Orin Swift Abstract 2019

Some consider collages an art form reserved for teenagers letting the rest of their bedroom know how many friends they have or for people writing ransom notes out of cut up copies of 'Take a Break' magazine. (What, just because he kidnaps people he can't engage in some guilty pleasure reading?) We would tell people disregarding collages to have a peak at the work of Pablo Picasso during his Synthetic Cubism phase. Pretty good right?

Collages are amazing; they are a visual expression of the phrase, 'more than the sum of its parts.' It is an art form that Californian winemaker Dave Phinney has mastered. For Orin Swift Abstract he blends Grenache, Syrah & Petite Syrah from 100 different lots of wine. Individually, they're good wines, but together, they tell a full, complex story of raspberries, cranberries, dark plums, pluots and a hint of earthiness; just like a collage hence why one adorns the bottle. There you have it; collages good, kidnapping bad. Glad we cleared that up.

Orin Swift was started in 1998 by Dave Phinney and has since grown into one of the most renowned boutique wine brands in the US.

The wines of Orin Swift represent the best of modern Californian winemaking, they’re a move away from tradition to a more handsy, feel based approach to winemaking, where the accepted stylistic requirements are thrown out the window.

The philosophy at Orin Swift is simple – find the best grapes they can, let them hang and ripen, and then express the profile of the fruit in the boldest, most expressive way possible. The result is wines that are unapologetically high in alcohol, wines where monstrous sweet fruit concentration is to the fore and a small, considered use of old French barrels is only there to season and soften the wines.