Orin Swift Mercury Head Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 2022
Orin Swift Mercury Head Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 2022 is a 15.6% ABV, 750mL Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon — 100% Cabernet Sauvignon, aged 13 months in French oak (60% new) — and Orin Swift's flagship wine, built only from the best lots of very select vineyards. It is available to order online at Del Mesa Liquor, San Diego, CA.
- ABV: 15.6%
- Size: 750mL
- Vintage: 2022
- Blend: 100% Cabernet Sauvignon
- Maturation: 13 months in French oak, 60% new
- Vineyards: Stagecoach (Atlas Peak) and Warnock, with Morisoli (Rutherford) and a small amount from Monte Rosso (Moon Mountain)
- Bottle: A real Mercury dime set into the glass — no front label
- Origin: Napa Valley, California — Orin Swift Cellars, St. Helena
Mercury Head: The Flagship, and the Dime
Mercury Head is the pinnacle of Orin Swift — founder Dave Phinney's purest statement of Napa Cabernet. For 2022, much of the blend comes from the Stagecoach Vineyard on Atlas Peak and the nearby Warnock Vineyard, rounded out by the famed Morisoli Vineyard in Rutherford and a small amount of Cabernet from the historic Monte Rosso Vineyard on Moon Mountain, just west of the Napa line. Only the best blocks survive numerous blending trials. The bottle carries no front label — just a genuine Mercury dime embedded in the glass, a tribute to the favourite coin in Phinney's childhood collection and his most prized possession. Browse the Orin Swift collection, more red wine, and the full wine shelves at Del Mesa.
Tasting Notes
The winery's notes: an opaque garnet core with a dark cardinal rim. The nose is chock-full of aromatics — blue fruits, blackcurrant, licorice, baking spices, lavender and crushed gravel. The palate floods in with tremendous yet balanced weight — blackberry, dark chocolate, espresso bean and blue and black fruits — and a blueberry reduction with chalky tannins leads to a long finish hinting at Herbes de Provence.
How to Enjoy
Decant for an hour and serve at cellar temperature with ribeye, rack of lamb, braised short ribs or aged hard cheeses. This is a cellar-worthy flagship — powerful now with air, and built to reward patience.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the coin on the Mercury Head bottle? A real Mercury dime (Liberty dime) set into the glass in place of a front label. It symbolises Dave Phinney's favourite coin from the collection he had growing up.
What grapes are in the 2022 Mercury Head? It is 100% Cabernet Sauvignon — the winery's fact sheet lists the blend simply as Cabernet Sauvignon, sourced mainly from Stagecoach and Warnock, with Morisoli and Monte Rosso fruit.
How is it aged and how strong is it? Thirteen months in French oak, 60% of it new, and bottled at 15.6% ABV.
Is Mercury Head Orin Swift's top wine? Yes — it is the winery's flagship Cabernet Sauvignon, made only from the best lots of its select Napa Valley vineyards.
For Napa Cabernet at its most unapologetic, order Mercury Head 2022 from Del Mesa Liquor in San Diego, CA.