1998 Joseph Phelps Cabernet

I have been known to transport wine across the world, in an effort to bring home favorites that I wasn't sure I could find back in NYC.  That has included many bottles from Argentina, a few keepers from Sonoma, and a couple of wines we loved from a trip to Napa.  Back then (2002), wine shops wouldn't ship to certain states and many wines were harder to find in NYC.  The web has changed that, thanks to sites like wine-searcher.com and the loosening of wine shipping regulations.  With friends over for dinner a few nights ago, I thought it was the perfect time to break out a stashed Napa bottle.  The Joseph Phelps 1998 Cab was a good wine that we'd tasted at their vineyard, though I knew that 1998 was a subpar year for Cab in Napa.  But it was a highlight from an amazing experience we had at the Phelps winery, and that's the reason we bought it.  Overlooking vineyards on their terrace on a crisp, sunny day in the wine country (while tasting a few vintages of the Phelps Insignia, nonetheless) was an experience to remember.  One that had been symbolized in a good but not great bottle of wine that has been stored for years as a keepsake (of course, there are also amazing pictures but none shot digitally...gasp! the horror! ).  The picture on the label was very similar to the view I remember from the Phelps winery - but who knows, I was drunk (that was a joke.  sort of.)

Anyway, we just cracked this wine and it was amazing.  I can't stand young, huge, tannic Cali Cabs. I tend to avoid ordering them in restaurants or drinking them at home, to be honest. Waiting at least a few years until the wine mellows and rounds out a bit is a great idea.  The wine was powerful with a long, fruity, oaky finish -  yet it was softer, with less tannin than what I had remembered.  I decanted it for 1 hour before serving and it was fantastic with a mushroom and ricotta gnudi I made.  You can probably track it down for about $40 a bottle.  But to be honest, I'm hoping you just pick up a nice Cab sometime and store it for a few years.  Who knows, maybe you'll not only enjoy a much improved wine but also a few sunny memories from your past. 

 

Comments

[Roxanne]

I can't quite figure it out. It being the wall street journal's page without having to pay for it, but they had an interesting article today in the weekend section on pinot grissio (sp?) from Italy sort of having an identity crisis. I guess since i joined both i thought i should pass along the word if you so happened to be a subscriber.