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Orin Swift, Palermo Cabernet Sauvignon 2015
RedUnited States2015
By Daniel Min · Tasted 2020-03-14 · Published 2026-09-23 · Updated 2026-09-23
At a glance
In one line
4.0/5 — lower than Vivino's 4.3 average · world avg price US$57 · Dave Phinney, once a political science student, hit it big with The Prisoner in 2000, sold the brand in 2010 for around $40 million, then started over under "Orin Swift" — named for his parents — with this Napa Cabernet.
Three critic scores are listed on Vivino — 91 (likely Wine Advocate, Mar 2018), 97+ (Sept 2018), 93 (Dec 2018). Wine Advocate's 91 is also listed separately on wine.com (checked Sept 2026).
Market note: Wine.com listed the 2015 vintage at a regular price of $50, discounted to $42.99 (checked Sept 2026, now out of stock). The blend is Cabernet Sauvignon-led with small amounts of Merlot and Malbec — Orin Swift describes the fruit for this wine as "treated to the same standard as the flagship Palermo (Mercury Head)."
What this wine is
Dave Phinney grew up in Los Angeles, the son of a microbiologist father and a psychologist mother. He studied political science at the University of Arizona with law school in mind, but internships talked him out of that path, and a 1995 semester abroad in Italy opened his eyes to wine instead. In 2000, with no real plan, he made a Zinfandel-based blend from whatever fruit he could get his hands on and released it as 385 cases at $25 a bottle — The Prisoner. The label reused a Francisco Goya etching his parents had given him. The wine became an unplanned hit, growing to 85,000 cases a year within a decade, but Phinney increasingly felt run by the brand rather than the other way around. "It's an animal," he later said. "Something had to give. It was going to run me." In 2010, Huneeus Vintners bought The Prisoner brand (along with Saldo Zinfandel) for roughly $40 million — a sale Phinney credits with, in his words, saving his marriage.
The label he built after leaving The Prisoner behind was Orin Swift — its name a combination of his father's middle name and his mother's maiden name, a personal story built directly into the brand. Under it he experimented across styles: Rhône-inspired blends, Cabernets, and the international Locations line. Then, in June 2016, Orin Swift itself was acquired by E. & J. Gallo — another turning point in Phinney's career.
Palermo is built around Cabernet Sauvignon Orin Swift sources from "some of the best vineyards in Napa Valley," rounded out with small amounts of Merlot and Malbec. The winery describes the fruit for this wine as handled "as if destined for" its flagship Palermo bottling, Mercury Head — meaning it comes from the same vineyards and the same selection standard as the top tier, released at a slightly more accessible price as a kind of second-tier Cabernet. The label follows Phinney's signature style of vintage photo-and-print collage, though I couldn't find an official description of exactly what imagery this particular label uses.
What the world says
This 2015 vintage has 10,141 Vivino ratings averaging 4.3 — exactly matching the wine's overall average across 35,535 ratings. Three critic scores are listed: 91 (likely Robert Parker's Wine Advocate, Mar 2018), 97+ (Sept 2018) and 93 (Dec 2018); Wine Advocate's 91 also appears separately on wine.com (checked Sept 2026).
The flavor keywords lead decisively with the oak group — oak, vanilla, chocolate, tobacco — at 2,997 mentions, followed by black fruit: blackberry, plum, cassis (2,471). Structure: intensity 4.8/5, among the most powerful Napa Cabernets covered in this magazine, with tannin 3.4 and acidity 3.4 keeping it balanced.
"Excellent vintage. Aromas of blackberry, forest floor and Bing cherry. Flavors of blackberry, cassis and dark cocoa. Medium tannins, smooth all the way through." — Vivino review, May 2018, 4.5 stars
"Found a '15 on a restaurant list. A blend of Cab Sauv (mostly), Merlot and Cab Franc, aged 10 months in French oak, 35% new. Very dark red, big structure." — Vivino review, Dec 2018, 4.5 stars
Drinking window: 2018–2028. I drank mine in March 2020, early in that window.
How I drank it
14 March 2020, 4.0 stars. "Oak, vanilla, blackberry, cassis, pepper, leather, bitter almonds... Everyone said it was a bit of a difficult wine, hard to just breeze through, so I went in a little nervous (the label didn't help). But it turned out fine~~ everyone had the same reaction~~ On first pour the aroma and bouquet were a typical Napa cab, but the palate had this bitter, hard-to-approach feeling — and now I realize there was Malbec blended in~~ ha, interesting~~ but with plenty of breathing it mellows out too~~ Easier than expected. Worth recommending widely~~ (even if the label is scary~~)" A note that shows Orin Swift's signature weathered-collage label actually does make people hesitate.
The interesting bit is the belated discovery of Malbec in the blend — Palermo is Cabernet Sauvignon-led but carries small amounts of Merlot and Malbec, and that early impression of something "bitter and hard to approach" turns out to have had a real source. Wine.com's own description of this wine's blend also lists it as Cabernet Sauvignon-led with small amounts of Merlot and Malbec, confirming that what the table noticed that night was accurate. The observation that long breathing (decanting) softened that rougher edge also lines up with Vivino's structure data — intensity at 4.8/5 but tannin only 3.4, a powerful wine whose tannin itself isn't extreme and rounds out with air.
