Orin Swift Cellars 2017 Mercury Head Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley

96 points                                                   
Orin Swift Cellars winemaker, Dave Phinney, is well-know for his Prisoner Zinfandel.  He also makes this fantastic, rare Cabernet Sauvignon from Napa Valley - very limited.

93 Points Wine Spectator:"Alluring, featuring blackberry, blueberry and açaí berry aromas and flavors, laced with graphite and violet notes and backed by a hint of lavender. Very expressive, showing lovely range, as well as the stuffing and structure to cellar. Approachable, but a little time is warranted. Best from 2021 through 2030."

previous vintage 96 Points Robert Parker:  "A spectacular wine, the Cabernet Sauvignon Mercury Head is 100% Cabernet Sauvignon sourced from the Taplin and Morisoli vineyards and several Atlas Peak vineyards, aged 18 months in 50% new French oak. The wine is a classic, broad-shouldered, compelling Cabernet Sauvignon with beautiful blueberry and crème de cassis fruit, Christmas fruitcake, cedar wood, white chocolate notes and a hint of graphite and background toast. It is ripe, full-bodied, pure, multidimensional and a mouthful of succulent Cabernet Sauvignon to drink over the next 20+ years... Dave Phinney may well be 2015's winemaker of the year for this wine taster."

This rare wine is a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon from the Taplin vineyard in St. Helena and the Morisoli vineyard in Rutherford. As in the previous vintage, it offers a complex intriguing structure along with vibrant dark fruit and subtle oak shadings. Cellar for up to a decade, or enjoy now with some aeration. Tiny production on this one, so don't wait long.