Joseph Phelps Vineyards

This is another white from Phelps that needs some more time in bottle. The aromas are a little sweet now but those will become integrated with time. That said, the nose belies the palate at this juncture because what hits your mouth immediately is the bright acidity. Then grapefruit enters at mid-palate with another dose of clean brightness. But there aren’t too many sharp edges here because the gestalt of the wine is roundness, from the time it spent in oak (nine months in French barrels, 15 percent of which was new). Hold onto it for a couple of years and the seemingly high price, will reward you in the end, over five or six years.

The 2005 vintage was unusually late due to mild temperatures that averaged between 70-80 degrees. From August 1 to October 31, only 15 days exceeded 90 degrees, and even then it never got hotter than 98. Despite this, color and flavors developed early on, with good sugars, though acids took longer to settle into balance.

The first grapes came in on September 11, exactly one month later than the previous year. Fermenting juice showed great color, balance and flavor, similar to the cool growing seasons of 1991, ‘94, ‘95 and ‘99.

The listed alcohol is 13.9 percent.

Reviewed September 15, 2006 by Alan Goldfarb.