red
Slander Pinot Noir
Orin Swift Cellars
Vintage & Drinking Window
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Drinking Window
2020 - 2028. Currently at peak expression (2026). The high ABV and plush tannins make this built for early-to-mid-term drinking. Enjoy the lush fruit now.
Perfect time to enjoy!
Vintage Notes
THE 2018 STORY: THE CALM AFTER THE STORMS. Following the devastating and deeply traumatic 2017 Northern California wildfires, the 2018 growing season arrived like a long, collective exhale. It stands as a nearly textbook, idyllic year for coastal Pinot Noir. THE GROWING SEASON: Spring was notably cooler than average across California's coastal AVAs, delaying budbreak and flowering. This early cold snap set the perfect stage for an incredibly long, slow, and even maturation period. The summer was phenomenally mild, lacking the severe, sustained heat spikes that typically force a rushed harvest, roast the fruit, or cause raisining. THE HARVEST DRAMA: Because daytime temperatures remained wonderfully moderate straight through August and September, winemakers faced a game of patience rather than panic. Pinot Noir could hang on the vine for extended periods, developing profound phenolic ripeness, thick skins, and complex flavors while retaining crucial natural acidity. For Dave Phinney, whose historical nemesis with this finicky grape was picking it too ripe and ending up with 'strawberry jam', 2018 offered the ultimate safety net: a massive, forgiving window to dial in the exact sugar levels he demands. VINTAGE RANKING: The 2018 vintage is universally lauded as a top-tier modern vintage for California Pinot Noir, often ranked far above the heat-stressed 2017 and the heavily smoke-tainted 2020. For Slander specifically, it stands as arguably the most flawlessly balanced iteration produced to date, reigning in the wine's signature high ABV with phenomenal acidity and structure. It is highly collectible for fans of the Orin Swift portfolio.
AI Confidence: 92%
$45.00 - $65.00 USD
91/100Outstanding
Sophie's Take
Listen to Sophie talk about Slander Pinot Noir
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Grape Varieties
100% Pinot Noir
Style: NEW WORLD BOLDNESS MEETS DELICATE AROMATICS. Orin Swift's Slander is unapologetically and magnificently Californian. While many modern producers are currently chasing a leaner, low-alcohol Burgundian style, Slander leans confidently into richness, extracting maximum color, opulence, and texture. It is a 'flavor-first' Pinot Noir built for pleasure. PEER COMPARISON & HIERARCHY: Compared to Meiomi Pinot Noir, Slander operates in a vastly different echelon. While both utilize a multi-AVA blend strategy, Slander incorporates 42% new French oak and commands a genuine, complex savory backbone rather than just sweet mass-market fruit. Compared to Belle Glos (such as Clark & Telephone), both share a rich, highly extracted, high-ABV philosophy. However, Slander maintains significantly more ethereal, soaring aromatics (lavender, white pepper, camphor) and a noticeably silkier entry, avoiding the heavy density that can occasionally weigh down its peers. Against a Kosta Browne Sonoma Coast blend, Slander provides a comparable luxury mouthfeel and lush fruit profile but at half the price, making it an exceptional hidden value in the premium tier. BLIND TASTING SIGNATURE: If placed in a blind lineup, the 2018 Slander immediately reveals itself through its intense aromatic lift of wild strawberry and a highly specific 'Mediterranean coastal trail' note, rapidly followed by an utterly surprising weight on the palate. The 15.3% alcohol gives it a rich, glycerin-heavy tear in the glass, leaving a creamy, decadent creme de caramel finish that is completely unmistakable.
Alcohol: 15.2%
Tasting Notes
NOSE (FIRST POUR): Explosive lift of fresh raspberry tart, wild strawberry, and ripe pomegranate.
NOSE (OAK): Hints of Madagascar vanilla, toasted brioche, and smoky oak linger gracefully.
PALATE (ENTRY): Utterly delicate and silky, washing the palate with bright cranberry sauce and Bing cherry.
Aromatic profile featuring dark cherry, plum, and subtle spice notes typical of California Pinot Noir
NOSE (DEVELOPMENT): Savory undercurrents emerge rapidly—dried sage, white pepper, camphor, and forest floor.
Smooth finish with lingering tannins and fruit-forward persistence
Professional Ratings
Robert Parker: 91/100
Serving Recommendations
Temperature: 15.5 C / 60 F. A slight chill is absolutely crucial to tame the 15.3% ABV, keeping the palate focused and lifting the delicate aromatics.
