INSIGNIA

2017 Joseph Phelps

EN PRIMEUR

Not yet bottled, the 2017 Insignia (which includes no Petit Verdot due to the frosts) offers both red and black fruits as well as lots of spice box, gravelly earth, and integrated oak. It opens up beautifully with time in the glass, is medium to full-bodied, has beautiful mid-palate depth and concentration, and a great finish. It’s a classic, undeniable success in this challenging vintage Rating: 95-97 Jeb Dunnuck, www.jebdunnuck.com (Sept 2020)

* This is a pre-shipment/primeur offer. All orders are accepted under the TERMS of this offer which differ from the terms of the rest of the site.

A beautiful, focused wine with a tight center palate of blackberries, blueberries and dark chocolate. Very subtle. Hints of mint and sage, too. Medium to full body and fine, racy tannins. A reserved and very pretty Insignia. Fresh finish. Hard not to drink now, but better in 2022 Rating: 96 James Suckling, www.jamessuckling.com (Sept 2020)

7 600 cases made. Delivers showy fruit, with layered flavors of warmed boysenberry, blackberry and açai berry paste, framed by a subtle aider hint and backed by warm earth and cast iron details on the finish. Not shy, and well-built for the vintage. Cabernet Sauvignon; Malbec and Cabernet Franc. Drinking range: 2022 - 2038 Rating: 94 James Molesworth, The Wine Spectator (Jul 2020)

The 2017 Insignia Proprietary Red Wine is a barrel sample blended of 94% Cabernet Sauvignon, 4% Malbec and 2% Cabernet Franc, projected to age 24 months in 100% new French oak. Medium to deep garnet-purple colored, it features lovely crème de cassis, blackberry preserves and spice cake scents with touches of plum preserves and dried Provence herbs plus hints of tree bark and pencil lead. Medium to full-bodied, the palate is laden with energetic fruit, framed by firm, grainy tannins and finishing with a lovely minty lift. 7,700 cases are expected to be made Rating: 94-97 Lisa Perrotti-Brown, RobertParker.com (Apr 2020)

'Joseph Phelps was one of the great visionaries of Napa Valley. His legacy is one of extraordinary quality. He was one of the first to see the merit in blending, which his legendary Insignia, which first debuted in 1974, has proven year after year. It remains one of the world’s finest Cabernet Sauvignon-dominated blends.' Robert M. Parker, Jr. www.RobertParker.com

Please make sure that you have read the terms of this offer which are different from those on the main website. If you are unclear as to what is involved in primeur purchases please do call us, but see the 'practical notes' below.

Ordering

Prices are per case as listed 'in bond' (excluding duty paid and VAT).

Pre-Orders are a firm commitment to buy wines on release, as long as the release price sits within the upper and lower price bands set by you on the pre-order form. Pre-orders will be fulfilled subject to availability but providing this firm commitment to buy effectively gives you priority and is a good idea for the most desirable wines.

Wines listed on the website can be ordered in the usual way via the website wishlist order form. You can also send orders directly to our private client team via email. Please note that, for the most sought after wines, priority will be given to those who ordered the same wines last year and to those that have pre-ordered.

You can register your interest via the online wishlist form, by emailing privateclients@leaandsandeman.co.uk, or by calling 020 7221 1982. All wishlist requests are subject to availability and final confirmation. Inevitably, some wines will have to be allocated but please do not let that deter you from asking. We will do our best to satisfy all requests.

Confirmation

All orders will be confirmed by email and are contractually binding unless written cancellation is received within seven days of the confirmation date.

Invoices are raised at in bond prices. Duty and VAT invoices will be raised on request when the wines land in the UK.

Payment is required on sight of invoice, by cash, cheque, debit card or bank transfer. We reserve the right to levy a dunning charge of 2% per month on invoices unpaid after 30 days.

Delivery

  • Shipment to our bond (at LCB Creek Road) and insurance are included in the in bond price.
  • Delivery is free to Lea and Sandeman / Elephant Storage accounts, both duty paid and in bond.
  • Other in bond deliveries are free subject to a minimum order from the offer of £1,000. Orders below this total will be charged at £16.50+ VAT when the wine invoices are issued. We will group deliveries and this is a charge for your entire purchase from this offer, not a per-case charge. Please inform us of in bond delivery addresses and account details at the time of ordering.
  • If the wines are required duty paid we will issue invoices at prevailing rate of duty and VAT when the wines arrive in the UK.
  • The wines will become available by the end of the year and should be shipped very early next year.