Tom Garland

9.4

Insignia Masterclass

1998 Insignia
2001 Insignia
2004 Insignia
2008 Insignia
2013 Insignia
2023 Insignia

With:
David Pearson, President
Ryan Knoth, winemaker

@Joseph Phelps Vineyards, Napa — 11 days ago

with Brenda

Vanessa

9.2

Always hits the spot 🎯 — a month ago

with Deked1

Scott@Mister A’s-San Diego

9.2

2022 vintage. Nice enuff in the front and mid-palates with plenty of fruit, spice and richness. Dwindles on the finish and, like nearly all 2022's from Napa, missing that kapow/blammo at the end. 8.19.26. Missed the 2021 and haven't seen the 2023 but feel like they'll come through with the goods. 8.19.26. — a month ago

Alvaro Bustillos

9.0

Ugrch @ metropolina amarillo tx — a month ago

Karen Tripson

9.2

Lovely bubbles! — 3 months ago

Joe Fischer

8.9

Ruby with aromas of dark cherry, blackberry, licorice, and tobacco. Very cherry on the bud with a long smooth finish. — 4 months ago

Michael Dierberg

9.4

Great wine. Will improve but not a bad time to open. Aromatics started with a distinctive smoky or reductive note that I couldn’t quite place but dissipated and morphed. Good structure. — 5 months ago

with JiaMin

Eric Vishria

9.4

Just reliably delicious. In a perfect place. Not the most complex wine ever but you can’t not love it. — 2 days ago

Paul J

9.4

PnP. Great restaurant value. Dark purple color. Bold wine with great depth. Black fruit with meat and menthol. — a month ago

with Brooke

Jay Kline

9.2

Opened three days earlier. The 2023 pours a deep ruby/purple color with an opaque core; medium+ viscosity with significant staining of the tears. On the nose, the wine is developing with powerful notes of ripe brambles, lavender pastilles, bacon fat, black pepper, and fine baking spices. On the palate, the wine is dry with medium+ tannin and medium+ acid. Confirming the notes from the nose. The finish is medium+. A delightful pairing with Bison ribeye. Young but showing its potential. Drink now through 2043. — a month ago

Alvaro Bustillos

9.0

Geras en santi — a month ago

Lyle Fass

Founder Fass Selections

9.8

Beautiful, whip-smart Northern Rhône Syrah with blackberry, violets, granite and, after air, a gorgeous olive note running through both the nose and palate. The texture is sleek and refined, with excellent freshness, fine tannins and a long, elegant finish. Not quite as complete or tightly composed as the monumental 2019, but still an exceptional Gonon and a brilliant expression of the vintage. — 2 months ago

Jeremy Shanker

Sommelier at RN74

9.3

Forever favorite — 3 months ago

Jake Hajer

9.2

Clean fruit. Mixed peppercorn. Tasty old world Syrah. — 5 months ago

DAL 9000

9.3

Bouquet of dusty mild sour cherries. A burst in the middle of old world dustiness and dark cherries but mild and dry — 17 days ago

Henry K

9.8

One of the best champagnes I’ve ever had. Had at panchas after a long night lol. Still showed so beautifully. — 22 days ago

Jay Kline

9.4

Popped and poured; enjoyed over the course of an hour. The 1996 Belle Epoque pours a deep straw color with a persistent mousse. On the nose, the wine is vinous with generous white peaches, raspberries, white tree flower, marzipan and minerals. On the palate, the wine is dry with medium+ acid. Confirming the notes from the nose. The finish is long. The 1996 balance of acid and ripeness is so special. This gained energy with air. Drink now through 2036. Disgorged May of 2004. — a month ago

"Odedi"

9.1

Pale lemon in color.

Nice on the nose, and medium in body with medium plus acidity.

Dry on the palate with nice complexity.

Showing citrus, green apples, light spices, yeast, light brioche, minerals and sea salt.

Long finish with limes and almonds.

This 14 year old Champagne is starting to drink nicely now. Rich and nicely balanced. Tangy and spicy.

Still young, and needs a few years in the bottle to mature properly, and will continue to age nicely in the next 10 to 15 years.

I've had a few vintages of this Champagne, and this one seems less approachable at the moment.

Good by itself as a sipping wine or with food, like fresh seafood.

A blend of 50% Chardonnay and 50% Pinot Noir. Aged for 7 years on the lees.

12% alcohol by volume.

91 points.

$100. — 2 months ago

Scott@Mister A’s-San Diego

9.3

2019 vintage. Last tasted 10.30.24 (9.3). Popped for the staff as part of the usual Saturday Slurp. Previous visit was ridiculously delicious but undisciplined. All over the map and that was much of the charm...that rusticity and authenticity...but at Woodstock with 500K in attendance and the LSD-spiked punchbowl that ambushed The Who still found them nailing their set. Kinda similar to that. Yeah. So tonight's viz finds this bad boy relatively behaved with frontal palate richness and savory chocolate note along with a plushiness that was previously hinted at but unfulfilled. Gaminess gonzo for the most part as this seems to have settled into middle-age. Say it ain't so! Was crazy excellent in the punk rock era. Still excellent in the arena rock era. We'll see what happens in the crooner/standards era. 6.27.26. — 3 months ago

Ming L

9.0

Aromas of kirsch, dried cherry, old wood, leather, and warm spice lead into a broad, supple palate. The fruit is ripe and generous, with earthy undertones and hints of black olive and dried herbs. Structure comes more from fine tannins than visible acidity, giving a smooth, gently weighted flow rather than lift. The finish is savory and persistent, marked by a candied touch.

A nice traditional CdP, but it does not show the fruit purity and freshness that’s one of the hallmark of the great 16’ vintage. — 5 months ago