By Rick Riozza
For those eager-beaver types who are already thinking and/or planning the “perfect” Christmas gift for their beloved, who is both a California Cab lover and an avid coin collector—well, this is your lucky moment! Do we have the consummate gift recommendation or what!
Enter now: The Mercury Head wine, a Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon from Orin Swift Cellars which features a real Mercury dime embedded on the bottle serving as its front label. So, who in the wine world does that?!
Most California Cab enthusiasts already know the story of vintner Dave Phinney who blasted himself on the wine scene with his Orin Swift winery known for its distinctive, artistic wine labels and bold, complex wines, particularly red blends, which included brand names such as The Prisoner, Papillon, Abstract, Machete, Palermo, and the like. (The Palermo label is perhaps my favorite wine label of all time. I think it depicts a grandmother dressed in traditional Sicilian garb; and, she’s posing in front of a bullet pocked, Sicilian catacomb rock wall. The macabre aspect to the scene is that she is a mummified skeleton.)
Anyway—should you be so inclined, check out one of our past articles on the mercurial Dave Phinney/Orin Swift to catch up on the details of his claim to fame: https://coachellavalleyweekly.com/swift-winemaking-packaging/ .
So, we have both the wine and the dime going on: The idea behind Mercury Head is to blend history (the dime) with the art of winemaking. The wine is designed to be a special occasion wine, often enjoyed by collectors and those seeking unique, high-quality Cabernet Sauvignon.
As to the dime: it was designed and first minted in 1916 and known as the “Winged Liberty Head” dime minted in the US up to 1945. The head of the coin featured a depiction of Lady Liberty wearing a winged cap, and we are told that the art was an exemplary of the Beaux-Arts era. Unfortunately, some Americans didn’t get the memo, and the design was mistakenly associated with the Roman god Mercury, the Roman god of commerce: thus, Mercury Head dime.
As to the wine: it is now called a flagship wine for Orin Swift, sourced from high-quality vineyards in Napa Valley. I still have a couple of bottles of the 2019 vintage; that one included grapes from Stagecoach, Emerson Day, and Morisoli vineyards, and a small amount from the historic Monte Rosso vineyard in Sonoma Valley. Talk about flagship—that’s pedigree 2.0!
And with that statement, we know the wine will always be known for its complexity; always showing flavors of black currant, raspberry, cigar box, and sandalwood, along with a silky-smooth finish that most Californians desire. It’s a powerful, modern Cabernet Sauvignon with the capacity to age. That’s why I still have a couple of bottles—but can I leave them alone for another decade?
2023 Mercury Head Wine Napa Valley. The wine is typically priced around $170 or so and even without the vintage Mercury Head dime affixed to it, the wine will always be a collector item. It’s got great presentation, symbolizing history and craftsmanship.
Winery notes: “The nose is characterized by notes of blackcurrant, licorice, baking spices, and crushed gravel, with hints of lavender. On the palate, it delivers flavors of blackberry, dark chocolate, espresso, and a blueberry reduction, balanced by chalky tannins. The finish is long and smooth, often with a touch of Herbs de Provence.”
Aged in French oak—probably around 55% new oak, certainly contributing to the wine’s structure and complexity.
Cab connoisseurs already know what to pair this spectacular wine: For sure hearty dishes—grilled steak or lamb. My go-to match-up is presenting a Cognac drenched rare Steak au Poive. But you’ve got to come hungry and stay late.
So, I can see already that some of you capitalist wine game players are wondering about the “real” value of the bottle with a coin that was minted over 80 years ago and more! Indeed—if the coin is in very good condition and from a very particular year (you numismatics in the mist probably know that stuff), the coin on the bottle could be worth some bucks.
Some Mercury Head dimes have brought in hundreds of dollars—some a thousand! Now if Orin Swift produces around 6,000 cases of this particular Cab, that means around 36,000 dimes are being utilized every year! That’s a bunch of old dimes out there; one has to get lucky every so often. How fun!—the game of wine! Cheers!
Rick is your somm-about-town. He is currently seeking out new local eateries with interesting beverage lists to write about. If you know of, or have a new favorite haunt that can use some coverage, contact Rick at winespectrum@aol.com.
