The Prisoner will hold you captive

Orin Swift The Prisoner (2006)
Origin: California (Napa Valley)
Price: $36.50

First, my apologies, as I realize this wine is not within this blog's usual price range. For me this would in fact be considered "expensive" wine. But last night my very connected wino friend invited me out to 2201 in the boro, where we dined with a couple of his wino friends. In this lovely BYOW fine dining establishment, apparently the winos thought it necessary to open three wines and one champagne that evening. And who am I to refuse such an enticing offer? Plus, I hear that many consider the 2006 vintage of this wine to be the best Prisoner to date.

Consider yourself forewarned! This is not a wine I recommend taking on by itself. However, the grilled salmon over decadent seafood risotto that I ordered was a perfect match. The Prisoner is actually a blend with the following breakdown: 51 percent zinfandel, 23 percent cabernet sauvignon, 12 percent syrah, six percent petit sirah, six percent charbono and two percent grenache. Whoa, quite a mouthful ... and a handful. What a powerhouse of varietals -- picture a rich compote of ripe berries and dark fruit and you can just imagine the potency of the final blend. But don't fear it, even if the amount of pigment alone could contend with the ink of a very large squid, not to mention the certainty of purple-lips syndrome. Just let this bottle of dark velvet works its magic. It'll be blanketing (and wowing) your taste buds in no time.