2019 | Orin Swift Cellars | Palermo Cabernet Sauvignon (Magnum)

Poured as a dark garnet, the wine opens with primary aromas of ripe cassis and blackberry. Supporting hints of dark chocolate, toasted oak and cedar support the typical Orin Swift Cabernet Sauvignon nose. The wine closes with well-developed tannins and a striking minerality despite the supple and soft finish.

Producer Information

Orin Swift Cellars is 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 became a huge 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. Orin Swift's most well-known label is The Prisoner – a wine made predominately from Zinfandel with smaller amounts of Cabernet Sauvignon, Charbono, Syrah, and Petite Sirah, sourced from all over Napa Valley. It was launched in 2003 with a mere 385 cases. It quickly became a cult wine, however, with its rich, fruit-forward profile, and striking label – a drawing of a prisoner by Spanish artist Goya. In 2010, Phinney sold The Prisoner label to Huneeus Vintners for an undisclosed sum. By this time, production had reached over 75,000 cases and was being distributed nationwide and internationally. As part of the sale, Phinney signed a non-competition agreement, undertaking not to make a return to Zinfandel production for eight years. His subsequent 8 Years in the Desert label – a Zinfandel-based wine released by Orin Swift in 2018 – was a direct reference to this period. By this stage, Orin Swift Cellars had been sold to California wine giant E&J Gallo in 2016, with Phinney staying on as winemaker. Wine giant Constellation Brands acquired The Prisoner from Huneeus in the same year. Orin Swift produces a number of other well-known labels, the most sought-after being the Mercury Head, a varietal Cabernet Sauvignon wine in a bottle adorned with silver-winged Mercury Head dimes that Phinney collected as a child. The dime was minted between the years 1916 to 1945, so the winery sources the coins from recycled bottles and brokers.

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