2010 Orin Swift Palermo Cabernet Sauvignon

2010 Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon

At Orin Swift we purchase Cabernet Sauvignon grapes for Mercury Head and Papillon. Every year we buy more grapes than we need for the two blends. We do this so we always have multiple vineyards and corresponding wine characteristics to choose from. We also experiment with different grape maturity levels, French barrel producers, and fermentation techniques. This is done to try to learn more with each vintage and create a wine with greater complexity and balance. These multiple lots either add something to the final blend or become their own parts, parts we consider to be separate among equals. We blended these separate but equal parts together in a Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon called Palermo.

Tasting Notes

Aromas of dark, brooding fruit with subtle French oak in the background lead into a smooth entry of ripe cherry and fig. The mid-palate is subtle and stretches with loads of bright acidity and candied cassis. Layers of stone fruit and ribena lead into a round, supple, lingering finish of integrated soft tannins that roll on and on. This wine is amazing now and has another 8 to 10 years in it at least!

78% Cabernet Sauvignon 18% Merlot 4% Cabernet Franc

Hillside, well-drained vineyards from the Napa Valley 15.5% Alc./Vol. Aging: 16 months in French Oak, 30% new