Producer Profile
This MONDAVI/Rothschild (Mouton-Rothschild) joint venture was conceived in 1978, the first vintage being in 1979 and remains independent from Constellation in its vineyard management and administration. At the time, super-premium Napa styles of Cabernet had not really materialised and Opus One was uniquely highly priced among its peers. During the 1990s the Mondavi Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon from the great To-Kalon vineyard was of a consistently higher standard, although the Q Block part of that same vineyard contributes to Opus One. The wine, a blend of all five Bordeaux varieties, has never quite fulfilled its potential but the scale of the production means there aren’t the scarcity problems found with some other top Californian reds. The wine is always given a very lengthy cuvaison of up to 40 days and is aged in 100% new French oak.
Tasting Notes
Robert Parker 97
a oeThis wine was too mucha too much like a caricature for me,a winemaker Michael Silacci confessed to me while tasting the 2015 Opus One together again recently. a oeSo, when we took it out of barrel to prepare for bottling we added a few more components.a Medium to deep garnet-purple color, it bursts from the glass with beautiful violets, lavender, rose hip tea and chocolate-covered cherries scents over a core of crushed blackberries, black cherries, cassis and iron ore. Medium to full-bodied, the palate is wonderfully bright and crunchy, with bags of fresh black and red berries and a wonderfully plush, finely grained texture, finishing long and fragrant. [Lisa Perrotti-Brown, 09/10/2019]
Anticipated maturity: 2021-2040
JancisRobinson.com 18+
81% Cabernet Sauvignon, 7% Cabernet Franc, 4% Petit Verdot, 6% Merlot and 2% Malbec. 21 days skin contact. 18 months in new French oak. Warmest year since 2008. Dry. Harvest started on 1 September and finished 8 October. Released to Bordeaux negociants in September 2018. Bright deep crimson. Really quite restrained and haunting on the nose. In this particular line-up (the previous wine was 2011), this was the first wine to incorporate some of the indigenous-yeast ferment. Pretty complex nose but much more richness on the palate. Lots of tannin. Not unlike a bordeaux 2015. A tad thick. [27/03/2019]
Anticipated maturity: 2022-2038
Vinous 97
The 2015 Opus One is a terrific example of the year. Super-ripe and flamboyant in style, with tons of fruit pushed forward, the 2015 has a lot to offer. Today, the primary intensity of the fruit and some of the new oak need time to subside, but there is a lot to look forward to. A rush of super-ripe red cherry, plum, mocha, espresso and wild flowers build into the huge, creamy finish. [Antonio Galloni, 14/12/2018]
Anticipated maturity: 2025-2045
