2024 Orin Swift "Abstract" California Rhône Blend

A proprietary red blend aged for eight months in 29% new French and American oak. Orin Swift has recently opened a new tasting lounge in St. Helena, California—a must-visit for anyone exploring Napa Valley. Dave Phinney, founder of Orin Swift, remains deeply involved in every decision, from picking dates to refining the wines in the cellar. The 2024 is off-the-charts fantastic. It delivers blue-fruited richness layered with violet character and sweet brown spices, and I absolutely love this wine in 2024. It’s the freshest, most structured, and most vibrant iteration I’ve tasted, offering a penetrating richness that’s classic Dave Phinney, yet with a sense of levity and saline acid tension that’s genuinely surprising. Full-bodied with velvety textures, it’s expressive, layered, and remarkably resilient—this is a wine you can happily enjoy over a couple of days if you don’t finish the bottle in one sitting. (JC)