2022 Orin Swift 'Papillon' Proprietary Red Napa Valley
Pouring an opaque crimson core with a brooding cardinal rim, the 2022 Papillon opens with aromatic notes of ripe cassis, blackberry, coastal chapparal, cedar box and allspice. On entry, the palate continues many of the same notes from the nose — cassis, pluot, blueberry, boysenberry, shaved fennel bulb and a touch of earth. A round, weighty mid-palate effortlessly gives way to dusty, coating tannins — a pleasing texture — and finishing hints of barbeque tri-tip, Madagascar vanilla and toffee.
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.