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Orin Swift, Mercury Head Cabernet Sauvignon 2016
RedUnited States2016
By Daniel Min · Tasted 2020-03-22 · Published 2026-09-23 · Updated 2026-09-23
At a glance
In one line
4.5/5 — lower than Vivino's 4.6 average · world avg price US$170 · Orin Swift's flagship Napa Cabernet.
One critic score is listed on Vivino — 95 (Jan 2019, publication not named).
Market note: Not confirmed.
What this wine is
The Mercury Head name and label design come from Dave Phinney's own story. The silver coin actually affixed to this bottle's label is a "Mercury dime" — an old American ten-cent piece that, as Orin Swift itself tells it, was the young Phinney's favorite coin and his most prized possession. That coin is properly a "Winged Liberty dime," struck from 1916 to 1945: sculptor Adolph Weinman engraved a female figure of Liberty in a winged Phrygian cap, but the public mistook her for the Roman god Mercury, and the nickname stuck. So the coin's very name is a myth born from mistaken identity — and there's a kind of symmetry in Phinney choosing this particular coin, an ordinary old dime that had taken on personal meaning, to become the face of his flagship wine.
Phinney is also behind Palermo, the other Orin Swift wine covered elsewhere in this magazine, among several of the house's cult labels. In June 2016, E&J Gallo acquired the Orin Swift brand along with its St. Helena tasting room. Phinney stayed on afterward as creative director and winemaker, saying he looked forward to "propel[ling] Orin Swift Cellars to even greater heights." As it happens, this 2016 vintage was made from grapes harvested in the very year the acquisition was announced.
What the world says
This 2016 vintage has been rated by 1,465 people on Vivino, averaging 4.6 (13,011 ratings for the label overall, also 4.6) — the distribution skews so heavily positive that 5-star ratings (662) nearly match 4-star ratings (740). One critic score is on file: 95 (Jan 2019, publication not named).
The flavor keywords lead with oak, vanilla and chocolate at 1,206 mentions, followed by black fruit like blackberry and plum (953). Structure: intensity 4.7/5, among the highest of any red this magazine has covered, with tannin at 3.4 and acidity 3.4 — a wine of massive weight whose tannins never feel harsh.
"My third go at this, over two weeks. At almost 16% ABV, it's bursting with dark fruit, vanilla spice, earth, leather and cedar, but it's not alcohol-forward." — Vivino review, May 2020, 4.8 stars
"Oak and raisin on the nose. Wonderful silky mouthfeel. The first glass straight from the bottle was already a solid superior Napa Cab, and an hour later, decanted, it was even more amazing." — Vivino review, Feb 2020, 5.0 stars
My score of 4.5 lines up almost exactly with the community average of 4.6.
How I drank it
"Oak, vanilla, chocolate, cherry, blackberry, dark fruit, black cherry, cassis, plum, black fruit, raisins... drank after an hour of breathing. The aroma is gorgeous, but I can't shake this mild, settled-in feeling on the palate. A deep weight where the tannin never gets in the way — and the raisin and cherry notes that follow read as a genuinely healthy wine. Classic Napa. I was curious how a flagship would compare to Palermo, and it turned out to be a different kind of depth than old vintages give you!! The friends I shared it with, wine lovers themselves, called it a top-tier, once-in-a-lifetime wine. If you haven't tried it, do. Highly recommend!!" 22 March 2020, 4.5 stars.
What stands out is the line "I was curious how a flagship would compare to Palermo." My Vivino log shows I'd drunk Orin Swift's Palermo 2015 just eight days earlier, on 14 March 2020, scoring it 4.0 — with a note about a "classic Napa Cab aroma but a bitter, hard-to-approach feel on the palate," and a Malbec blend I hadn't expected. Drinking the same house's two flagship-tier wines eight days apart, if Palermo felt "hard to approach," Mercury Head landed as far more welcoming — described as a "healthy wine" with "a different kind of depth than old vintages." Only half a point separates the two scores, but the temperature difference in the notes is much larger than that.
Where this wine shows up
The public mistook Adolph Weinman's winged Liberty figure for the Roman god Mercury, and the nickname stuck; that old coin, as Dave Phinney's personal keepsake, became the name and label of Orin Swift's flagship wine.
Wikipedia — Mercury dime · Orin Swift official — Mercury Head page
Artwork and stills are not reproduced for copyright reasons; scenes are summarised.
