Joseph Phelps Vineyards
When Joseph “Joe” Phelps purchased a former cattle ranch in St. Helena in 1973, he had already built a successful career in the construction industry, but his passion was increasingly turning to wine. Convinced of the potential of the then-emerging fine wine region of Napa Valley, he founded Joseph Phelps Vineyards and wasted no time in building his winery. He never settled for mediocrity and insisted on the highest quality—if a vineyard did not meet his standards despite its prime location, he had it uprooted, according to those who knew him. His pursuit of excellence was always accompanied by innovation and a willingness to experiment: Phelps was one of the first Americans to establish Rhône varieties such as Syrah. And at a time when single-varietal Cabernets and Pinots were the norm, he created the first outstanding California Bordeaux blend made by a winemaker with the 1974 vintage—the legendary Insignia.
From the very beginning, the idea behind this top-tier cuvée (in California, the term Meritage was commonly used for such blends for a long time) was to combine the best lots from the top subregions of the valley. Even then, the winery focused on growing each grape variety in its ideal terroir. Today, the successors of Joseph Phelps have access to grapes from some of the finest vineyards in Napa Valley as well as from neighboring Sonoma.
