencil and cedar. Sweet and fat but with a firm structure and very good vinosity. There's a sappy quality to the currant, cedar and chocolate flavors. Boasts the density of the vintage's best examples but, in comparison to the Backus, the tannins hit the palate a bit earlier. The very long finish hints at cedar and graphite. I'd put this aside for a couple of years.