D66

Most of us know Orin Swift from the now-famous Prisoner red blend. It's accompanied us on many indulgent evenings, pairing with every dinner, even quaffing it with dessert. Since the first days of the Prisoner, Orin Swift Cellars have impressed us further with big, tannic and bold California labels such as Saldo Zinfandel and Papillon Cabernet Sauvignon. So when a friend of mine sent me a picture of D66 with the caption “Orin Swift French wine,” I responded, “what makes it french?” not being able to imagine winemaker Dave Phinney leaving his home turf, where he has gained a lucrative popularity. My friend responded, “well first off, it's from France.”

So the story goes: Orin Swift Cellars founder and winemaker Dave Phinney purchased just under 300 acres in the Languedoc-Roussillon region of southern France. Under the sunniest skies in the region, seasoned with dry winds, the grenache grapes used for D66 thrive. If you've ever wondered while tasting through wonderful ten dollar granacha or bottle-after-bottle of Rhone blends what grenache itself is capable of: step right up.

When this wine first touched my lips a few months ago, it was as though everything I love about whiskey had consummated in wild passion with everything I love about red wine right before my eyes. Butterscotch and caramelized dates wrestled in the sheets. A sturdy alcohol backbone warms, rather than burns the palate. This isn't sipping for the faint of heart. It's a style of winemaking that lets us leave the shore of our usual senses, and throws us into seas of indulgence. Tiny waves of ripe cherry and toasted wood, ripple down the spine. To give us a rudder in this open sea, add Black Label Cambazola. The two mix seamlessly into instant creamy vanilla dessert with bourbon-berry sauce poured judiciously on top.

Wine Footnotes:

Vins Doux Naturels

Maury, the appellation in which D66 comes from is not only known for it's red wines of grenache (known under the title: Vin de Pays des Cotes Catalanes) but also a lightly fortified wine called “vins doux naturels,” also made from grenache. It's hard for me to not daydream about Dave Phinney drawing inspiration from this style, purportedly the oldest fortified wine in the world. (D66 is, after all, 15.2%.)

Punt

The punt is the indentation in the bottom of a wine bottle, common with champagne. The punt in D66's bottle is extraordinarily deep, giving it a wide base. Traditionally, the purpose of the punt is to catch sediment and reinforce the bottle, making it harder to break.

Tasting Tips:

Chill it

Put D66 in the fridge for 10 minutes before sipping. A cooler temperature, without being cold, will help balance it, bringing out more fruit for your initial encounter.

Cellar it

Up to 10 years, no joke. Get ten bottles and let it fascinate you every year for a decade. I know it sounds expensive at $37.99 a bottle but it's still cheaper than a flight to Perpignan.

Enjoy!

-Reverend