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Joseph Phelps Vineyards Releases 2023 Insignia, First Vintage Under Winemaker Ryan Knoth

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Published
09/29/2026 by

Joseph Phelps Vineyards announced the release of the 2023 vintage of the winery's flagship blend, Insignia. The first vintage overseen by Senior Director of Winemaking Ryan Knoth and under ownership of Moët Hennessy, the wine is available direct-to-consumer (DTC) Sept. 1 and through select restaurants and fine wine retailers starting Oct. 1 at a suggested retail price (SRP) of $365.

Joseph "Joe" Phelps was a visionary and pioneer who helped establish the Napa Valley as one of the world's preeminent wine regions. A successful entrepreneur who ran his family's construction business in Colorado, he was also a lover of French and Italian wine. He dreamed of founding his own winery, and the pursuit of this dream brought him to Napa Valley. The land's beauty and biodiversity convinced him that the Napa Valley was a place where he could produce high-quality wine, and create a legacy of his own.

He began in 1973 by transforming a 600-acre cattle ranch that today is known as the Home Ranch. A year later, he released the first vintage of Insignia, Napa Valley's first-ever proprietary Bordeaux blend. Today, Insignia tells the story of the vintage that creates it. Precisely blended from the best fruit from the winery's 425 acres of estate vineyards, Insignia is generous without ever being overbearing. Its resilience and age-worthiness disguises a youthful approachability.

The 2023 vintage is the first vintage under the direction of Senior Director of Winemaking Ryan Knoth, the fourth winemaker to hold the title in the 51 years since the winery's founding. Knoth joined the team in 2022 and oversees the production of all wines sourced from Joseph Phelps Vineyards' Napa Valley estate vineyards. A biochemist by training, Knoth brings a scientist's attention to detail to the art of winemaking, with a specific expertise in blending remarkable wines. With 15 years of winemaking and viticulture experience under his belt, he honors the legacy of Joseph Phelps Vineyards while bringing a fresh, dynamic perspective to the winery.

 

"It's an incredible honor to carry forward the tradition of Insignia, and I couldn't be more proud of the 2023 vintage. The blend represents seven estate vineyards from Oak Knoll up to St. Helena, resulting in a true expression of Napa Valley from a truly incredible growing season," said Knoth. "I was inspired by Joseph Phelps Vineyard's first winemaker Walter Schug when creating this blend, bringing forward freshness and tension that offers both immediate appeal and the promise of graceful aging."

 

The 2023 vintage is a blend of:

  • 88% Cabernet Sauvignon
  • 7% Petit Verdot
  • 5% Cabernet Franc

The vintage pulls fruit from seven estate vineyards across six Napa Valley American Viticulture Areas (AVAs), including:

  • Backus—Oakville AVA
  • Banca Dorada—Rutherford AVA
  • Barboza—Stags Leap AVA
  • Home Ranch—St. Helena AVA
  • Las Rocas—Stags Leap AVA
  • Suscol—Napa Valley AVA
  • Yountville—Oak Knoll AVA

 

This vintage of Insignia also represents the first vintage for Moët Hennessy, which acquired Joseph Phelps Vineyards in 2022. With the support of Moët Hennessy, Joseph Phelps Vineyards is undergoing a multi-year effort to adopt agroecology across the winery's estate vineyards, both in Napa Valley and in Freestone, on the West Sonoma Coast.
  

"Joseph Phelps himself set the early standard of responsible farming in Napa Valley—after acquiring the Home Ranch that became Joseph Phelps Vineyards, he donated 480 acres to be protected under the Napa Valley Land Trust. He truly understood that a healthy ecosystem would only improve well-being and yields of the vineyards he planted," said Joseph Phelps Vineyards President David Pearson. "Today, we are honoring his legacy and the future of this land by implementing holistic farming practices that will restore and maintain the vineyards, including minimal tillage to support the soil, the reintroduction of native plants in and around the vineyards to foster biodiversity, and inviting nature back in. None of this would have been possible without our partnership with Moët Hennessy, which is helping us preserve and protect Joseph Phelps' vision for generations to come."

Starting Oct. 1, the 2023 Insignia will be available in select restaurants and fine wine retailers across the US. For more information, please visit www.josephphelps.com

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