Vivino community data
2016 vintage rating distribution (1465 ratings, average 4.6)
| 5★ | 662 (45%) | |
| 4★ | 740 (51%) | |
| 3★ | 47 (3%) | |
| 2★ | 7 (0%) | |
| 1★ | 9 (1%) |
Most-mentioned aromas
| Family | Mentions | Top keywords |
|---|---|---|
| Oak | 1206 | oak 328 · vanilla 261 · chocolate 188 · tobacco 116 · cedar 66 |
| Black fruit | 953 | blackberry 251 · dark fruit 146 · plum 130 · black cherry 92 · blueberry 87 |
| Earth | 390 | leather 166 · earthy 52 · cocoa 42 · smoke 27 · graphite 19 |
| Red fruit | 312 | cherry 217 · raspberry 34 · red fruit 24 · strawberry 13 · red cherry 5 |
| Spices | 218 | pepper 64 · licorice 56 · cinnamon 30 · anise 14 · eucalyptus 9 |
| Dried fruit | 48 | prune 12 · raisin 12 · fig 10 · dried fruit 8 · dried blackberry 3 |
| Non-oak | 42 | toast 22 · dried fig 5 · brown sugar 4 · nutty 3 · peanut 2 |
Structure: Acidity 3.4/5 · Intensity 4.7/5 · Tannin 3.4/5
Average by vintage (all vintages: 13011 ratings, average 4.6)
| Vintage | Average | Ratings |
|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 4.5 | 95 |
| 2022 | 4.5 | 194 |
| 2021 | 4.5 | 382 |
| 2019 | 4.6 | 793 |
| 2018 | 4.6 | 992 |
| 2017 | 4.7 | 1477 |
| 2016 | 4.6 | 1465 |
| 2015 | 4.6 | 1520 |
My original note (Vivino, 2020-03-22)
“oak vanilla chocolate cherry blackberry dark fruit black cherry cassis plum black fruit black raisins 한시간 브리딩 후 마심. 아로마도 정말 멋지지만 팔렛에서 착가라앉는 마일드한 느낌을 지울수가 없음. 타닌이 방해하지 않는 깊은 무게감으로~ 뒤에 이어지는 건포도와 체리들이 정말 건강한 와인느낌을 지울 수 없음. 역시 나파^^ 팔레르모 생각 하면서 플레그쉽이라 어떨까 궁금했는데.. 올빈의 깊은 맛과는 다른 깊은맛!! 같이 드신분들도 와인 좋아하시는 분들인데도 인생와인급이라고 칭찬^^ 안드신 분들은 꼭 한번 드셔보세요~~ 추천!!”
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→Frequently asked questions
What kind of wine is Orin Swift Mercury Head Cabernet Sauvignon 2016?
A 100% Cabernet Sauvignon red from Napa Valley, the flagship line from Dave Phinney's Orin Swift Cellars. Vivino: 1,465 ratings averaging 4.6; one critic score of 95.
How much does it cost?
World average price: to be confirmed via Wine-Searcher (US$170 per 750ml ex-tax (Wine-Searcher, Sept 2026)).
What food pairs well with it?
Vivino users suggest beef, lamb, poultry, game and mature hard cheese. With intensity at 4.7/5, it's a very heavy red that pairs well with rich red meat.
What's the coin on the label?
A U.S. ten-cent "Winged Liberty dime" struck from 1916 to 1945, nicknamed the "Mercury dime" after the public mistook the figure for the Roman god Mercury. Per Orin Swift, this particular coin was founder Dave Phinney's favorite from his childhood collection.
Links & sources
View on Vivino · Prices on Wine-Searcher
- Vivino — wine page and community data
- Orin Swift official — Mercury Head page
- Wikipedia — Mercury dime
- Gallo press release — E&J Gallo Winery Announces Acquisition of Orin Swift
- This magazine — Orin Swift, Palermo Cabernet Sauvignon 2015
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Same producerOrin Swift, Palermo Cabernet Sauvignon 2015
United States · Napa★★★★☆Same producerStag's Leap Wine Cellars ARTEMIS Cabernet Sauvignon 2016
United States · Napa★★★★½Similar styleRivers-Marie, Summa Vineyard Old Vines Pinot Noir 2009
United States · Sonoma★★★½☆Similar styleCaymus Vineyards, Cabernet Sauvignon 2017
United States · Napa★★★★☆Same grapeSeña 2012
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