Prisoner Wine: our 2026 expert buying guide

10 Best The Prisoner Wines to build your collection

Our best rated The Prisoner wines range from the accessible Syndrome Rosé (4.6/5, ~$35) to a premium bottling of Corrections Reserve (5/5, ~$100). The Prisoner Cabernet Sauvignon (4.9/5) is ideal for lovers of bold reds, while Erased Sparkling (4.8/5) offers an unexpected taste. All sourced from vineyards across California, these wines showcase the finest unique varietals. 

What wines are offered by The Prisoner Wine?

The Prisoner Wine makes red blends, single varietal red wines, whites and delightful sparkling wines.  At the core of the winegrowing and winemaking process is a focus on sustainability and practices that reduce environmental impact. This includes responsible farming through minimal chemical inputs, water conservation and the use of natural fertilisers. 

Product range:

• Red wines: The Prisoner Red Blend is the winery’s flagship product, a fruit forward and velvety red wine crafted from classic and unusual grape varietals. Other red blends have been produced under labels like Dérangé, Complicit and Soldier GSM. The brand also creates varietal specific wines, including the popular Prisoner Cabernet Sauvignon and Zinfandel, all focused expressions of the key grapes. 
• White wines, especially the widely beloved Prisoner Chardonnay. The company’s white wines show that they can excel beyond their usual red wines, including blends and single varietal bottlings of Chardonnay, Viognier and Sauvignon Blanc. 
• Sparkling wines and rosés are the icing on the cake. The Unshackled Sparkling series is worth trying for its brut style and expression of California’s finest Pinot Noir and Chardonnay grapes.  

Key grapes: 

• Zinfandel (Dry Creek Valley) grown in the volcanic soils and under the influence of the Pacific Ocean 
• Cabernet Sauvignon (Red Hills)
• Petite Sirah, Syrah, Charbono
• Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, Viognier

Iconic The Prisoner red wines and red blends worth buying

In 2003, Dave Phinney launched the brand’s first and most popular wine, The Prisoner Red Blend. It is a complex blend of Zinfandel, Cabernet Sauvignon, Petit Sirah, Syrah and Charbono with only 385 cases produced in its first year. The Prisoner red wine became an instant sensation due to its fruity, spicy and full bodied profile and iconic label, which was inspired by Goya’s “The Little Prisoner”. Sitting at 15% ABV, Prisoner red blends are best enjoyed with grilled ribeye steak or spaghetti bolognese, served between 60°F-65°F (15°C-18°C). Below are two of our favorite (and highest rated by our team)Prisoner red wines: 

Best rated The Prisoner wine Cabernet Sauvignon bottles

The Prisoner wine Cabernet Sauvignon is a rich and full bodied red wine with notes of dense dark fruit and a smooth tannic profile. It is made from Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon grapes and aged for about 15 months in French and American oak barrels. Prisoner reviews by critics name the Cabernet Sauvignon as a 5/5 wine that maintains the standard of the original red blend. Serve it in a large, Bordeaux style glass, paired with lamb chops or a hearty burger. Here are our top rated Prisoner wine Cabernets to buy:

Prisoner Wine Pinot Noir

Prisoner Wine Pinot Noir is a lush and full bodied red wine, featuring intense aromas of cranberry, cherry and raspberry. Typically crafted from 100% Pinot Noir grapes or with a touch of Syrah, this wine has a 14.5% ABV. Pour Prisoner Pinot Noir at a serving temperature between 55°F-60°F and enjoy it with duck confit or salmon. 

Prisoner white wines that impress 

Prisoner has since expanded its portfolio to include vibrant and elegant whites, as part of its rule bending approach to winemaking. The grapes come from vineyards in Yountville and Russian River Valley, chosen for their ideal terroir. The Prisoner white wines may be blends or varietal specific bottlings, released under labels such as “Blindfold” and “Friction”. Savor a glass on its own, or pair with light poultry, creamy pasta dishes and gourmet grilled cheeses. 

Best Prisoner sparkling wine (rated 5/5)

The Prisoner also offers bubbly wines, releasing its “Unshackled Sparkling” line in 2019, to provide bright and modern sparkling wines crafted from Chardonnay and Pinot Noir. This collection included both whites and rosés, featuring floral, mineral notes with crisp apple and pear flavors. The “Erased” is a ‘blanc de blanc’ sparkling wine produced from Californian Chardonnay, known for its full bodied and creamy layers with crisp acidity. We recommend pairing with cheese boards, savory food or delicate seafood dishes. 

The Prisoner Wine Company exclusive wine club

You should consider joining the Prisoner Wine Company’s Wine Club if you are a wine enthusiast who wants to explore the winery’s full offerings while staying up to date with the latest news. This subscription grants you access to limited edition releases, discounts, exclusive invitations to events all over the country, as well as free tastings at the winery. The subscription options at the Prisoner Wine Company Wine Club are: 

• The Fringe: 5+ annual releases, 12 bottles fully customizable 4x in a year, 25% savings on qualifying orders, complimentary tastings, guaranteed access to 3 bottles of winery exclusive Syndrome Rosés each June, one unique offering each January.
• 6 Bottles line up: 4+ annual releases, automatic shipments, 6 bottles per shipment are fully customizable, 20% savings on qualifying orders, complimentary tastings, guaranteed access to 3 bottles of winery exclusive Syndrome Rosés each June.
• 3 Bottle line up: 4+ annual releases, automatic shipments, 3 bottles per shipment are fully customizable, 20% savings on qualifying orders, complimentary tastings.

