Orin Swift Machete, an iconic Californian red, artfully blends Petite Sirah, Syrah, and Grenache from Napa and Sonoma, aged for 10 months in French oak for vanilla-spiced depth; and layer upon layer of complexity. A full-bodied lover's delight with dominant dark fruit aromas, raspberry-plum-chocolate flavours, medium tannins, and a smooth, lasting finishperfectly paired with grilled meats, cheese, and charcuterie.

Vivino Rating: 4.3 (Jul 2024)

Tasting Note

A dark mauve core with a neon purple rim, the wine stains everything. Opening aromatics on the 2020 Machete are gorgeous immediately: ripe pluot, carne asada, new cowboy boots, lilacs, espresso bean and wet concrete. On the palate, layers upon layers reveal themselves, from a plum galette topped with fior di latte gelato to 85% cacao dark chocolate to barbequed tri-tip and sweet oak. Puckering tannins to finish, the wine closes on a high note with a touch of blood orange zest and lingering acidity.

About the Producer

The history of Orin Swift Cellars dates back to 1995 when on a lark, David Swift Phinney took a friend up on an offer and went to Florence, Italy to spend a semester studying. During that time, he was introduced to wine, how it was made, and got hooked. A few more years of university led to graduation and eventually a job at Robert Mondavi Winery in 1997 as a temporary harvest worker. Deciding that if he was going to work this hard, it would eventually have to be for himself, he founded Orin Swift Cellars in 1998; Orin is his fathers middle name and Swift is his mothers maiden name. With two tons of zinfandel and not much else, he spent the next decade making wine for others as well as himself and grew the brand to what it is today.