Decanting: 30-45 minutes. Decanting tames the 15.3% ABV. At 30 minutes, deeply savory notes of sage, white pepper, and wet earth unlock to balance the intense red fruit and creamy core.
Food Pairing:
Roasted lamb or beef
Grilled salmon or duck breast
Aged cheeses and charcuterie
Classic: Cedar-plank grilled wild king salmon with an orange-maple glaze. The cedar smoke perfectly integrates with the French oak's toasted brioche profile.
Mushroom-based dishes and risotto
Avoid: Spicy Thai green curry. Capsaicin aggressively magnifies the robust 15.3% ABV, making the wine taste overwhelmingly hot and completely masking its elegance.
Classic: Herb-crusted roasted pork tenderloin with braised red cabbage. The savory herbs highlight the wine's subtle sage, thyme, and Mediterranean trail aromatics.
Classic: Pan-seared duck breast with cherry-balsamic reduction and duck fat potatoes. The cherry flawlessly echoes the wine's intense Bing cherry and rhubarb notes.
Winemaking & Vineyard
Production Notes:
THE LEGEND: Dave Phinney, the mastermind behind The Prisoner, can command almost any grape in California. Yet, for over a decade, Pinot Noir was his white whale. Throughout the late 2000s, he tirelessly experimented with premium Pinot fruit, only to blend it away. He admitted: 'I kept picking it too ripe, and I couldn't get it right'. Phinney refused to release a subpar wine, enduring years of failure. Finally, in 2015, he cracked the code by pinpointing exact harvest brix before it tasted like 'strawberry jam'. The result was Slander. THE LABEL: The bottle features a jarringly simple, ragged strip of literal duct tape across the glass. Phinney jokes, 'Two things you always have in a winery are duct tape and marker pens... and cold beer'. It evokes his early days of marking barrel samples and boldly strips away the pretension of luxury Pinot Noir. SCARCITY & MARKET: Phinney severely limits production of this passion project. The 2018 vintage saw exactly 6,650 cases produced. Releasing at roughly $50 to $60 USD, it represents highly accessible luxury, selling out rapidly via mailing lists and dedicated allocations. WINEMAKING PHILOSOPHY: Phinney believes Pinot expresses itself best when least manipulated. Fermentation relies on gentle punch-downs rather than aggressive pump-overs. His wife famously serves as the ultimate arbiter; Phinney claims, 'Slander is the only wine I make that my wife will drink, and she has a much better palate than me'.
Vineyard Details:
TERROIR AS A MOSAIC: Rather than conforming to the Burgundian single-vineyard ethos, the 2018 Slander is a multi-appellation masterclass representing the rugged coastal spine of California. It integrates premium fruit from the Sonoma Coast, Russian River Valley, and Sta. Rita Hills AVAs. Specific sourcing includes iconic sites like the Annapolis Vineyard, which provides cool-climate backbone and wild coastal structure, the MacMurray Vineyard in the Russian River Valley, contributing plush red fruit and signature velvety texture, as well as the Olson Ranch and Sleepy Hollow vineyards. CRAFT & CELLAR: Pinot Noir and Orin Swift have enjoyed a unique relationship over the years. With Dave Phinney's signature style, the mandate is to find the absolute highest quality fruit, pick it without hesitation at the moment of optimal ripeness (typically around 25 Brix), and treat the delicate skins with profound reverence during fermentation to avoid over-extraction. OAK PROGRAM: The 2018 vintage was aged for 10 months in French oak barrels, with 42 percent being brand new. The moderate toast levels and highly specific cooperage selections impart beautiful notes of Madagascar vanilla, toasted brioche, and creme de caramel, seamlessly integrating with the intensely aromatic Pinot profile. THE RESULT: Bottled at a robust 15.3% ABV, the winemaking manages an incredible tightrope walk, pushing the sheer boundaries of traditional Pinot Noir ripeness and New World boldness while miraculously maintaining silkiness and finesse.
Awards & Accolades
• Ranked highly among premium multi-appellation Pinot Noirs for its outstanding price-to-quality ratio
• 91 Points - Robert Parker's Wine Advocate (Lisa Perrotti-Brown)
• 90 Points - Wine-Searcher Aggregated Critic Score
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