I gave it 4.0, 0.3 below the community average of 4.3. The closing line — "the label's scary, but recommend it anyway" — nails the gap between the loud, intimidating label design and how genuinely approachable the wine actually is.
Vivino community data
2015 vintage rating distribution (10141 ratings, average 4.3)
| 5★ | 2369 (23%) | |
| 4★ | 6734 (66%) | |
| 3★ | 877 (9%) | |
| 2★ | 85 (1%) | |
| 1★ | 76 (1%) |
Most-mentioned aromas
| Family | Mentions | Top keywords |
|---|---|---|
| Oak | 2997 | oak 957 · vanilla 679 · chocolate 453 · tobacco 250 · coffee 100 |
| Black fruit | 2471 | blackberry 698 · plum 515 · dark fruit 333 · cassis 203 · black cherry 152 |
| Red fruit | 898 | cherry 512 · raspberry 182 · red fruit 74 · strawberry 39 · red currant 24 |
| Earth | 896 | leather 293 · earthy 132 · cocoa 127 · smoke 127 · graphite 34 |
| Spice | 547 | pepper 195 · licorice 97 · cinnamon 57 · mint 40 · anise 35 |
| Dried fruit | 131 | fig 48 · dried plum 33 · raisin 32 · dried fruit 7 · black raisin 4 |
| Yeast & cream | 92 | cream 49 · cheese 27 · campfire 4 · oil 4 · banana 3 |
Structure: Acidity 3.4/5 · Intensity 4.8/5 · Tannin 3.4/5 · Sweetness 1.8/5
Average by vintage (all vintages: 35535 ratings, average 4.3)
| Vintage | Average | Ratings |
|---|---|---|
| 2022 | 4.3 | 672 |
| 2021 | 4.3 | 749 |
| 2020 | 4.2 | 464 |
| 2019 | 4.3 | 1642 |
| 2018 | 4.3 | 4641 |
| 2017 | 4.4 | 2103 |
| 2016 | 4.3 | 2997 |
| 2015 | 4.3 | 10141 |
| 2014 | 4.3 | 4200 |
| 2013 | 4.2 | 542 |
| 2012 | 4.2 | 1731 |
| 2011 | 4.2 | 355 |
| 2010 | 4.1 | 168 |
| 2009 | 4.1 | 126 |
| 2007 | 4.6 | 43 |
My original note (Vivino, 2020-03-14)
“oak vanilla blackberry cassis pepper leather bitter almonds 다들 조금은 어려운 와인이 라며 쉽게 넘기기 어려울거라 해서 조금 겁^^먹었는데(라벨도 한목했다^^) 왠걸 괜찮은데요~~ 다들 그런반응~~ 처음 오픈시 아로마나 부케는 전형적인 나파까쇼이나 팔레트에서 먼가 씁슬한 다가가기 힘든 느낌이 있었는데 지금보니 말벡이 블랜딩 되있었네~~ ㅎㅎ 재밌네요~~ 하지만 브리딩을 많이 하니 그마져도 순화되요~~ 생각보다 어렵지 않은 와인^^ 추천많이 해도 괜찮아요~~(라벨이 무섭지만~~^^)”
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→Frequently asked questions
What kind of wine is Orin Swift Palermo 2015?
A Cabernet Sauvignon-led blend with small amounts of Merlot and Malbec, sourced from top Napa Valley vineyards. 15.5% ABV. Vivino: 10,141 ratings averaging 4.3; listed critic scores run 91–97+.
How much does it cost?
World average price: pending Wine-Searcher confirmation (US$57 per 750ml ex-tax (Wine-Searcher, Sept 2026)). Wine.com listed the 2015 vintage at $50 regular, $42.99 discounted (checked Sept 2026, now out of stock).
What food pairs well with it?
Vivino users suggest beef, lamb, poultry, game and aged cheese. With intensity at a very high 4.8/5, it pairs well with rich, strongly flavored grilled meats like ribeye or lamb chops.
Is this the same winery as The Prisoner?
Same founder, different company today. Dave Phinney created The Prisoner in 2000 and sold the brand to Huneeus Vintners in 2010; he then went independent under the new Orin Swift label. In 2016, Orin Swift itself was acquired by E. & J. Gallo.
Links & sources
View on Vivino · Prices on Wine-Searcher
- Vivino — wine page and community data
- Wine Spectator Top 100 (2016) — Making It Look Easy (Dave Phinney interview)
- Wine Spectator — E. & J. Gallo Purchases Wine Brand Orin Swift Cellars
- Orin Swift official — Palermo
- wine.com — Orin Swift Cellars Palermo Cabernet Sauvignon 2015 product page
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Orin Swift, Mercury Head Cabernet Sauvignon 2016
United States · Napa★★★★½Same 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
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