orin swift 8 years in the desert red 2022 750ml

At first glance, the 2022 Eight Years in the Desert looks to be almost black, but after closer inspection, a dark crimson starts to shine through with a tinge of purple on the rim. The nose is rife with notes of ripe blueberry, black plum, wild raspberry, espresso bean, sweet oak and a hint of crème de menthe and cedar. The entry is akin to walking through a tunnel of velvet walls with blackberry jam, reduced strawberry and a touch of rhubarb. Bright acidity throughout the palate, the wine closes with round, ripe tannins, fresh pluot and dark chocolate.

Blend: Zinfandel, Syrah, Petite Sirah 
Aged for 7 months in French Oak, 30% New

The Story: Dave has included a personal note for everyone selling the wine on the attached and as to what this release means to him after 8 Years of having not worked with Zinfandel which in context is the varietal that helped cement his career in the industry. Unlike other varietals Dave had to draw on an 8 Year memory of making Zinfandel and knowing that there would be a certain level of expectation of quality from both a wine and packaging elements. During the 8 Year hiatus, there has been a focus and thought regarding the wine and label every single day up until the actual harvest and design could begin which multiplied the effort by a factor of 20.

Winery Notes: The fifth chapter in the eight-part Zinfandel epic from legendary winemaker Dave Phinney is finally here. From the beginning, the concept behind 8 Years in the Desert involved creating eight unique labels—one for each vintage. It all started in 2008, when Dave Phinney sold The Prisoner brand. By doing so, he entered an 8-year non-compete where he could barely utter the word Zinfandel. In that 8-year exile, Dave published a book named 8 Years in the Desert which would become the name of his next ode to the Zinfandel grape. With the fifth chapter of 8 Years in the Desert, Orin Swift Cellars has taken the art of Zinfandel to yet another level. We hope you enjoy this wine as much as we enjoyed creating it.

15.6% Alc./Vol.

750ml Bottle