Orin Swift Slander California Pinot Noir (12 Bottles), California

by Oatley Fine Wine Merchants

$1,230.00 GST Included

AUSTRALIA WIDE SHIPPING INCLUDED

2019 Vintage 91 POINTS by Robert Parker

Pinot Noir is notoriously finicky and delicate, requiring it to be handled more gently than other red varietals. This means monitoring ripening more closely and, in the cellar, prescribing more punchdowns than pumpovers. What results from these techniques is a wine adorned with unique aromas.

Most importantly, Slander is the only wine I make that my wife will drink, and she has a much better palate than I do. So if you like it you can thank her and if you don’t then that’s my fault. Either way please know we did our best to make something we can be proud of.

The Story
Believe it or not, we made Pinot Noir for ten years until finally bottling the first release of Slander in 2015. We experimented with various vineyard sites, appellations and French barrels, but we were never quite satisfied. A good friend of mine who makes amazing Pinot finally said to me, “Look Dave, I know you don’t like making wine by the numbers but this year when the Pinot hits 25-26 brix, just pick it. Trust me. What do you have to lose?” So that’s exactly what we did and it worked. I often say that I don’t need to be the smartest guy in the room and clearly, from 2000-2015 I had been the dumbest guy in the Pinot Noir room…ha ha.
The label is meant to look like a piece of duct tape wrapped around a bottle. It’s a nod to how we used to label barrel and tank samples. Two things you always have in a winery is duct tape and sharpie markers…ok, and a cold beer.

The Land
We’ve continued to expand our footprint in California Pinot Noir. Venturing as far south as the Santa Rita Hills AVA in Santa Barbara County, as far northwest as the Annapolis vineyard in Sonoma Coast and all points in between. The wine is California appellated by design. We feel the best way to achieve complexity and maintain consistency is through geographic diversification. Of course, it takes appreciably more time and money, but we feel it’s worth it.

Winemaker Notes
Abundantly aromatic, the wine opens with ripe cranberry, marmalade, white pepper, fresh brioche, dried sage, camphor and Mediterranean coastal trail. The entry is silky with a flood of bing cherry galette, Madagascar vanilla and ripe red fruits. Seamless, integrated and elegantly opulent, the wine finishes gracefully with trace amounts of soft, oak tannin.

Maturation: Aged in 42% new French oak for 10 months

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Description

Founded in 1998, Orin Swift is fueled by Dave Phinney’s connection to the vineyards and his passion for art and originality. As a tribute to the upbringing that shaped the individual he is today, Dave named Orin Swift after his parents – combining his father’s middle name, Orin and mother’s maiden name, Swift.

Called by Wine Spectator Magazine as ‘one of the most influential and innovative winemakers in California’, Dave sources his wines from some of the most renowned vineyards in California. Each wine has a distinct point of view and every packaging element – from glass selection to the label material – is his design.

Dave takes a vineyard-first philosophy. Believing in the power of place and that winemakers are only as good as their fruit source, he walks every vineyard and calls every pick. Dave sources from his favorite lots throughout California to ensure only the highest quality fruit make the cut – selecting his top choices from Napa Valley, Sonoma County, and other premier areas throughout the state.

At Orin Swift, our winemaking philosophy’s always been the same – find the best fruit from the best vineyards, farm it right, harvest it right, bring it into the winery, and don’t screw it up.

Oatley Fine Wine Merchants

Renamed in August 2015, Oatley Fine Wine Merchants is the Oatley family’s Australian wine distribution business.

Oatley Fine Wine Merchants is focused on becoming a leading independent premium wine merchant recognised for the quality of the wines we offer and for the services we provide to our customers. We are committed to offering the flexibility of representation that meets your venue’s specific needs.

All of our producers are independent and family owned, where heritage and authenticity are key. We work in partnership with the wineries we represent with a commitment to deliver wines of the highest quality and standards. We will continue to evolve the portfolio of wines we offer to ensure we meet the challenges of a constantly changing market and evolving consumer preferences.

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