![]() A collection like this can take years and years to compile, and we’re proud to bring you this chance to build an instant Opus One library that will pay dividends for decades. ![]() We’re thrilled to announce that our visit yielded the kind of allocation that normally only comes at auction: an eleven-vintage vertical of Opus One (2005-2015), direct from their cellars. Everyone in the company headed north on Silverado Trail to the Oakville AVA, to make our first official visit to the pristine winery that brought First Growth Bordeaux and the best of Napa Valley together: Opus One. So on a beautiful August day, the Wine Access offices in the town of Napa emptied. But realistically, we’d been looking forward to it for years. Very different wines, but both very high quality and showy in their ways.Technically, we’d had the appointment for about a month. If you are fan of Mondavi Reserve, I think you will like Opus One. I always keep some on hand for that moment when I need something really good that is also not going to be complicated to deal with in terms of decanting, predicting which vintage to open etc. And within that realm, I think Opus is qualitatively at the top. It is the perfect choice when you are having a steak dinner and need something that will impress- both for the label and the contents of the bottle- that you can rely on being approachable and enjoyable whether it is 5 or 25 years old. Sure, it had developed more tertiary flavors and aromatics here and there- but was still a largely fresh and beaming wine. My most recent encounter was a small glass of the 1984 at a group tasting last year and it was wonderful- as well as being almost exactly as I remembered it being in the late 90s. It is balanced, complex, well made and a rare example of a high end and complex wine that is also pretty approachable its entire life. I do not drink Opus One very often, but for me it is a very useful and appropriate choice in a number of circumstances. If one was to try a somewhat older vintage of it as I prefer some age on my cab, what vintage do you guys suggest? Thanks!Ĭount me as a fan, and I am pretty high on the AFWE scale. I know Opus One gets a bad rap, but I still want to try it given that I really love Mondavi Reserves and generally enjoy California Cabs. Ah, the “good old days,” when a trip to Napa was a cheap date, and a $10 for a tasting was highway robbery! I think tastings were something like $10-15. Must have been…1993? 1994? At the time the Mondavi Reserve was around $15 (also at Costco.) I just remember that as a college student it was cost prohibitive to taste at Opus- especially when you could swing by a place like Caymus without an appointment and for $2 taste their wines and walk out with a glass. Last bottle I purchased was the 1990 from the Costco in Richmond (Ca.) for $45. Pending how aged you like your wines, I’d go with something in the '97-2005 range.įWIW, if you pulled up to the winery to purchase a bottle of their current release, you’d be spending $395 with the tax included. After tasting 3 previous vintages earlier in the day and the '97 being 21 years old, you could tell there was a common thread of balance and class. Afterwards, we had a 1997 with pizza of all things (great pairing). ![]() Visited a couple years ago and had some 2007, 20. There is no denying their wines are outstanding.
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