NV Locations F3 (Orin Swift) 750 ml

“F3” in Maury

In 2012, winemaker Dave Phinney of “The Prisoner” fame took his old-vine road show to the south of France, focusing his attention on the rugged schist soils of Maury. Working with Grenache, Syrah, and 100-year-old-vine Carignane, he fashioned a bold, black-fruit blend that brought The Wine Advocate to its knees.

Robert Parker wrote: “As of now, Dave Phinney might be my ‘value winemaker of the year’ candidate. … If there are better wines for under $20 a bottle in the world today, please share that information with The Wine Advocate. These are all remarkable efforts. Kudos to Dave Phinney!”

Those of you who have feasted on Phinney’s “Locations” over the last couple of years have likely tasted Phinney’s schist-infused “F2,” which earned 91 points from The Wine Advocate and 115 FIVE-star ratings from WineAccess buyers.

Tasted side by side with the “F2,” Phinney’s newest release of “Locations F3” is a touch deeper, darker, and more briery than the “F2.” If you’re a classicist, preferring refinement over power, you’ll likely give the nod to “F2.” But for those of us who are enamored of the black-fruit, full-throttle bombast of “The Prisoner,” the “F3” blows “F2” away.

Purple-black in color, with lavish aromas of crushed blackberry preserves, licorice, black currants, and camphor. Big, broad, and deeply concentrated, full-bodied and ultra-ripe with the same “juicy, in-your-face-style” Parker found in the “F2,” and finishing with the bracing, low-pH acidity so typical of these rugged schist soils.

$15.99/bottle on cases. Just 60 are up for grabs. Shipping included on 6.