The 1993 Cabernet Sauvignon Backus Vineyard was touted in issue #102, but now that it has had another year in the bottle, this has become an extraordinary wine. It boasts an opaque purple color, followed by a fabulous nose of licorice, jammy black-cherry, cassis fruit, minerals, and smoke. Powerful, full-bodied, moderately tannic yet exceptionally well-endowed, this wine needs another 2-4 years of cellaring; it will keep for 20+ years. The most limited production Cabernet in the Phelps portfolio is the single vineyard Backus Cabernet. It is a 6.75 acre parcel superbly situated south of the Oakville Crossroad next to such Napa heavyweights as Dalla Valle and Screaming Eagle. This wine has reached new heights in quality over recent vintages, and I would enthusiastically suggest that readers search out the Backus Cabernet Sauvignon. There is not much made, with a production of under 1,000 cases. Regardless of the value and quality of the Vin de Mistral wines, it is unlikely Joseph Phelps will ever shake its reputation as being first and foremost a high quality producer of Cabernet Sauvignon. Some of the greatest California red wines were made at this winery during the seventies, wines that remain reference points today. Consider for example, the 1974 Insignia, 1975 Cabernet Sauvignon Napa, 1975 Cabernet Sauvignon Eisele, 1976 Insignia, 1977 Insignia, and 1978 Cabernet Sauvignon Eisele - all splendid California red wines that have aged effortlessly as well as gracefully. The vintages of the nineties offer the potential for wines that will equal if not eclipse some of those legends. Joseph Phelps' winemaker, Craig Williams, was enthusiastic about the potential quality of the 1996 vintage, and at the same time, lamented the fact that yields were down once again, with production for the Cabernet Sauvignon off 10%-25% from the relatively modest yields of 1995. As I have indicated in past issues, this winery has been on top of its game since the 1991 vintage, turning out a bevy of top-notch Cabernets, along with their increasingly popular Vin de Mistral wines. Current and upcoming releases continue to reflect a commitment to high quality and innovative thinking. Tel. (707) 963-2745; Fax (707) 963-4831

The 1993 Cabernet Sauvignon Backus Vineyard was touted in issue #102, but now that it has had another year in the bottle, this has become an extraordinary wine. It boasts an opaque purple color, followed by a fabulous nose of licorice, jammy black-cherry, cassis fruit, minerals, and smoke. Powerful, full-bodied, moderately tannic yet exceptionally well-endowed, this wine needs another 2-4 years of cellaring; it will keep for 20+ years. The most limited production Cabernet in the Phelps portfolio is the single vineyard Backus Cabernet. It is a 6.75 acre parcel superbly situated south of the Oakville Crossroad next to such Napa heavyweights as Dalla Valle and Screaming Eagle. This wine has reached new heights in quality over recent vintages, and I would enthusiastically suggest that readers search out the Backus Cabernet Sauvignon. There is not much made, with a production of under 1,000 cases.Regardless of the value and quality of the Vin de Mistral wines, it is unlikely Joseph Phelps will ever shake its reputation as being first and foremost a high quality producer of Cabernet Sauvignon. Some of the greatest California red wines were made at this winery during the seventies, wines that remain reference points today. Consider for example, the 1974 Insignia, 1975 Cabernet Sauvignon Napa, 1975 Cabernet Sauvignon Eisele, 1976 Insignia, 1977 Insignia, and 1978 Cabernet Sauvignon Eisele - all splendid California red wines that have aged effortlessly as well as gracefully. The vintages of the nineties offer the potential for wines that will equal if not eclipse some of those legends.Joseph Phelps' winemaker, Craig Williams, was enthusiastic about the potential quality of the 1996 vintage, and at the same time, lamented the fact that yields were down once again, with production for the Cabernet Sauvignon off 10%-25% from the relatively modest yields of 1995. As I have indicated in past issues, this winery has been on top of its game since the 1991 vintage, turning out a bevy of top-notch Cabernets, along with their increasingly popular Vin de Mistral wines. Current and upcoming releases continue to reflect a commitment to high quality and innovative thinking.Tel. (707) 963-2745; Fax (707) 963-4831