Taste Profile
Notes:
Body: Full
Dryness: Dry
Acidity: High
Tannin: High
Alcohol (%):
Winemaking
Origin: Napa Valley, California, United States of America
Maker: Orin Swift Cellars
Grape:
Fermentation: Heavy Wood
Awards:
Serving Recommendations
Decanting:
Asian Food Pairing:
Western Food Pairing: Pair with mature and hard cheeses, red or game meat mains, portobello mushrooms, espresso ice cream.
Description
Orin Swift Cellars Palermo Cabernet Sauvignon
Orin Swift Cellars Palermo brings an unashamedly powerful expression of the Napa Valley region to your glass, wherever that may be.Deep garnet-purple colour. A seamless assortment of classic Napa Valley Cabernet aromas: cassis, black cherries, chaparral and a touch of intriguing butterscotch. The tastefully expressive palate is unashamedly powerful with ripe raspberry, crème caramel, bay leaf, red and black currants. Carrying its own weight through the finish, the wine’s prominent tannins will soften over time.
A blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Cabernet Franc. The fruit comes from both valley floor and the mountain ranges in Napa Valley, California. Ageing for 12 months in French Oak, 38% new.
Orion Swift's goal, year in and year out, is to produce wines of resounding quality consistently. 2017 was a tough year that challenged their ability to do so. While both heat spikes and devastating fires will be most known for the vintage, they were able to produce a Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon that is still representative of the region.
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.
David Phinney’s most haunting label. This label features a chilling photo of a mummified priest wearing a red cape and a black hat known as a ‘biretta’. The photo was taken by National Geographic photographer Vincent J. Musi in a 16th century catacomb in Palermo, Sicily, after which the wine is named. The photo's sense of power, reverence and dignity is reflective of how Orin Swift's winemaker crafts Cabernet.
“There is such a sense of power and dignity to the image, which is how we think about great Cabernet. We just really respect it. It think it makes a statement about the wine,” says Phinney. Phinney describes the wine as his "most approachable Cabernet” and “a true representation of Napa”.
15.2%AWARDS & ACCOLADES
Ripe, with a bright edge to the mix of plum, loganberry and huckleberry flavors, backed by violet and anise notes and driving through the graphite-edged finish. Approachable already, but there's no rush. Drink now through 2031.WILFRED WONG OF
- 90 POINTS The 2017 Orin Swift Cellars Palermo shows an excellent synergy between Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, and Cabernet Franc. From a challenging growing season, the winery produced a first-rate effort while retaining its house style. TASTING NOTES: This wine is powerful, yet it is well balanced. Enjoy its aromas and flavors of black fruits, violets, and wood with grilled beef topped with minced shallots. (Tasted: November 8, 2019, San Francisco, CA)
Composed of Cabernet Sauvignon blended with a little Syrah and Merlot, the 2017 Palermo Cabernet Sauvignon was aged for 12 months in oak (38% new). Deep garnet-purple colored, it gives up expressive notions of baked plums, unsmoked cigars, Black Forest cake and crème de cassis with hints of wild sage, menthol and vanilla pod. Full-bodied and decadently fruited in the mouth, the palate has a firm, chewy texture and lovely freshness, finishing earthy.