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Country: USA, CaliforniaGrapes: Primitivo / ZinfandelABV: 16%Style: Rich Full Red94 Points - Decanter. After an enforced eight-year break in the early 2010s, where they were prohibited from making Zinfandel, Orin Swift Cellars delved into various grape varieties in California to great success. The 2021 vintage of Eight Years in the Desert is the fifth instalment of a rare and cherished wine. This exceptional Zinfandel boasts a deep maroon core and opens with captivating aromas of wild blackberry, pepper, oatmeal raisin cookie, forest floor, bay leaf, and spices. The taste is -
Country: USA, CaliforniaGrapes: Cabernet SauvignonABV: 15.5%Style: Rich Full RedMercury Head Cabernet Sauvignon is the flagship wine of Orin Swift and emphasises their guiding principle: Without quality grapes, great wine is impossible. It comes from the best lots from very select vineyards in Napa Valley and the wine is a testament to those vineyards, to their principle and to what is possible in Napa Valley. The Liberty Dime on each bottle symbolises winemaker Dave Phinney's favorite coin in his collection growing up and his most prized possession. Vivino Rating: 4.6 (Sep -
Country: USA, CaliforniaGrapes: Primitivo / ZinfandelABV: 15.2%Style: Rich Full Red90 Points - Cellar Tracker. One of the most amazing Californian Zinfandels you can find in the UK. Big flavours, big body, big abv content, but everything is in harmonious balance. “Juvenile” comes from young vines (6-25 years old), interplanted, from several of their old vine designated vineyards – including Hayne, Ueberroth, Pesenti, Salvador and Vineyard 101. Whilst it offers sumptuous, joyous fruit, it also gives more than a glimpse of Turley’s single vineyard wines. Vivino Rating: 4.2 (Aug -
Country: USA, CaliforniaGrapes: Pinot NoirABV: 14.3%Style: Rich Full Red92 Points - James Suckling. Located in the heart of Los Carneros, Napa Valley, summer temperatures are tempered by the cooling fog rolling in off the nearby San Pablo Bay, providing perfect conditions for producing beautifully balanced and complex wines that showcase the vineyard-driven character of this cool-climate estate. 10 months in French oak barrels (33% new) gives this Pinot Noir a spectrum of bright red and black fruits, notes of lilac and ginger weave into the fresh berry, cherry and p -
Country: USA, CaliforniaGrapes: Cabernet SauvignonABV: 15%Style: Rich Full Red100 Points - Wine Enthusiast. Californian wine doesn’t come any better than this. 2019 was a classic year and Stag’s Leap Fay vineyard produced a tiny quantity of exquisite Cabernet that’s been awarded a 100-point score. Striking the perfect balance between fruit and structure, the complexity and elegance are already breath taking and it will continue to develop for many years to come. Arguably the greatest Stag’s Leap Fay ever, this legend in the making is a wine to buy now and enjoy over the n -
Country: USA, CaliforniaGrapes: Primitivo / ZinfandelABV: 15.2%Style: Rich Full Red93 Points - Robert Parker. The Zinfandel Old Vines is a blend of declassified wine from Turley’s old-vine vineyards. A great buy and one of the best old-vine cuvees the Turleys have produced, rich full-bodied, and unctuously textured, it explodes from the glass revealing black fruits, earth, kirsch, licorice, pepper, and underbrush elements. Vivino Rating: 4.2 (Sept 2024) Wine Press Ratings 93 Points - Robert Parker "The 2021 Zinfandel Old Vines has a medium ruby color and plush red and black c -
Country: USA, CaliforniaGrapes: GrenacheABV: 15.5%Style: Rich Full RedOrin Swift Abstract is a meticulously crafted red wine known for its rich and complex character. It is a blend of Grenache, Syrah, and Petite Sirah, creating a harmonious symphony of flavours. The wine exhibits a deep, visually striking hue and a captivating aroma profile that ranges from fruity to floral, with subtle notes of dark chocolate and spice. On the palate, it offers a full-bodied experience with robust tannins and a bold, fruit-forward taste. The finish is long and satisfying, leaving -
Country: USA, CaliforniaGrapes: MerlotABV: 15%Style: Rich Full Red93-95 Points - The Wine Independent. Pahlmeyer made the most of the glorious 2021 Napa Valley Merlot vintage – a year that seems destined to rival or even eclipse the extraordinary 2013, 2018, and 2019 havests. The grapes for the Pahlmeyer Merlot 2021 were grown on high-elevation blocks and were hand-harvested, allowing for rigorous vineyard selection and gentle handling. Once in Pahlmeyer’s state-of-the-art winery, they were given a further hand sort and destemmed, with only perfectly ripe frui -
Country: USA, CaliforniaGrapes: Primitivo / ZinfandelABV: 16%Style: Rich Full Red95 Points - Robert Parker. Named for its iron rich, red volcanic soils, Monte Rosso has produced grapes of unmistakable character for more than a century. Three generations of the Martini family have made wine from this iconic vineyard and it continues to inspire their winemaking team on a deeply profound level. Monte Rosso remains the source of some of the most coveted bottles in the Louis M. Martini portfolio. Full bodied and concentrated the textured mouthfeel is plush, finishing long. Vibran -
Country: USA, CaliforniaGrapes: Cabernet SauvignonABV: 15%Style: Rich Full Red92 Points - The Wine Independent. The best grapes make the best wine" is the philosophy applied by the Winery's founder, Louis M. Martini. Implemented at the estate since its creation in 1938, this exacting philosophy has enabled the winery to become one of the leading names in Californian wines. With its vineyards in the sumptuous Sonoma and Napa Valleys and its many award-winning wines, the estate is now world-renowned for its great Cabernet Sauvignons. Vivino Rating: 4.2 (Dec 2024) Wine Press