Joseph Phelps Vineyards

On January 2015 we came to Joseph Phelps knowing their wines and a bit of their history. My wife and I had a great time here, we had the opportunity to taste a very old Insignia vintage which was amazing as well as multiple other. We subscribed and to their wine club and still getting shipments these days.
We also took home 4 bottles of 2012 Cabernet.

I had a great experience at this Winery! I went here yesterday to start my Christmas vacation so it being Dec 23 was probably why it was so easy to get started with the tasting right away. This place is a must see when going to Napa and I highly recommend you put it on your itinerary but beware that it is $ 75 per tasting :/
Ambiance: The space is absolutely breathtaking and the view of the vineyard is picturesque. There were three main spaces that I walked through, the first the main entrance, second the wine room where we enjoyed our tastings, and lastly the patio outside overlooking the vineyard. I also saw that there is a full kitchen (perfect for events like a wedding). There was also a group doing an interactive wine making class, which is pretty cool.
Customer Service: A+, I wish I got our pourer’s name because she was so personable and warm. She was great at describing the wine that was being poured and answering our questions. I asked her about Joseph Sterling and how the winery came to be and she was great at telling the story. She also shared the story about the bottles on the wall.
Wine Quality: I shared a terrace tasting since it was early and I barely ate before. It was some of the best quality wine I’ve had. I am normally not a fan of cab but it was very subtle. I also really enjoyed the Insigna as well.
Overall Review: A must see, I recommend the Terrace tasting and enjoy the views!

3.5 STARS
Their renovations have been complete for around three months now, and instead of being our last stop out of town, this time they were our first. My boyfriend recently gifted me a bottle of my fav from Joseph Phelps, Insignia and now we can say we’ve had a chance to try it’s big brother — Backus!
We had a reservation for a terrace tasting and I must admit I don’t recall it being as pricey as it was on our first visit when they were under renovation. Dorothy, this isn’t Kansas! If you’re from LA and taste in Santa Barbara you can close the door on any thought of tasting for that price in Napa. It’s actually a bit sad that it’s as pricey as it is but maybe it helps keep the riff raff out. I felt obligated to order my boyfriend a gift from amazon as we sat tasting after he paid for two, which may have made the overall experience a little different. I felt it was steep for what it is.
Personally, I think we could have done with one tasting since I don’t care for their whites or Pinots. At this point all I really want to try is their Insignia and Backus.
Price aside, although it may have made more sense to buy one nice bottle for us to share on the terrace (or elsewhere) and call it a visit, we did have a chance to try their 2012, and 2013 Insignia. I really enjoyed their 2012, and couldn’t make a great judgment call on the ’13 at this point.
Staff were friendly enough, but there’s something a little stuffy about this place. I can’t quite put my finger on what it is and some times people like that and it works — for me, I felt a tad bit ADD. Lovely view but something a bit boring and almost stale about the place even though it’s newly remodeled sort of like a house that isn’t a home type feel. I also don’t care for places that are stuck on «we’re the best, we’re the best, everyone else is second to us» type attitude. Personally, the wine should speak for itself and is different for every palate. I really respect when we can visit a place and based on what we like and don’t like can find other amazing recommendations in the area. I can’t say you’ll find this here.
I think we can stick to purchasing from our local wine store and possibly revisit in the future if we are so ever inclined.

This a MUST-​visit winery on your trip to Napa. Highly recommend booking a Tasting at least 1−2months ahead of your vacation. We reserved a 10am Terrace Tasting. Our guide informed us that the winery recently received a ‘make-​over’ and what we are seeing has been recently open to the public since May. They did a very nice job. The winery is beautiful and very well designed.
Our tasting took an hour from beginning to end. However, if there were more people having a tasting at 10am, it may take longer. You are provided a walk-​through mini tour of the winery before heading out to the Terrace for your tasting. You are seated in very comfortable chairs that overlook the valley. What better way to enjoy Phelps wine in the morning overlooking the misty valley and grape vines!
After our tour, we needed to go to our next tasting appointment so we felt slightly rushed trying to squeeze in a 60mins tasting. Safely allow yourself time for 1.5 hours to relax, drink wine and enjoy the scenery. We HAD to join their Wine Club. We enjoyed all the wines provided to us, especially the ones that were only distributed through the Wine Club. Looking forward to our first shipment in a few months.
I believe the tasting was $ 75.00/pp, but it is definitely worth the price as you get to taste a great deal of good wine.

This place was the best place.
The newly renovated grounds and room are gorgeous. The back patio, which overlooks tons of vineyard land, was beautiful, filled with shade and quiet. Most of the other vineyards we visited wouldn’t do tastings on their patios, only sell you bottles to drink out there.
Although this tasting was on the expensive side, you get 7 pours and they are some of the most unique and innovative wines I’ve ever had. Usually I steer towards heavy reds, like malbec, and those are the kinds of wines I favour, but these whites were so multi dimensional I couldn’t help but enjoy them — even more than the reds? The flight made a ton of sense, slowly building, and the temperatures of each wine were perfect. I literally never wanted to leave. Some of the end wines were upwards of $ 220 USD per bottle, so you’re definitely getting to try things you might not usually get to buy (unless you’re a lucky one!)

One of the top wineries we visited on our three day trip to Napa. We were able to visit the new tasting room which had only been open for a few weeks.
Our «guide» was extremely knowledgeable and was a huge help as we began tasting the wine. We splurged for the more expensive tasting, but as we did at most, my wife and I split the tasting. I would highly recommend this approach especially if you’re visiting multiple spots throughout the day.
We were able to taste eight different wines. All of which were unique in their own rights. But the star of the show was undoubtedly the Insignia. It was still a relatively new vintage so tannins were quite strong but you could taste the depth and finish of something special.
In the end, we joined the wine club and are excited to continue to receive these great wines in the future.