A Napa house known for their intense and full-throttle approach to winemaking, Orin Swift has a great lineup of wines that are not for the weary. Orin Swift Cellars was started in 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, and he later landed a job at Robert Mondavi Winery in 1997 as a temporary harvest worker. In 1998 he founded Orin Swift Cellars; Orin is his father’s middle name and Swift is his mother’s maiden name. Starting with two tons of Zinfandel and not much else, David spent the next decade making wine for others as well as himself and grew the company into a multinational brand. The winery also has a great tasting room in downtown Napa where you can try his brilliant range of wines.
David’s labels are highly evocative and show his brilliant marketing ability. But what inside the bottle is what impresses across the board. The new wines were really outstanding across the board. The 2018 Orin Swift ‘Eight Years in the Desert’ Red Wine (WWB, 93) is a Zinfandel based blend that shows a beautiful texture, lovely mouthfeel and compelling complexity. A true heavyhitter, the 2017 Orin Swift ‘Mercury Head’ Cabernet Sauvignon (WWB, 95) is beautifully textured but also shows great poise. I love this wine, as it has some massive cellaring potential. Learn more about Orin Swift’s strong lineup at http://www.orinswift.com. Here are some of the gorgeous release wines by Orin Swift.
2018 Orin Swift ‘Blank Stare’ Sauvignon Blanc- The 2018 ‘Blank Stare’ is a gorgeous new effort by Orin Swift entrely sourced from the Russian River Valley AVA. Ripe peach and honeysuckle tones fill the nose with shades of nutmeg. The palate shows plenty of baking spice flavors alongside gorgeous gooseberry, kiwi, and lemon zest infused sourdough bread. With great length and weight, this outstanding new wine will enjoy a long life ahead of it. Drink 2020-2027- 91
2018 Orin Swift ‘Mannequin’ Chardonnay- This California Chardonnay shows plenty of toasty oak on the nose with Golden Delicious apple and freshly baked French bread tones rounding out the nose. The palate is soft, with a smooth sense of texture. The length really impresses here, as does the great sense of viscosity that comes off delightfully unctuous. Really good right now, the 2018 ‘Mannequin’ will cellar well for a decade to come. Drink 2020-2028- 91
2018 Orin Swift ‘Slander’ Pinot Noir- Aged for ten months in 42% new French oak, this outstanding new Pinot Noir was sourced from the Sta. Rita Hills AVA as well as from Annapolis, Olson Ranch, Sleepy Hollow and MacMurray vineyards. Cola and cran-orange tones combine with shades of ripe guava and sassafras on the nose. The palate has good weight and balance with layers of red fruits with citrus rind, and cola tones. The weight here really delights. Drink 2020-2028- 91
2018 Orin Swift ‘Eight Years In The Desert’ Red Wine- The ‘Eight Years In The Desert’ is a Zinfandel based proprietary blend that was aged for 8 months in French and American Oak (37% New). The nose takes the lead with red currants that meld with shades of ripe plum and savory tones that all take shape in the glass. The palate is round and generous with a good acid backbone. Layers of red and dark fruits combine with salted chocolate malt balls, with tar and leather mingling together on the palate. Not for the weary, this delicious and generous wine will cellar well over the next eight to ten years. Drink 2020-2028- 93
2017 Orin Swift ‘Abstract’ Red Wine- Consistently one of the great values in California wine, the 2017 ‘Abstract’ is a proprietary blend of Grenache, Petite Sirah and Syrah that was aged for only eight months in mostly used oak before bottling. The nose smells like Grenache and Petite Sirah with its high tones (red rose petals, red cherry candy and guava) from the Grenache and the deep, brooding blueberry and tar tones from the Petite Sirah. The palate is plush with a great sense of decadence and mouthfeel. Layers of blueberry compote, mocha, tar and kirsch cordial all collude with minerals and a great acid backbone. With light tannins and good length, this gorgeous, generous wine will provide drinking enjoyment for more than a decade. Drink 2020-2033- 94
2017 Orin Swift ‘Pappillon’ Cabernet Sauvignon- The 2017 ‘Pappilon’ is a great Bordeaux stye wine made of Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot, Malbec and Merlot that was aged for 15 months in 43% new French oak prior to bottling. Creme de cassis aromatics artfully combine with tar, and suggestions of Black Forest cake on this gorgeous nose. The palate is fresh, dense and downright gorgeous. Layers of kirsch cordial, cassis, mocha and creosote combine with the great sense of minerality and good tension and length. Gorgeous to enjoy in its youth, this beautiful new Cabernet Sauvignon wine will cellar well for a decade or more. Drink 2020-2033- 93
2017 Orin Swift ‘Palermo’ Red Wine- The ‘Palermo’ is 100% Cabernet Sauvignon that was aged for eight months in 38% new French oak prior to bottling. Mocha, tar and anise tones are woven together with shades of allspice and red bell pepper on the nose. The palate is plush, delivering dense anise, blackberry compote and creme de cassis flavors with minerals and a strong tannic backbone. The weight and acidity here is really good Gorgeous to enjoy in its youth, the beautiful 2017 ‘Palermo’ will cellar well for a decade or more. Drink 2020-2032- 92
2017 Orin Swift ‘Mercury Head’ Cabernet Sauvignon- The 2017 Orin Swift ‘Mercury Head’ Cabernet Sauvignon is a sensational new release by this Napa winery. On the nose there are beautiful red rose petal tones that are woven together with mocha, anise, creme de cassis and shades of blueberry compote. The palate is dense and decadent with a great acid backbone. The freshness and elegance of the wine really shines, as ripe Hoisin sauce and baking spices collide with rose water, blackberry cordial, Turkish coffee and shades of dark licorice. A complete wine, showing a hedonistic bent yet possessing great freshness, the 2017 ‘Mercury Head’ will enjoy a very long road ahead of it. Drink 2020-2040- 95