Staff Pick

Orin Swift "8 Years in the Desert" - 2022

Name: Orin Swift "8 Years in the Desert"
Brand: Orin Swift
SKU: 41345
Price: 49.99 USD
Availability: OutOfStock

Item # 41345 750 mL

A full-bodied, richly hued and flavored red wine that's made from a blend of Zinfandel, Syrah and Petit Sirah. Aged for 6 months in French oak, a third of which was new. This wine is the epitome of Orin Swift's style: rich and overtly fruited and spicy. A pleasure to drink immediately.

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Color

Red

Vintage

2022

Country

USA

Region

California

Sub-Region

Napa

Producer

Orin Swift

Grape Variety

Petite Sirah

Syrah

Zinfandel

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Staff Pick Notes

The story goes that when winemaker extraordinaire, David Phinney, sold the incredibly popular ‘Prisoner’ brand of wines to a huge beverage conglomerate, they had him sign an eight year non-compete specifying that he would not produce another, similar Zinfandel blend. Eight years later, he was free, and Eight Years in the Desert was born. A Zinfandel blend rounded out nicely with Syrah and Petite Sirah, aged for 8 months in French oak, half of that new. Brambly raspberry, blueberry jam and forest floor hit the nose just right with a perceived sweetness that is just that, perceived. It doesn’t jam up the fresh, lush, palate that follows. Ultra-round tannins and lingering raspberry delight on a slow-motion finish. In Dave’s own words “8 years in the desert is the epitome of our style, the reason we are even here in the first place”.

- SG

Glossary

California

California makes more wine than any other state in the United States. Not only does the state grow a variety of noble grape varieties like Pinot Noir, Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon, there are also plantings of lesser-known varieties such as Nebbiolo, Roussanne and Mourvèdre to name just a few.

Syrah

We'd like to clear this up once and for all: the Shiraz grape is genetically identical to Syrah. Australian winemakers put "Shiraz" on the map (and, many would argue, vice versa), and the term is now used throughout much of the New World. Let it never be said, however, that Shiraz and Syrah are the same thing: the region in which the grape is grown determines much about the flavor of the wine it will produce. Typically, New World Shiraz yields bigger, fruitier wines than the the peppery Syrahs...

Zinfandel

Zinfandel is widely thought of as “America’s grape,” but in fact the variety is of Croatian origin, and is genetically extremely similar to Italian Primitivo, which thrives in the warmest parts of southern Italy. Like Primitivo, Zinfandel requires warm but not hot growing conditions, as its skins are relatively thin: this can cause its berries to shrivel into raisins if left on the vine a little too long. Dry and well-drained terroirs are also preferable for Zinfandel, as its bunches are...