Orin Swift Cellars Papillon 2021

A tale of juxtapositions, Papillon opens the door to any wine drinker. Orin Swift CellarsPapillon is a prime example of Orin Swift’s house style: accessible, massive and memorable. The bottle empties quickly, leading to slight disappointment, and the search for another bottle ensues.

Powerful aromatics escape the glass with rich notes of ripe blackcurrant, blackberry, peppercorn and a touch of chaparral supported by a frame of sweet oak. Intensely layered and decadent on entry, the wine exudes characteristics of black plum, boysenberry, kirsch and dark chocolate with a silky soft yet weighty texture. A prolonged finish of Provenal lavender, fig leaf and ripe currants close out the wine.

A Bordeaux-style red blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot, Malbec and Merlot. It’s hard to find a blend that comprises of all these five varietals. The quality grapes come from long-time growers on both the Napa Valley floor and surrounding hillsides.

Aging for 15 months in French oak, 43% new.

Top Tip: Decant an hour before serving.

About the Label

The creative (if slightly disturbing gothic and grunge) style of Orin Swift labels encourage you to rethink wine through a different lens. Each label is an evocative expression of art that leaves a heart-skipping impression.

The label features the beautiful juxtaposition of a gorgeous word, ‘butterfly’, cast against harsh and gritty hands. A good friend and fellow winemaker, Greg Gorman photographed the label in black-and-white.

The label is inspired by contradictions. While walking through a vineyard with his three-year-old daughter on David Phinney’s shoulders and thinking about what to call his next wine, a butterfly flew by and his daughter exclaimed, Look, a papillon! Phinney was flummoxed as to where she had picked up the French word for butterfly.

It was on his mind to create a label featuring tattoos on someones knuckles. Papillon has eight letters so the idea clicked. I love the juxtaposition of this beautiful French word on these really gritty hands, says Phinney, who used one of his grape growers as a hand model.Hes the nicest guy and a third generation old school farmer, which is exactly the look I wanted, says Phinney.