Buddy! Can you spare a dime? A Mercury Head dime, that is.

Our topic today is Orin Swift 2005 Mercury Head . Owner/winemaker David Phinney has collected coins most of his life with an eye to the history the coins evoke and not the intrinsic value. To his mind, the Liberty dime (aka Mercury Head) is one of the most beautiful coins ever minted. It seemed only fitting that he would decide to use the Mercury Head to grace the bottle of his stunning Cabernet Sauvignon. The wine itself is what he considers to be his highest quality Cabernet Sauvignon for any given vintage.

Production is always limited, but we were lucky enough to obtain a good supply of this anxiously awaited, absolutely terrific wine in one of the most creative packages in the wine world from one of the most creative newcomers in the Napa Valley.

Phinney is really on a roll. His 2005 The Prisoner was chosen as the #17 wine in the Wine Spectator's Top 100 of 2007. We currently have the 2006 vintage, a fabulous blend predominantly of Zinfandel, Cabernet Sauvignon and Syrah, on our shelf - Duke's price - $32.00. His 2005 Papillon, a lucious Bordeaux-style blend (Duke's price - $55.00), is a sensation. The long-awaited 2005 Mercury Head is a stunner to say the least.

Those of you who have tasted previous vintages of Mercury Head don't need to be reminded of how truly good the wine is. Here is a quote from the self-effacing winemaker himself,

"The truth is - Cabernet Sauvignon is one of the easier varieties to grow as well as make. The old saying, "great Cabernet Sauvignon makes itself," is really true. You've got to start with the grapes though. We are blessed to buy Cabernet from a handful of great people who are also great farmers who farm great vineyards. So this year, I'll leave out the adjectives and descriptors and thank a couple of those growers by name. I've learned a lot from these guys, and I'm proud to count them as friends.

• Thanks, Gary! (Gary Morisoli - Morisoli Vineyard, Rutherford)
• Thanks, Doug! (Doug Wight - Taplin/Lewelling, St. Helena)

The 2005 Mercury Head is 100% Cabernet Sauvignon and entirely from these two vineyard sites."

The Duke has this gem for you priced at $75.00 per bottle. Try all three of Dave Phinney's wines, two each of Mercury Head, Papillon and The Prisoner, for $324.00 for the 6-pack! You won't be sorry. We also have 6-packs available of each individual wine - Mercury Head at $450.00, Papillon at $330.00 and The Prisoner for $192.00.

Call the Duke today!!