The Prisoner Wine Company’s innovative approach to winemaking

Founding winemaker Dave Phinney pioneered a new style of red wine blends in California, breaking away from the traditional single varietal styles. Over the years, The Prisoner Wine Company has introduced several innovations in blending, packaging, as well as hospitality and visitor experiences. Today, the winery is led by Chrissy Wittmann, who remains committed to pursuing unconventional winemaking and marketing techniques. Some of the novel changes are: 

• Redefining red blends with their flagship “The Prisoner” wine, made from Zinfandel, Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah, Petite Sirah and Charbono. They have also launched lines such as the “Unshackled Collection” featuring wines that are unbound by traditional appellation rules. 
• Artistic packaging and innovation: the brand is well known for its dark and thought provoking packaging style. For instance, Syndrome Rosé bottlings are presented with a zip tie, while the Unshackled collection uses metallic, combination lock style labels to further reflect its theme. 
• The Prisoner winemakers and wine educators also provide immersive guest experiences at their Napa Valley property. This includes a trip to The Makery, where art installations are presented, as well as an on site culinary garden to experience unexpected food and wine pairings.  

Did you know? If you can’t make the trip to the winery, you can experience Prisoner’s Napa Valley estate right from your couch through their virtual wine tastings!

How vineyard sourcing impacts Prisoner wine prices

Prisoner wine prices are influenced by several factors, including the vineyards where the grapes are grown, their harvesting techniques and the production methods used. Rather than sticking to a single plot for the cultivation of their grapes, the Prisoner Wine Company works hand in hand with over 100 small scale growers across California. This way, they have access to rare varieties while sourcing the finest grapes grown in their natural terroir. Some of the labels include:

• The Prisoner: grapes for the wines in this flagship category are sourced from high quality vineyards throughout Napa Valley.  
• Saldo, which includes wines crafted from Californian varietals as well as grapes sourced from all over the world. Bottlings include a Zinfandel, a red blend, a Chenin Blanc, an Australian Shiraz and a Carignan. 
• The Prisoner Unshackled series is a collection of limited edition luxury wines including Cabernet Sauvignon, Sauvignon Blanc and Cabernet Sauvignon. This line is known for breaking traditional naming rules with its bold blends and unique labels featuring vintage combination locks. 
• Blindfold wines are single varietal and white wine blends produced from top quality Californian grapes grown by winemakers in Mendocino, Russian River Valley and Napa Valley.
• The Winemaker Series wines are experimental small batch bottlings with a focus on art and creative freedom. The collection explores different flavors and textures, such as the unique Riesling/Gewürztraminer blend with white port. 
• The Corrections Series was launched in 2022 to use wine bottles as canvases for prison reform awareness. The bottles feature artwork by formerly incarcerated artists on their labels and proceeds are donated to advocacy groups. 

Meet Dave Phinney, a brief history of the creative powerhouse

Originally from West Los Angeles in California, Dave Phinney went to Florence, Italy, for a semester during college, where he fell in love with vines and wine. When he came back to America, he planted experimental vineyards and, upon graduation, began working the harvest at Robert Mondavi Winery in 1997, marking his debut in the Napa Valley wine business. 
Roughly three years later, he had created his first red blend, The Prisoner, while simultaneously running Orin Swift Cellars. He got the idea for the label for “The Prisoner” from a sketch he had been gifted by his parents in his childhood, Francisco de Goya’s “The Little Prisoner”. 
He rose to fame for his bold wine blends, thought provoking label art, as well as a commitment to crafting the best wine blends across Californian vineyards without terroir constraints. 
He ended up selling Prisoner Wines to Huneeus Vintners in 2010 (who sold it to Constellation Brands). Orin Swift is now owned by E. & J. Gallo Winery, although he remains the brand’s winemaker. 
Today, Dave Phinney is an erudite oenophile who believes that the vinification process is always evolving. Amongst his many awards is the “Winemaker of the Year” award by Wine Enthusiast in 2019, creating over a hundred 90+ point wines throughout his winemaking career.  

The Prisoner Wine Company Legacy and prison reforms

The origin of the iconic Red Blend label is an etching by Spanish artist and social activist, Francisco de Goya. It is a part of his series titled “The Disasters of War”, created to protest the cruelty and inhumane nature of incarceration. The Prisoner Wine Company remains committed to this belief, introducing “Corrections” in 2022. With this limited edition series, they hope to spark important conversations about prison reform and ending mass incarceration. The wine labels include artworks by formerly incarcerated artists and 5% of the wine sales and proceeds are donated to The Center for Art & Advocacy, driving social change and supporting justice impacted artists. 

Fun Fact: Far from its meager first release of 385 cases, The Prisoner Wine Company now produces approximately 200,000 cases of its signature Prisoner Red Blend annually. 

How we rate and score The Prisoner wines 

We rate The Prisoner wines by carrying out extensive testing by our editorial team. Every single bottle is blind tasted, with no labels, price tags, or bias. Instead, we consider the appearance, aroma and bouquet, flavour, palate and overall impression of the wine to assign points on a 50 point system. Then, we convert the scores to a simple 5 point scale, as seen below. 

Rating Scale (1-5):

• 5 = Exceptional
• 4 = Excellent
• 3 = Very Good
• 2 = Good
• 1 = Fair

What do we look for?

• Appearance (up to 5 points): clarity, color, brightness
• Aroma & bouquet (up to 15 points): intensity, complexity and absence of flaws
• Flavor & palate (up to 20 points): balance of acidity, tannin, alcohol, depth, mouthfeel
• Overall impression (up to 10 points): harmony, complexity, typicity, finish, aging potential

When we write a Prisoner wine review and assign a score between 4 and 5 points, that means it stands out amongst other options in its category, all the above factors considered. 

A note from our team: when it comes to wine tasting, personal preference is what matters most. Our scores reflect our palate and taste; therefore, we also recommend reading our tasting notes to find the bottles that best match what you enjoy!

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