Tag Archives: Dave Phinney

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2023 Sign of the Times, Orin Swift Cellars

We all know that some wines make their case slowly. They need to age, they need to breathe…they swirl about your brain for a bit like the grapes do in your glass. The 2023 Sign of the Times, a California red blend from Orin Swift Cellars, is much more direct.

First, a big thank you to the Orin Swift marketing team for throwing up a hand to share the availability of this bottling. I moved quickly to ensure I’d have a take on this mashup of Cabernet Sauvignon, Petite Sirah, and Grenache; whenever Dave Phinney is in the lab and banging around with a new interpretation of California goodness, I’m simply “in”. To that end, Sign of the Times is the byproduct of Phinney experimenting with AI, past artwork, and past releases to develop a new perspective. Let’s talk for a few moments about how that worked out. 

2023 Sign of the Times, Orin Swift Cellars
2023 Sign of the Times, Orin Swift Cellars, St. Helena, Napa Valley, California, USA.

The 2023 vintage pours New World-red in your glass—deep, dark red that’s so rich it’s nearly purple. It’s a wine that suggests depth right from the start. Gravitas…intention…even before the first sip. Notes of blackberry or black current are distinct and inviting. On the palate, the wine presents dark berry fruit and cassis, with just a hint of licorice. Well-integrated tannins make the wine accessible in its youth, as I decided to pull the cork on this bottle (and the others in this shipment) without any thought to aging. If you have more restraint than this oenophile, I suspect the 2023 Sign of the Times has a real ability to evolve with time.

What stands out in the Times is composure. Every element feels deliberate, not forced or accidental. The wine moves cleanly from the first to the finish, leaving you nodding in appreciation. Pair it with food that’s honest and equally direct: grilled meats, roasted vegetables, dishes where heat meets smoke….or simply open the 2023 Sign of the Times on its own, let it breathe, and come back to it as the evening unfolds.

If you were fortune enough to score a bottle before the winery sold out, drink it now for its approachability, or give it time to mature (only rarely can I take that road myself). Either way, the 2023 Sign of the Times will step forward at the ready. Thanks as always for listening to this guy ramble on, and have a great day.

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2021 Burnt Sacrifice, Orin Swift Cellars

The 2021 Burnt Sacrifice is another representative of the Dave Phinney six pack; it arrived with the Trigger Finger covered in Notes previously. Of late, fewer red blends have come home with me, but you know, dear readers, that I’m game for anything produced by Orin Swift Cellars.

Burnt Sacrifice 2021
2021 Burnt Sacrifice, Orin Swift Cellars, St. Helena, California, USA.

And this is a pretty good one. It’s not quite the headliner of a Mercury Head or Papillion, or even cult favorites such as the Machete and Palermo that I really love, but a solid entry from my favorite winemaker. More importantly, it rose of the ashes of California’s Glass Fires, which ripped through northern Napa Valley in 2020 but thankfully did not burn out all of the region’s goodness. Phinney originally conceived of Burnt Sacrifice as a Pinot Noir and donated its proceeds to the Napa Valley Community Foundation. The winery has changed the blend of Burnt Sacrifice (ostensibly to “keep it new and inspire curiosity”) year over year, and the 2021 is actually not a Pinot—it’s a blend that features Petite Sirah, Grenache, and Syrah grapes from the Valley Oak, Nunn, Snow’s Lake, Frei, and Barrelli vineyards across California. 

When you uncork a Burnt Sacrifice, you’re treated to rich notes of dark berry fruit…perhaps black cherry or blackberry?…and just a bit of oak. I don’t know if that’s because of the leaves that inspired the wine’s creation post-fire, or because the vintage was aged for eight months in French Oak. Or just part of my imagination? Regardless, it has a full mouthfeel and is bold on the palate. I should have aged this for a few months just to take the edge off the finish, but it still goes down pretty easy and made me wistful for another bottle. 

The 2021 Burnt Sacrifice is worthy of your time, based on both its excellent notes and dark berry goodness, and the cause it’s supporting. Whether you’re hosting guests or simply enjoying a quiet evening at home, a bottle of Burnt Sacrifice is sure to make the moment and create memories that linger long after the final drop. Experience a bottle of Burnt Sacrifice wine for yourself!

