Cary Jones

9.4

This is some of the best jammy vino you can get. Love it. — 6 days ago

Norman

9.4

Side by side Gravelly better — a month ago

Steve Rura

9.3

Berry compote, black cherry, raspberry, vanilla, dried cranberries. Semi-sweet long finish with dried herbs. Big wine for a big snowstorm, with spaghetti. — 4 months ago

Duane Mason

9.8

Absolutely great California Cab. Wonderful wine with fruit and tannin in perfect balance . Great job Mike Smith — 6 months ago

Nathan Renfro

9.8

This wine is absolutely gorgeous! Give it a 30 min rest in the glass. Bright ripe fruit nose. Silky mouthfeel, the perfectly ripe black and blue fruit comes forth, followed by intense minerality, soft yet grippy tannins leaving a slightly chalky mouthfeel. So elegant, such finesse. Graphite, black licorice, blueberry pie, baking spices, hint of mocha. Superb medium-long finish. It’s this experience that makes Dr Crane one of my favorite vineyards. Absolutely love this wine and this vineyard! — a year ago

Kelly Gould

9.7

Same maker as prisoner. Dark fruit. Delicious. So good — 5 years ago

Chris

9.7

Big Saturday, feels good to wash away a 2016. Cherry and blueberry and raisin with long palette and a soft finish. — 6 years ago

Norman

9.6

Needed way more air and I’m going to say another 5 years in bottle. — 14 days ago

Matthew Cohen

9.6

N: muted. Complex. Pink roses. Floral.

P: silky tanins. Really juicy. Long. Almost sweet tart. Hint rubber.

Grapevine 285 — 4 months ago

Robert Torretti

9.1

Nice, cool-climate California Pinot Noir. Good red and dark fruits on the palate. I served it a bit too cold, but as it warmed up, the earthiness that this wine is known for came through. I don’t love California Pinot, but Rhys almost always impresses me. — 5 months ago

Jake Hajer

9.3

Tobacco and black currants classy and elegant. Showed well amongst impressive wines. — 7 months ago

Leo Gentile

9.4

Delicious fruity zin that’s holding up beautifully. A bit of oxidation although no pronounced off aroma or palette. Remarkable how this rich ripe wine has consistently delivered fruit and supple tannins after 10+ years. Tribute to Mr. Scherrer. — 3 years ago

Jason and Jennie

9.6

B did a great job in 2017. This is an outrageously good cab franc. Big wine but tastes like cab franc. Minerality, hint of green, plush dark fruit. — 4 years ago

Somm David T

Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator

9.4

Been awhile since I pulled out an Insigna.

The 03 Pichon Lalande is the better wine and steak pairing. However, Napa Cabernet is the choice to finish steak and enjoy on its own after. You never want to do Napa before Bordeaux IMHO. It’s much harder to adjust from sweeter to something more earthy.

Enjoyed the 05 as my score reflects. I don’t remember it being as sweet as it was in previous tastings. Still quite good. It just tipped my sweet scale a little too much.

The body is, rich, lush & round. It’s achieved good evolution after 13 years in bottle and will continue to improve over the next 6-8 years and last another 15 years. As I mentioned, the fruit was ripe & sweet. Blackberries, black plum, black raspberries, plums, hints of blueberries and strawberries haunting the backend. Rich, dark earth, Rutherford dusty tannins and dry soils, purple cola, touch of fresh tobacco & graphite, light baking spices of; cinnamon, dash of clove, nutmeg and vanillin, anise to black licorice, saddle-wood, used leather, dry stems, some dry, crushed rocks/limestone with red, dark, purple and blue florals. The acidity round and nicely executed. The finish was similar wire to wire. It’s, lush, rich, elegant, touch too sweet, polished, well balanced & knitted with a soft, persistent, dark spice on the long set. Very enjoyable second bottle.

Photos of; Joseph Phelps Winery & sloping estate vines, inside lounge are with views of the back side, tasting terrace and front lobby/salon area upon entering past check in. — 6 years ago

with Christina and James

Brian S

9.4

Still very young and the oak needs to burn off in big way. Blue and black fruit, coffee, black soil rocks. — 2 months ago

Jan de Weerd

9.4

This wine was awesome! It sang like the person in the opera of the Olympics closing ceremony. On all cylinders. Layers of beautiful bright dark blue and red fruit flavors carried by very present but super silky tannins that gave it ‘stop-in-your-track’ intensity. All in beautiful harmony. — 4 months ago

with Tammy

Scott E. Becker

9.3

[Tasted on February 1, 2026 at Tom and Kathy’s house with Tom and Kathy]

Cherry and strawberry fruit, with black tea, spice and rose petals. — 5 months ago

Khary Bizzell

9.5

Damn good — 9 months ago

Mark Laumann

9.2

Fathers Day - Mal brought back from St Helena - US Open - Matt Fitzpatrick wins — 4 years ago

with Mallory

Andrew

8.9

Crisp, apples — 5 years ago