Orin Swift Mercury Head, Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa, California, United States 2019

The wine is introduced with rich primary aromatics of cassis, blueberry and black cherry, complemented with hints of lavender, chaparral and sandalwood. The entry is brawny with ripe blackberry and boysenberry that transitions to a nuanced mid-palate of dark toffee and espresso bean. Integrated tannins that will soften over time lead a finish of soft rhubarb and licorice.

The history of Orin Swift Cellars dates back to 1995 when on a lark, David Swift Phinney took a friend up on an offer and went to Florence, Italy to spend a semester “studying”. During that time, he was introduced to wine, how it was made, and got hooked. A few more years of university led to graduation and eventually a job at Robert Mondavi Winery in 1997 as a temporary harvest worker. Deciding that if he was going to work this hard, it would eventually have to be for himself, so in 1998 he founded Orin Swift Cellars; Orin is his father’s middle name and Swift is his mother’s maiden name. With two tons of zinfandel and not much else, he spent the next decade making wine for others as well as himself and grew the brand to what it is today.