96 Points Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
Sitting atop the Orin Swift hierarchy, the 2023 Cabernet Sauvignon Mercury Head comes largely from Morisoli and Stagecoach. All Cabernet Sauvignon, aged just 13 months in 53% French oak, it combines cedar and vanilla with cherries, raspberries and cassis. This full-bodied effort is more concentrated than the other Cab-based reds in the lineup, but it's still plush and generous, with soft velvet sensations slowly unrolling on the lengthy finish.
96 Points James Suckling
A super-concentrated, trim and age-worthy red that's structured and deep, with black cherry flavors on an elegant texture. Very focused, showing supple tannins and slightly restrained fruit, graphite, cocoa, black olive and tobacco leaf flavors. Full-bodied but still balanced.
95 Points Owen Bargreen
The 2023 ‘Mercury Head’ is a heady and delicious Cabernet Sauvignon that was stored in mainly new French oak before bottling. Inky in the glass, this delivers cassis, wintergreen and black cherry compote on the nose alongside creme de cassis. This comes off velvety and silky with a refined mouthfeel and great concentration of elegance and depth.
Winemaker Notes
The opaque core of the 2023 Mercury Head flashes with a neon crimson rim. Mesmerizing in the glass, the wine opens with notes of blackcurrant, Amarena cherry, California chapparal and an elegant kiss of oak. The palate is effusive with hints of ripe blue fruits, blood orange, dark chocolate and rhubarb—rich and layered as the wine continues to open. Fully integrated tannins are paired with an elegant and nuanced close of blackberry preserves and licorice.
