
Orin Swift 2014 Mercury Head cabernet sauvignon is fantastic ! At just over 100 dollars a bottle it better be. It has a bouquet of Sangria. The initial palate is blackberry and spice. Just what I love. There is also hints of cedar and tobacco. There is definitely chocolate and butter on the tongue. The finish comes late with a slight tangy pinch on the front of the tongue. It leaves me thirsting for more. To break it down:
Spice- 5 on initial palate
Buttery- 9 mid palate
Fruit- 6 mid palate
Oak- 7 on finish
Dry- 9 on finish
— 8 years ago
Deep red color. Dry up front with a light sweetness. Had plum notes. — 9 years ago
Super deep and dark ruby red with an almost black core. Dark baking spices in the front of the nose followed by dark fruits, especially dark dark cherries. With some air there were some purple floral notes and more vanilla. Moderate tannins (7/10) and full bodied. Initially a little tight so we gave it a splash decant. Around an hour or so in, tons of cinnamon and other dark spices. Strong undertone of puréed dark berries and light herbs too. Long body but this needs a little more bottle age. Cannot wait to try it again at the release party next month. Drink till 2028. — 9 years ago


Blind Tasting MOT=90
Color: Solid Red
Nose: Earthy and cherries
Palate: Very sweet for some reason, and a little thin for my liking, initially there was something in the front of my mouth that was off putting (was an 86). As the night progressed that front of the palate feeling went away and came through with cherries and cassis.
Opinion: As I found out this needed more time open — 10 years ago
Can't front on La Chapelle, especially from Mag. — 11 years ago
These supposedly off years by old great producers are simply gems... Extreme front to back balance, sun drenched hay, touch of dry peach, apricot pits, crushed pebbles, shells, bits of honeysuckle, and a soft acid backbone that lingers and touches your spine. Better than most grand cru's I have had in famous vintages. Speaks more to development than popular knowledge/science which is never meets great expectations in wine. Try it to love and live it ! — 12 years ago
That was really good.
89 points Antonio Galloni (Vinous): The 2013 Three Valleys is a plump, juicy and expressive Zinfandel-based red. Dark cherry, kirsch, sweet spices, dried flowers and tobacco are front and center in a soft, supple red to drink now and over the next handful of years. Once again, the Three Valleys delivers superb quality for the money. Drink: 2015-2020. (Jul 2015) — 7 years ago
Although this one did tend to have a citrus rich body, it is definitely a malo mouthfeel and more of a buttery chard. This wine was still quite delicious, and it's not really even my style. I was getting some lemongrass on the front, with a peach and mango note in the middle. The finish is more on the buttery side for my taste, but still went lovely with cheese and meat. Probably would have gone very well with Italian spiced nuts or with an herbal chicken dish. I believe this wine probably would have been more comprehensive if served with food. I think this one definitely has the longevity to age, but I'd put more stock in the Judge chard to do that most effectively. — 8 years ago
Wine of the night. This wine had EXCELLENT fruit, and showed NO VISIBLE SIGNS of decline. Great powerful blackberry. I was guessing 01 Stag's Leap or Rutherford. Turns out it was Caymus SS 01, but I was second guessing myself on the year because it was a very purple color into the decanter and showing well. The wine had great vanilla on the front, blackberry on the front, and a more youthful middle and finish with some herb. This wine has 10 years left in it no doubt. Whoever cut this one off at 2017 has no idea. This one literally showed no signs of decline whatsoever. Drink by date 2007 - 2030. — 9 years ago
Such beauty and elegance. I'm sure some of it is the age, but an AOC known for power emitting such elegance...Wow. Anyhow, jammy raspberries and a whole garden of vegetables on the nose. Palate is quite refined with white pepper, rock and all the trademark CDP flavors. Im never a huge fan of that fruit in the front, but the mid and back arr gorgeous. What's truly remarkable is the balance...The ability to isolate any single flavor to ruminate on, how each nuance to perfectly morphs into the next. Still some pronounced tannin in this guy! — 9 years ago
It's pretty solid and certainly a big juicy flavor up front. For the price it's excellent but the only downside is the fact that it's gets just a little chalky at the end. I'm nitpicking... — 9 years ago
Very earthy in color and taste. With 30 minutes of decanting, cherry fruits hits the front of the tongue and then the wine finishes with black licorice. Tannins are very soft but still provide nice texture. — 10 years ago
Delicious! — 10 years ago
Quintessential 19 year old Bordeaux, with barn yard bouquet mixed with wet leather on the front palette. Very long finish. Enjoy this wine and vintage on its own! — 11 years ago
Very full body. Great taste very can drinker will love it. Flavor on front of moth and tip of tongue. Ready to drink — 13 years ago
Very smooth. Yum! — 13 years ago
Extra spice and acidity up front but a fine effort — 7 years ago
Big powerful and intense. Dark only purple from core to rim; explosive nose of ripe black and blue fruit with hints of smoke, coffee and cloves. Full bodied and concentrated with black currant and blubbery compote up front and roasted fig, toffee and caramel on the mid pallet. Finish is long, dense and with silky soft tannins. The acididy is off the charts but the ballance is amazing. Would love to revisit in 20 years!!! — 8 years ago
Yup, a rose, but might as well call it a white. Palate reset as so dry. Unfiltered. What i might expect from a funky Loire producer — 8 years ago
To me, this wine of all the aged wines had the best entry without a doubt. This wine is made in a very old world and French style, and you can tell it from the start. I was a little worried about this wine, but the cork was in great shape and extracted by an ah-so with no problems. This wine had a very herbal nose, and herbal front. Raspberry front eventually emerged. The middle of this wine was actually quite full bodied. The finish was a little earthy, a little bit of mushroom, and tame oak. The wine was good, and still going after all these years. Look forward to the other bottle soon! — 9 years ago
Lots of dark fruits up front, strong body with some oak. Lighter finish than expected, but enjoyable. — 10 years ago
Blind tasted with 13 other bold reds. This tied for my wine of the night along with Daou cab 2010. Runner up was Seghesio Sonoma Zin 2013 (92 pts) — 10 years ago
Lighter color. Mild nose and gentle front of the mouth experience. Blackberries. Cherry. Plum. Then down with a warm, port-ish finale. — 10 years ago
Bell peppers up front, not as full bodied as others. Very nice. — 11 years ago
Cherry and blackberry hints up front, soft tannins in the finish — 12 years ago
Very nice! Still young but drinking very well already. Sweet, fruity, and floral on the front of the tongue, but rich and complex at the finish. Notes of earth and spice, and a hint of tannin. Will drink well later too. Great! — 13 years ago
Mark Flesher
Enjoyed while cleaning out the boss' cellar. Say what you want about this wine, but the one thing you can say is that this wine is incredibly consistent. This wine reminds me of the family uncle who always gives you some silver dollars at Christmas...even though you are now a grown adult. And if you actually listen to his crazy advice on investing when you were a kid, you just might be able to be that Uncle when you grow up. This wine is a thoroughbred. Meant to be consumed at least after 10 years. And this wine is in a really good spot. The nose does show a tiny bit of age as does the palate. This is front-loaded with slightly aged blackberry and a bit brambly. This wine smoothed out quite a bit over 3 hours. Finish with very nice integration, a hint of stiff oak tannin but a lot of it has resolved. Very enjoyable. This wine still has another 10 or 15 years left. — 7 years ago