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2021 Trigger Finger, Orin Swift Cellars

To celebrate the 52nd birthday of my favorite winemaker, I purchased a six pack of “mystery reds” from Orin Swift Cellars and crossed my fingers for Palermo or Papillon (which is how I’d like to celebrate MY 52nd birthday). Given the price point, I was doubtful of pulling my top draft picks but leaned into the offer—it had only upside to this Phinney fan. Several weeks later I signed for the delivery and burst the box, immediately recognizing the Trigger Finger (this a 2021) graphic from the winery’s website: https://www.orinswift.com/wines/trigger-finger/

It’s my first Trigger Finger, so I wanted to take a moment to commemorate it here. The 2021 Trigger Finger is a Grenache, one of the world’s oldest red wines, and a varietal that’s less frequently covered in Notes Of Note. Like all my favorites, it pours deep, ruby red and just dances in your glass.  Notes of red berry goodness, plum, and bit of spice are easily detectable right from the rim…rich, cherry, and elegant. Upon tasting the 2021 Trigger Finger, I wanted to call out black cherry flavors, maybe raspberry, and that spice. It’s not quite the spice of a Syrah, but still very present. The finish is long and smooth, a beckoning finger that pulls you back for another sip.

2021 Trigger Finger, Orin Swift Cellars
2021 Trigger Finger, Orin Swift Cellars, St. Helena, California, USA.

According to the winery, “The 2021 opens with notes of candied strawberry, pomegranate, Mission fig and fig leaf, with just a touch of red chard, musk, and baking spices.”

It’s also supposed to be versatile and pair well with a variety of foodstuffs that range from your (eye roll here) charcuterie board to grilled lamb chops or roasted vegetables—we probably covered a couple of those use cases before this first bottle was gone. Orin Swift aged the 2021 Trigger Finger for nine months in French and American Oak. Whether you’re reading here as a seasoned veteran or just looking to sample a new favorite, this Grenache is sure to captivate the senses and leave a lasting impression. Glad we have one more of these ourselves!

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2015 Cabernet Sauvignon, Stanton Vineyards

The 2015 Cabernet Sauvignon from Stanton Vineyards is the second callout that I selected to celebrate my birthday. This Oakville winemaker harvests grapes from a 33-acre property that features gravelly, sandy clay and loam soils that produce fruit for their own label as well as well-known wineries that include Stag’s Leap, Raymond, Groth, and one of my favorites—Orin Swift.

2015 Cabernet Sauvignon, Stanton Vineyards, Oakville, California, USA.

2015 Cabernet Sauvignon, Stanton Vineyards, Oakville, California, USA.

About six tons of their yearly yield go into Stanton wines, and this one shows all the best marks of the region and its terroir. i purchased this 2015 from my local winestore based on its location (I’m a huge Napa Cab man) and that Dave Phinney made his signature imprint on their portfolio. I’m a fan of his too, and that was enough to motivate me to bring this bottle home for the celebrations.

Okay, so this is black berry and black cherry goodness, with just the right amount of dark fruit blended without being excessively fruity. There is a whiff of mineral or old leather in this Cabernet Sauvignon; it finishes soft and velvety with a very mellow mouth feel. It pours reddish-purple in your glass, great legs and an enticing bouquet to it. Certainly every wine has its pluses and minuses, but I couldn’t help to compare this to the Switchback that I had Wednesday night. The Stanton was by far the more enjoyable wine, and I didn’t regret skipping the decanter and going right to the stemware. 

This 2015 Cabernet Sauvignon from Stanton Vineyards accompanied a really tight, delicious birthday dinner of steaks, broccoli rabe, and wedge salads with all the right accents. Cara showed this cool technique—basting the steaks with butter, rosemary, and thyme—for the meat just before we pulled it from the skillet (you can’t quite do that on your grill, people!). The strips were well seasoned and it was so much fun seeking the perfect bite all evening as we celebrated my latest trip around the sun.

All this made for a memorable evening and one I will not soon forget. Looking forward to more of it all—including this great wine.

