Joseph Phelps Backus Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon 2015
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Robert
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Jeb Dunnuck
The 2015 Cabernet Sauvignon Backus Vineyard is a blockbuster that does everything right, and I’m probably underrating this beauty. Incorporating a small amount of Petit Verdot and Malbec (which are always co-fermented), this deeply colored beauty gives up a massive bouquet of smoked black fruits, graphite, cassis, and tobacco leaf, with more minerality and black licorice with time in the glass. Possessing full-bodied richness, a mouthfilling decadence, sweet tannins, and a meaty, powerful style, count yourself lucky if you have any of this in the cellar. It will continue drinking beautifully for three decades or more.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The 2015 Cabernet Sauvignon Backus Vineyard is made up of 86% Cabernet Sauvignon, 8% Malbec and 6% Petit Verdot aged for 24 months in 100% new French oak. It has a deep garnet-purple color and quite a savory/meaty nose over a core of baked plums, warm cassis, redcurrant jelly and mulberries with touches of rosemary roasted lamb, truffles, underbrush and charcoal with a touch of lavender. Full, rich, concentrated and oh-so-decadent in the mouth, the palate delivers super intense black fruit and savory layers with a rock-solid frame of grainy tannins and seamless freshness, finishing long and mineral laced. 1,200 cases produced.
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Joseph Phelps Vineyards is a family-owned winery committed to crafting world class, estate-grown wines. Founded in 1973 when Joe Phelps purchased a former cattle ranch near St. Helena in the Napa Valley, the winery now controls and farms nearly 375 acres of vines on eight estate vineyards in St. Helena, the Stags Leap District, Oakville, Rutherford, Oak Knoll District, Carneros and South Napa Valley. In 1999, the Phelps family added 100 acres of vineyard property near the town of Freestone on the Sonoma Coast, where Phelps now grows Pinot Noir and Chardonnay.
Phelps is best known for its flagship Napa Valley blend of red Bordeaux varietals, Insignia, first produced in 1974. Awarded Wine Spectator's "Wine of the Year" in 2005, Insignia is widely regarded as a qualitative benchmark for California winemaking.
A noble variety bestowed with both power and concentration, Cabernet Sauvignon enjoys success all over the globe, its best examples showing potential to age beautifully for decades. Cabernet Sauvignon flourishes in Bordeaux's Medoc where it is often blended with Merlot and smaller amounts of some combination of Cabernet Franc, Malbecand Petit Verdot. In the Napa Valley, ‘Cab’ is responsible for some of the world’s most prestigious, age-worthy and sought-after “cult” wines. Somm Secret—DNA profiling in 1997 revealed that Cabernet Sauvignon was born from a spontaneous crossing of Cabernet Franc and Sauvignon Blanc in 17th century southwest France.
Home to some of the most sought-after Cabernet Sauvignon in America, Napa Valley’s Oakville district stretches across the center of Napa's valley floor and foothills between the Vaca and Mayacamas Mountains. This AVA is home to the legendary To Kalon Vineyard and Martha's Vineyard, as well as many powerhouse wineries including Screaming Eagle, Silver Oak, Robert Mondavi, Opus One, Far Niente and Groth.
The climate is generally warm and agreeable, resulting in year after year of favorable vintages. Summer days see a gentle tug of war between warmer inland air and the cool air coming in from the San Pablo Bay, creating an ideal environment to grow red varieties. Oakville's diverse soils, namely ancient sea bedrock, clay and gravel, are well-drained, and perfect for high-caliber viticulture.
Cabernet here is often bottled varietally but is also popular in Bordeaux Blends. Oakville wines are known for their silky, sensual textures, structured tannins, dark and brooding fruit and lovely aromatics. These age-worthy and prestigious wines are favored by collectors throughout the world.