United States · California

Joseph Phelps

Joseph Phelps Vineyards was founded in 1972 in the Spring Valley district of St. Helena, becoming one of the first Napa producers to champion Bordeaux-blend winemaking in California. The Insignia program — launched in 1974 as one of America's first proprietary red Bordeaux blends — predates Opus One and established the template for Napa's prestige blended Cabernet category. Phelps also produced California's first commercial Syrah in 1974 and introduced Scheurebe, Riesling, and Gewürztraminer from early plantings in Napa Valley. The historic Eisele Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon — produced through the 1970s and early 1980s before Phelps sold the vineyard to Bart and Daphne Araujo in 1990 — remains among the most collectible early California Cabernets at auction, averaging $1,108 across 124 lots with a peak 1975 vintage and an extraordinary auction ceiling of $22,705 for large-format historic bottles. Insignia drives the main auction volume at 1,068 lots and $250 average, with 2007 as the top vintage. The Backus Vineyard Cabernet, sourced from Oakville, averages $186 across 623 lots. The broader Cabernet Sauvignon designation serves a more accessible tier at $87/296 lots. Freemark Abbey Winery acquired Phelps in 2022 following the founding family's decision to sell, though Insignia production continues under existing winemaking leadership. The estate operates across approximately 300 acres in the Spring Valley area, farming primarily Bordeaux varieties and Rhône whites.