From the winery:

WINEMAKER NOTES

The Insignia from this growing season is a deep, black cherry red color, with aromas of roasted black fruit, licorice, cedar and spice. The tannins are rich and full in flavor and texture to give this wine incredible depth and length in the finish.

VINTAGE NOTES

The outstanding 1999 vintage was characterized by a long growing season which allowed flavor development to proceed at a measured pace. Temperatures were mild, there was no threat of rain, and warm weather in mid-July allowed the crop to mature into picture-perfect clusters of small berries which, by harvest, displayed optimal color, flavor and acid levels.

BLEND AND GRAPE SOURCES

71% Cabernet Sauvignon, 21% Merlot, 6% Petit Verdot, 1% Malbec & 1% Cabernet Franc from 79% estate & 21% grower vineyards: 29% Banca Dorada Vineyard (Rutherford), 21% Las Rocas Vineyard and 7% Barboza Vineyard (Stags Leap), 14% Yountville Vineyard (Oak Knoll), 8% Home Ranch Vineyard (St. Helena) and 21% Coombsville, St. Helena and Carneros growers.

APPELLATION: Napa Valley

HARVEST DATES: October 1-20, 1999

AGING/COOPERAGE: 26 months in new French oak barrels

“Well-focused, with firm acidity and firm yet supple tannins.” — Wine Spectator (2002)

“The 1999 possesses a healthy deep ruby/purple color along with an open-knit, sweet, candied nose of red and black currants, loamy soil, underbrush and forest floor as well as a touch of oak. This medium-bodied, fresh, lively Insignia exhibits tell-tale acids with much of its tannin already resolved. It is an outstanding Insignia, but not one of the estate’s legendary efforts.” — Robert Parker, Wine Advocate (2013)