6% Cabernet Franc and 2% Malbec complete the blend. Grapes were harvested 10 days earlier than average, on 10th September with harvest lasting four weeks. A classic Opus with breadth, finesse and energy. No one element is too dominant, this feels harmonious and balanced with an excellent tangy acidity and long minty, herbal finish with edges of tobacco and dark chocolate. There is real drive and persistency to this, fresh, youthful and alive with a vibrant juiciness that is so appealing. Rich yet expansive on the palate, very open with dark chocolate, cherries, fragrant blackcurrant - sweet and scented, with satin-like tannins that effortlessly support the flavours. ![]() Intensely perfumed on the nose, rose petals, violets, deeply scented and seductive. ![]() Tasted as a barrel sample, this is a truly magnificent Opus One in the making! - Lisa Perrotti-Brown, Wine Advocate Full-bodied, the palate is jam-packed with juicy black, blue and red fruits, framed by velvety tannins and background freshness, finishing on a compelling earthy/mineral note. This year, with the 2019s, he was still tweaking the blend, but he did mention that this is "pretty close to the final blend." Deep garnet-purple in color, the 2019 Opus One leaps from the glass with notes of Black Forest cake, Morello cherries, mulberries and fresh blackcurrants plus hints of licorice, wilted roses, Sichuan pepper and iron ore. Winemaker Michael Silacci commented that usually the blends are finished in January or February after the vintage. A blend of 78% cabernet sauvignon, 8% merlot, 7% petit verdot, 6% cabernet franc and 1% malbec. Fantastic length and structure to the wine, with tightness and focus. The purity of fruit is really something else here, with currants and fresh flowers, such as violets and roses. #67 James Suckling's Top 100 Wines of 2022 #30 James Suckling's Top 100 American Wines of 2022 Still inky in colour with firm confident tannins, a long life ahead, this is intense and impressive.99 JS / 97-99 WA / 98 DE / 98 JA / 97 VM / 97 JD And this first vintage under their entire control, with floral notes coming through on the attack that expand through the mid-palate into full on smoked caramel, black chocolate and rich cassis puree. "This is the point at which Opus becomes a fully independent estate, with its own vineyard crew so able to react when needed throughout the growing season. The wine was aged in 100% new French oak for 17 months and for a further 14 months in bottle before release. ![]() The 2004 Opus One is a blend of 86% Cabernet Sauvignon, 7% Merlot and the rest 4% Petit Verdot, 2% Cabernet Franc and 1% Malbec. ![]() Historically the Grand Vin has been a blend of around 95% Cabernet Sauvignon and 5% Merlot aged for 18 months in 100% new French oak before being laid down for a further 18 months to mature in bottle. The objective was to recreate a First Growth level, Bordeaux style wine in the Napa Valley and by every measure, they succeeded. Known as NapaMedoc for the first three vintages and rebranded in 1982 as Opus One, this iconic Californian winery was founded as a joint venture between Baron Philippe de Rothschild of Château Mouton Rothschild and Robert Mondavi. Opus One 1993 is a mature-vintage Napa Bordeaux blend made by one of the true icons of Californian winemaking.
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