Orin Swift Mercury Head Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley 2021

Orin Swift Mercury Head Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley 2021

Orin Swift Cellars is a trailblazing Californian wine brand, going from a tiny production project to an empire of wines distributed across the world. The distinctively packaged ‘The Prisoner’ wine further became a commercial success.

The company was founded by David Swift Phinney, who fell into wine on a trip to Italy during his college days. After graduating, he took a job at Robert Mondavi Winery as a harvest worker, before founding his own company in 1998. Orin is his father’s middle name, while Swift is his mother’s maiden name.

Critical Acclaim

96 Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate

Winemaker Dave Phinney expects to bottle a bit more than 6,000 cases of the 2021 Cabernet Sauvignon Mercury Head, what he calls a “typical volume” for it. Sourced from a couple of well-known valley floor sites and the Stagecoach Vineyard (sometimes a bit of Monte Rosso Vineyard fruit makes it in the blend as well) and aged 13 months in 58% new oak, the nose offers up hints of menthol and cedar over a base of ripe cassis and cherries. It’s full-bodied and velvety in the mouth, while a hint of dark chocolate creeps in on the lengthy finish.