Thinking about opening either one, anyone care to shed some light as to which is more approachable? Does it need a long decant?
Mike, I have not had those in some time. But I remember liking the 2001 quite a bit better than the 2002. I also don’t decant Insignias, let them evolve over the course of the evening.
I think there is a bit of difference in the style here - 02 a bit more fruit forward and bigger, the 01 a bit more reserved and classic. May just depend on your personal preferences.
Go with the 2001 as mentioned above.
I agree that it depends on the style you like. The 01 is good but I prefer bigger wines. The 02, for me is better and I think at this point any time in the bottle just looses some fruit, so Id open the 02. If you prefer more delicate wines then Id go for the 01 and hope the 02 sheds some more fruit over time.
I’d say it’s a complete toss-up. I’d give either one a 1/2 hr in the decanter, but not a lot more as the strength of these is the fruit more than the elegance.
The 02 might be a bit better, but only to those not opposed to lush, ripe fruit. It has a good amount of Merlot in it (15%?), with the cab only around 76-78%. It’s like the 07 in that the glycerin and richness is more prominent than the tannin and acid. To me this makes the wine unique and strongly Californian. Unless you’re fuit averse, there isn’t reason to really age it much more, as it it will lose some of what it is.
The 01 is not as fruit forward, so the structure is more noticeable. I think it’s heavier on the cab at around 90%. It’s not a massive wine, and I can see those with a more bordeaux-palate liking it more. I don’t think either of the wines will be much different with another couple of years. Though if you love Cal-cab the 01 might feel lacking the hallmark opulence if aged more than a few more years.
opened up and decanted the 2001 at 10:00am EST, plan on airing it out for about two hours and then driving to Jersey, where it will be enjoyed tonight with some Rib Eye.