One of the bolder wineries in Napa, Orin Swift was founded back 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 2021 Orin Swift ‘Eight Years in the Desert’ Red Wine (OB, 94) is a gorgeous Zinfandel based blend that is stunning to consume right now. An awesome effort from a challenging vintage, the 2020 Orin Swift ‘Abstract’ Red Wine (OB, 92) is chewy and soft — best consumed right now. Learn more about these great, intense wines at http://www.orinswift.com. Here are some of the gorgeous release wines by Orin Swift.
2020 Orin Swift ‘Abstract’ Red Wine- The 2020 ‘Abstract’ combines Grenache with Petit Sirah and Syrah. Inky in the glass, this was aged for eight months in less than 30% new French oak before bottling. Mocha, tar, leather, boysenberry cordial and creme de violette flavors all combine on the palate. A really good effort considering the challenges of the vintage, consume this beauty now and over the next few years. Drink 2023-2028- 92
2021 Orin Swift ‘Eight Years In the Desert’ Zinfandel- The 2021 Orin Swift ‘Eight Years In the Desert’ is an outstanding blend of Zinfandel, Petite Sirah and Syrah that was aged for eight months in 30% new French oak. The bramble notes from the Zinfandel are lovely, mingling well with wild blackberry, black tea and shades of espresso grounds. The palate is round and generous with a silky mouthfeel and wonderful sense of viscosity and tension. Finishing long with dense black fruits and copious minerals, this is really seamless stuff to consume now and over the next eight years. Drink 2023-2031- 94
2020 Orin Swift ‘Papillon’ Red Wine- An excellent wine made from a hard vintage, the 2020 ‘Pappillon’ is a proprietary blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Malbec, Merlot and Petit Verdot. Nicely balanced, this offers black tea and exotic spice notes alongside dark currants and shades of chocolate fudge. Enjoy now and over the next five to seven years. Drink 2023-2030- 92
2021 Orin Swift ‘Palermo’ Cabernet Sauvignon- The 2021 ‘Palermo’ was stored in 30% new French oak for 14 months prior to bottling. Very ripe and also fragrant with lavender and black rose petals that combine with roasted figs, black currants and cigar box notes on the nose. The palate is soft and refined with a silky texture and good underlying acidity. Enjoy now and over the next eight years to come. Drink 2023-2031- 92
2020 Orin Swift ‘Machete’ Red Wine- The 2020 ‘Machete’ is a proprietary blend of Petite Sirah, Syrah and Grenache that was stored in 34% new French oak for 14 months before bottling. A soft texture greets you as green peppercorns greet you alongside black currant jelly, cigar ash and dark chocolate shavings with kirsch cordial notes. Considering the vintage, this is a really good effort. Drink 2023-2028- 92