Format was 4 vintages of Insignia over a 5 course dinner at one of Seouls better restaurants Table 34. Also a couple of other wines throughout the night. Tom Sheldon (CEO) was the Phelps representative, really genuinely nice guy and very knowledgeable.
Vintages served were 89' 96' 98' 99', far from the best vintages from this house but I guess good examples of the style.
Started with a glass of 2000 Sauvignon Blanc, nice grassy and citrus nose, not quite the zip and freshness of a NZ savvy but decent none the less.
Then onto the reds, the format was very good, started with a small sample of each of the wines in their own glass in front of you, then do a tasting of each, food then comes out and the wines are poured individually (there was plenty on offer so they just kept on topping up
), I can thoroughly recommend this method for anyone doing tastings, it allows sensible sober assessment at the start of the evening.
1989 Insignia: Starting to brick at the edges slightly, 89' was a tough year in the valley with a period of rain, I think it shows, the wine is now on its way down hill, nose of dried fruits and herbs, light on the palate and slightly astringent, very herbal....pass....
1996 Insignia: This is more like it, lovely nose of black currants and spice, and cassis with a touch of chocolate and mint. On the palate its medium bodied and the flavour profile mimics the nose. Long decent finished. Very nice wine.
1998 Insignia: Nice nose, again black fruit and spice, but on the palate this one drops off like a roller coaster, to be honest, you can tell it has good wine making (it has some class) but obviously the vintage was too tough.
1999 Insignia: This is much bigger, nose of blackberry jam (and those blackberry chewy sweets you can buy) and spice, on the palate this is more like it, decent supporting tannins and a long finish, this will be a beauty in about 5 years when it melds together and the tannins die down.
1997 Backus Vineyard: Single vineyard cabernet produced in good years. Nice wine again with a typical cabernet nose and a typical cabernet palate with a reasonably large hole in the middle, I think this needs a bit of merlot or something to round it out.
199? Phelps Ice wine: grapes are frozen then pressed so not the traditional version. Good nose of honey and citrus but this is just a little bit simple and overly sweet for me.
All in all...2 good wines, but are these worth $150 US a bottle?? short answer I donÂ’t think so. Australia is producing wines a number of wines at well under half that price that provide more satisfaction, Moss wood, Cullen to name two.
Afterwards went to a wine bar with the 2 people I was with and had the following:
1999 Sassicaia: Ok...its too young now but I still donÂ’t really give this wine a great future, not enough fruit and too much tannin. I think Im going to give up on this wine now....too expensive and perennially under delivers.
1999 Messorio: Wow, this is more like it, 100% merlot, WOTN, great purple colour, such a complex and powerful nose, smoke, berries, plum, spice, cedar box. On the palate long and fine, intense concentration and perfectly balanced tannins....finish goes on and on. If parker didnÂ’t anoint it with 98/100 and they produced more than 300 cases I might be able to find some for a reasonable price and cellar it. But great wine anyway.
2000 Chateau Beaucastel: initially very closed and tight but slowly opened up to reveal spice, sweet fruit (cassis), on the palate reasonably light-on and slightly tannic, not a favourite of mine but I was told that with time in the decanter this improves beyond measure....I guess I will just have to see that.
1999 Rosemount Balmoral: obviously too young now but a very god wine none the less, I liked it more this time than last time. Intense nose but still quite closed, nice mouth feel with cherry and berries, good long persistent finish. tannins are obvious, this wine well into the future.
Then down to less salubrious establishment known as a room salon (to allay fears basically just Karaoke
) with 2 other friends who turned up for a bottle of whiskey which turned into 2 bottles of whiskey and another bottle of Phelps standard cabernet which I wont even comment on as I was gone 
Head ache the next day
wonder why 