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2018 The Prisoner, The Prisoner Wine Company

The Prisoner is a favorite red blend, for me as well as so many Dave Phinney fans. Back in 2003 when Phinney first created it, the Prisoner was not familiar to me but has thankfully become a welcome dinner guest. I wish I could say “frequent” dinner guest but that’s really more a case of wishful thinking.

2018 The Prisoner, The Prisoner Wine Company, Oakville, California, USA.

Anyway, so here we go..The Prisoner stopped by last night and again this Halloween night to keep us company. Friday a 2018 vintage of The Prisoner accompanied a fun Greek (including a great hummus…can’t believe I’m writing that…) meal and tonight it finished up with a memorable seafood dinner, one with all the right fixings and high-class touches. That’s the right way to enjoy the Prisoner for sure!

Yes, Notes has covered The Prisoner on prior occasions. (And various Dave Phinney wines—if you’re interested just do a Search on the site) What’s true there remains valid here as well. It’s a rich, black cherry gem, delivering a huge mouthfeel and an even finish. All these flavors are blended together, a wine with many fathers—including zinfandel, cabernet, syrah, petite sirah, and charbono grapes in a proprietary blend. The Prisoner offers you hints of other dark fruit plus vanilla and earthiness, and a cult of fans extols its virtues.

Here is The Prisoner in the winemaker’s own remarks: “Bold aromas of black cherry and plum are heightened by hints of oak and Madagascar vanilla. A soft and velvety palate of anise, dark cocoa powder, and roasted sage lead into a dense finish with luscious tannins.”

I’ve had this wine to celebrate life events both great and small, and it goes well on these occasions and every thing in between. Happy Halloween to you all.

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2017 Machete, Orin Swift Cellars

 

We all know that ‘normal’ life has taken on new meaning over these last weeks. Jobs, values, and activities that we’ve perhaps taken for granted have been fundamentally changed in ways that are still to be fully determined. Our connectivity to one another continues to evolve in near real-time, and one of the ways I keep my calm and share my values is here in Notes.

2017 Machete, Orin Swift Cellars, Saint Helena, California, USA.

2017 Machete, Orin Swift Cellars, Saint Helena, California, USA.

The 2017 Machete, a Milk Run release from Orin Swift Cellars, is a great reason to hit the keys. It’s a petite sirah, but the wine is anything BUT petite in taste. This Machete is actually a blend of Petite Sirah, Syrah, and Grenache grapes, and it packs a helluva wallop. It pours the darkest purple in your glass, as Notes has covered previously, and invests plum and blackberry in every sip. 

We had this 2017 Machete with Mexican-spiced shrimp lettuce (butter lettuce made great little cups!), black beans, and Poblano pepper. Navel orange and drizzle of garlic yogurt helped offset the spices of the shrimp, and though I suspect a crisp, minerally wine would have been the go-to choice for this food, we did the Machete thing instead—to great effect, I might add.

Our friends at Orin Swift say,

“Massive on the entry, the mid-palate is diverse with flavors of dark plus, black pepper, Amarena cherries, slow-roasted Moroccan lam and a marbled leather texture.”

Love this juice so very much…

Cara pointed out that you, dear readers, have a host of blogs to browse at present. I’m grateful that you’re taking a moment to check out this one—thanks and cheers to you all.

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WA5, Locations Wine

This day started with a quest for martini fixings, but since all the local ABC stores are closed for the holiday, it’s wine time here. Yes I am a fan of all things Dave Phinney, and I thought the WA locations would be more than a great fill-in for the missing well drinks.

WA5, Locations Wine, Napa, California, USA.

Importantly, know this bottle fits all the beats of a Phinney wine. Ripe, layered, and kitchen-sink style in its blend overall. This one is blueberry, it is blackberry, and it is hints of merlot to be sure. I found it to be fruit-forward but not the flavor bomb that some of Dave’s creations can embody. I assert here it was the right bottle for the evening, one where I’m recuperating from weeks of overwork and singular focus on a particular outcome. 

The WA Locations 5 accompanied a green salad (complete with mushrooms, yellow onion, radishes, arugula, and cucumbers) and a kick-ass chili that was kicked up with the heat—cumin, chili powder, and all the accoutrements. A nice give and take between the grapes and the food!