Orin Swift Cellars Mannequin 2021
A wickedly cool Californian Chardonnay.
Grape Varietals & Region: 100% Chardonnay sourced from select AVAs across California, from the cool Sonoma Coast and Russian River Valley to the mountain fruit of Atlas Peak and south to the Santa Lucia Highlands.
Taste Profile: Pale gold colour. Opulent aromatics of Meyer lemon, vanilla crme and sweet oak are complemented by subtle notes of jasmine, gardenia and caramel. Full-bodied and dry with a buttery, creamy texture, the layered palate carries ripe stone fruit, melon and lemon curd with hints of roasted almond, grapefruit pith and white pepper, finishing long and rich with a tapering young coconut note.
Winemaking Process: Grapes are left to hang until they turn golden-brown before careful hand-picking, then barrel-fermented in a mix of new and seasoned French oak. Ages 8 months in 35% new French oak sur lie.
Winemaker: Orin Swift Cellars was founded in 1998 by a then 24-year-old Dave Phinney, who named the winery for his father’s middle name (Orin) and his mother’s maiden name (Swift). Phinney’s wine education began almost by accident, on what was meant to be a semester abroad in Italy, before he talked his way into a harvest job at Robert Mondavi and later apprenticed under Dean Sylvester at Whitehall Lane. His breakout came with The Prisoner, released in 2000 and eventually sold to Constellation Brands, after which Phinney built a run of wines defined by unconventional blends and darkly artful, gothic labels that have made him one of Napa’s most recognisable names.
About the Label
Orin Swift’s gothic, grunge-tinged labels invite a different way of thinking about wine. Each vintage’s mannequin has its own style and personality, much like the individual Chardonnay lots sourced from the Sonoma Coast, Russian River Valley, Atlas Peak and Santa Lucia Highlands that go into the blend but never taste quite the same twice. Founder Dave Phinney has said the name actually came from a Nicki Minaj lyric (You at a stand still, mannequin) that got him thinking about mannequins as static forms built to showcase something that’s always evolving much like wine.
