Mercury Head 2019

Bearing nothing more than an antique Mercury dime for a front label, this superstar Californian Cabernet takes its name from quirky winemaker Dave Phinney’s childhood memories of collecting coins. Although Dave made his name with his legendary The Prisoner red blend, he also has a sweet spot for making magnificent single varietal Cabernet Sauvignon which can be drunk young or cellared over a decade or longer. If you do choose to open this bottle now, you’ll be rewarded with sumptuous aromas of cassis, blackberry and cigar box and a rich, full body and bold cherry and plum flavours seasoned with sage and hints of graphite which will evolve and become even more complex with further ageing.

To make his flagship Cabernet Dave and his team at Orin Swift vinify all the grapes from their prime Napa Valley vineyards separately and carefully select the finest lots to create Mercury Head. If a particular vintage does not produce enough top quality fruit, no Mercury Head will be made that year. This precise approach allows them to combine fruit from Napa Valley’s most prized microclimates in the Rutherford, St. Helena and Atlas Peak AVAs to paint a masterful portrait of this noble variety.