The brand new Bordeaux-style blend from Orin Swift Cellars called Papillon is composed of 63% Cabernet Sauvignon, 19% Merlot, 9% Cabernet Franc, 7% Malbec, and 2% Petite Verdot. This is the first release of Papillon but we already know from previous posts the quality of the wines produced by Dave Phinney.(click for previous notes of The Prisoner)

The color of this wine is most impressive showing a dark, vibrant, and deep purple. The nose is equally impressive and intense and shows notes of black currant, cassis, pencil lead, oak, and black raspberry, followed by flavors of stunning black licorice, spice, cassis, and very rich black currant. Heavily extracted wine with lots of body and a bit of heat on the finish. It will be quite interesting to see how a wine like this develops in the bottle over the next five or so years. My assumption is that it has the structure and fruit to last and maybe even improve. I score the wine 91+ points.

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