2022 Orin Swift 'Mercury Head' Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley
The 2022 Mercury Head sits in the glass with an opaque garnet core and a dark cardinal rim as tinges of purple shimmer from within. The nose is chock-full of aromatics—blue fruits, blackcurrant, licorice, baking spices, lavender and crushed gravel. Paired with a flooding palate with tremendous yet balanced weight, notes of blackberry, dark chocolate, espresso bean and blue and black fruits reverberate. A blueberry reduction coupled with chalky tannins leads to a long finish with hints of Herbs de Provence.
It's long been official – Dave Phinney of Orin Swift is a phenomenon. Whether it's the throngs of people we see jammed in his Saint Helena tasting room all summer long, or the constant stream of great press about his projects – not just in Napa, but around the world – this guy is on a serious roll. The fire that he sparked with The Prisoner shows no sign of abating. Phinney's genius was simply to perfect and popularize something that already had deep roots in California wine: the "mixed blacks" wine of yore—sweet-fruited, dark as night, served in a whiskey tumbler. His wines are unapologetically ripe, hedonistic, and just plain delicious. Simple as that.