Joseph Phelps Cabernet Sauvignon Backus Vineyard Oakville 2017 750ml

Joseph Phelps, the Napa pioneer behind Insignia, makes a vineyard-designated Cabernet from Backus, a steep, rocky hillside site in eastern Oakville. The 2017 blends 92% Cabernet Sauvignon with 4% each of Malbec and Petit Verdot. Jeb Dunnuck described it as "a more Pauillac, Château Latour-like effort" next to Insignia, with crème de cassis, graphite, crushed rock, smoked tobacco and violets on a dense, full-bodied, structured frame that still keeps the silky elegance of the vintage. Wine Advocate, James Suckling and Wine Spectator all praised it as well. Powerful and mineral, it can be enjoyed now after a long decant but should hit its stride over the next several years and age for two decades or more.