A freshly plowed humus note pokes out first, with further coaxing in the glass revealing dense black currant, fig and blackberry paste flavors. On the back end, bittersweet cocoa and espresso crema notes give this a dark, slightly rugged persona, but should smooth out with some brief cellaring. For fans of the toasty style. Best from 2025 through 2040. 58,562 cases made.

Joseph Phelps Vineyards is a family-owned winery based in St. Helena. It was founded in 1973 when Joseph Phelps, a building contractor from Colorado, arrived in Napa Valley to build wineries. He soon decided to make his own wine and purchased a former cattle ranch near St. Helena.The Home Ranch in St. Helena that Joe fell in love with so many years ago features one hundred and thirty acres of wine grapes, olive orchards, fruit trees, and a hillside winery offering incomparable hospitality and panoramic vineyard views. Joe also donated a conservation easement over most of the Home Ranch to the Land Trust of Napa County in 1999. As a result of this gift, hundreds of acres of Napa Valley will forever be preserved as open space.