Napa must-visit Winery: Joseph Phelps Vineyards
Gorgeous vineyard at Joseph Phelps, Napa
Joseph Phelps Vineyards is definitely one of the luxury wineries to visit in Napa. With comfortable outdoor patio seating overlooking gorgeous views of their vineyard, topped off by their excellent service, it certainly makes you feel pampered and yearn to come back. Even my second visit to this winery did not disappoint and neither did my guests. On this visit, we reserved the Founder’s Tasting.
The Tasting Experience
As you walk up through the main entrance toward the outdoor seating area, we were greeted and welcomed with a flute of their bubbly, a great way to open up the palate and set the mood. We were then quickly seated to our table, it was a nice corner lounge seating facing the gorgeous vineyards, spacious for a group of 4. The lounge seating were spread out enough that you won’t overhear too much of the conversations in the next table. It was nice to have the privacy and a really nice touch to see the tasting menu being personalized with our names on it. This tasting does include bread, olives and their locally farmed tomatoes, a nice touch to add to the tasting experience but it is $120 per person for this tasting, which does seem a little pricey.
For this tasting, we had 5 different wines - Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, a red blend, their classic Cabernet Sauvignon and last but not least their infamous Insignia. I was quite impressed by their sparkling wine, it was a refreshing welcome to the tasting, helps to open up the palate due to its bright acidity balanced by notes of honey. The 2021 Chardonnay is also quite elegant, mineral and fruit forward but still has a smooth finish. The 2021 Pinot Noir is young and fruity on the nose, lots of strawberries and rose petals, tannins are soft but has a peppery finish. The 2021 Cabernet Sauvignon is a nice bold full bodied red with notes of blackberry layered with spice, vanilla and tobacco. A solid Cab indeed but perhaps still does not have that refined silky finish from the Insignia.
Insignia, Napa Valley 2021
Definitely not one to disappoint, this fruit-forward red wine is bursting with blackberries and dark cherries on the nose, layered with vanilla, oak and leather aromas. Enticing complexity on the nose, bold in flavors, but most importantly an elegant silky long finish lingering on the palate. It is definitely a wine to impress.
Wine and Dine @JPV
The Dining Room
For those seeking a more full and elevated experience, JPV also offers a full lunch with wine pairing which unfortunately we did not get to try this time around. The menu definitely looks enticing but comes at a price tag as well, $350 and up. It does seem a little steep to me but if it can be a good way to pamper oneself if you are seeking for a full wine & dine experience here.
I do love how bright and spacious this dining room is, great for small group events in a rather intimate setting. JPV does a great job with setting the right mood here, their decor is grand and luxurious. The indoor lounge seating and armchairs are also very comfortable and relaxing. Definitely a great winery to visit in Napa Valley and one to impress if you have guest visiting the area.
Overall, we had a great time here at JPV. It was a beautiful morning and a great way to start off our tasting ventures here in Napa. Everything here screams luxury, which definitely reminds us of LV (Louis Vuitton) brand, the building interior has a nice architecture, lots of wood paneling giving it a warm and cosy feel. We took lots of pictures and here are some to share to give you a feel of the place. Hope you would have a chance to visit some day and enjoy this as much as we did.
