2017 Orin Swift Papillon Red Wine Napa Valley 750 ml

After three long years, an undisputed Wine Access member-favorite returns: The 2017 Papillon Napa Valley Red Wine from California icon and iconoclast Dave Phinney is everything you expect from the genius behind The Prisoner, and everything you crave from an unapologetic blockbuster of a Napa red.

To the Wine Access members who made the last vintage of Papillon a massive hit with 4.41 out of 5 stars, Dave Phinney needs no introduction. For those who need a refresher, Phinney’s the founder/winemaker of Orin Swift, which makes him the creator of the world-famous Prisoner red blend—and one of the great winemaking talents of our time. He has turned in numerous Wine Spectator Top 100 wines, and Robert Parker has called him “brilliant,” and advised that “Readers looking for personality filled wines of considerable character and complexity need to check out the Orin Swift offerings.” 

Pouring black as a starless night and boasting jammy notions of blueberry preserve, cherry pie, and boysenberry, the 2017 Papillon is accented by toasted vanilla, mocha, and sweet spice, and built on a towering structure of sweet fruit-leather tannins. Massive and assertive, this Bordeaux-style red blend is not shy, and not for the shy. 

One sip of this perennial classic will remind you that nobody does the opulent Dave Phinney style better than Phinney himself—and you can claim your bottle right now for just $65. 

Although Phinney’s career was sparked by a conversation in a Florence trattoria and he’s got a Midas touch with grapes from all over the world, California is where he made his name, because it’s right in his ripe-and-rich wheelhouse. His Zinfandel-heavy Prisoner made him the maven of a style that winemakers have been emulating ever since it burst onto the scene—and if you want that opulent, drink-young, lip-smacking style in a sky-scraping Bordeaux-style blend, then Papillon is the bottle you’re looking for. Accept no substitutes. 

Composed of all five Bordeaux varieties, the 2017 Papillon delivers in a big way. Sourced from top vineyards on the Napa Valley floor and surrounding hillsides, it’s aged for 15 months in French oak, 43% of it new, adding anise, cinnamon, and vanilla to the sweet fruit-leather tannins. 

In the words of the venerable Parker: “If you are like me and believe that a wine is to be judged on just how delicious it is, you will be as impressed as I have been with the Orin Swift products.” You’ll surely agree with Parker, whether Papillon is brand new to you, or you’re one of the many Wine Access members who posted a five-star rave about the last vintage. Either way, do not miss out on this one.