2009 Opus One, Napa Valley, California, USA

2009 Opus One, Napa Valley, California, USA

Product: 20098015994
Prices start from £2,100.00 per case Buying options
2009 Opus One, Napa Valley, California, USA

Buying options

Available by the case In Bond. Pricing excludes duty and VAT, which must be paid separately before delivery. Storage charges apply.
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6 x 75cl bottle
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Description

81% Cabernet Sauvignon, 9% Cabernet Franc, 6% Petit Verdot, 3% Merlot, 1% Malbec

2009 was a slightly mixed vintage, weather-wise, for the Napa Valley, with cool weather at flowering and during the key ripening period but interspersed with some burst of extreme heat which brought a pleasing maturity to the grapes in time for the harvest. The bouquet shows traditional cassis and dark chocolate aromas but also some blueberry and graphite, reflecting the coolness. The palate is exceptionally fine, with abundant but ripe tannins integrating beautifully with the French oak and perfectly complemented by crisp acidity. As always, one of the purest expressions of a Bordeaux blend grown in California.

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Critics reviews

Antonio Galloni, Vinous94
The 2009 Opus One is impeccable. It brings together the silkiness of the 2007 with the power and darkness of the 2008, a combination that is hugely appealing, to say the least. With a little air, the 2009 can be enjoyed young, but it is best cellared for at least a few years, which will allow some of the baby fat to drop off. The blend is 81% Cabernet Sauvignon, 9% Cabernet Franc, 6% Petit Verdot, 3% Merlot and 1% Malbec.
Antonio Galloni - vinousmedia.com - Jun 2013 Read more
Jane Anson96/100
Gorgeous texture, beautifully supple tannins, this is richly aromatic and juicy, with loganberry and raspberry fruits, touches of cocoa bean and crayon. The key difference with the Bordeaux First Growths in this fascinating horizontal tasting, where you can feel the Napa fingerprints, is in the brushed velvet texture that takes you through the mid palate, with a structure that is generously giving and inviting, showcasing autumnal berry fruits that are assertive while retaining balance, fresh acidities and spice. Gorgeous, showing exceptionally well, can be drunk today or cellared further. 100% new oak, Michael Silacci winemaker.

Drink 2022 to 2040

Jane Anson, Inside Bordeaux (August 2022) Read more
James Suckling93/100
Aromas of orange peel, currants, olives and subtle rosemary. Full body with a beautiful balance of fine tannins and a fresh finish. Super-refined and beautiful. Better in 2015 but just drinking beautifully now. This 81% cabernet sauvignon, 9% cabernet franc, 4% merlot, 4% petit verdot and 2% malbec.
James Suckling - 14-May-2014 Read more
Decanter93/100
2009 was a cooler vintage, and that’s reflected in the complex bass notes of black olive and tobacco which inflect this Opus One’s bouquet of dark fruit, chocolate and licorice; supple and polished on the palate, this wine has more of a savoury edge to its tannic profile than riper years such as 2007. Cabernet Sauvignon only makes up 81% of the blend here, complemented by fully 9% Cabernet Franc, a variety that plays an increasing role at Opus. Drink: 2016-35
William Jackson - Decanter - Jul-2016 Read more
Stephen Tanzer93/100
Full medium ruby. Wild, flamboyantly expressive aromas of black raspberry, crystallized blackberry, smoke, leather, licorice, bitter chocolate and cedar, lifted by violet and spices. Smooth, mouthfilling and decidedly dry, with a lightly dusty character to its flavors of dark fruits, minerals and game. The broad, very long finish features building tannins. Quite different in style from the higher-pitched 2008, which was tighter and more floral at the same stage of its evolution.
Stephen Tanzer - May-2012 Read more

About this WINE

Opus One

Opus One

Opus One is among California’s leading wine estates. It was founded as a joint venture between two leading wine producers: Baron Philippe de Rothschild, the owner of Château Mouton Rothschild in Pauillac, Bordeaux; and Robert Mondavi, one of the most influential figures in Californian wine history. The ambitious pair created Opus One in 1978, the first vintage following in 1979. It is located in the Oakville sub-region of California’s Napa Valley. There are four estate-owned vineyards, including considerable holdings in the prestigious To Kalon vineyard.

There are two wines produced at Opus One. Opus One itself is a red Bordeaux blend dominated by Cabernet Sauvignon, along with Merlot, Petit Verdot, Cabernet Franc and Malbec. Like a lot of top Classified Growth Bordeaux, Opus One undergoes ageing in new French oak barrels for around a year and a half. A second wine, Overture, is also produced. Overture is also a red Bordeaux blend. It differs from Opus One in that it is a non-vintage wine, crafted from the fruit of several vintages.

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Oakville

Oakville

Oakville is a renowned wine region in the heart of Napa Valley, California, USA. It is considered one of the premier appellations for producing high-quality Cabernet Sauvignon wines. The favourable climate, diverse soil types, and skilled winemaking practices have contributed to Oakville’s reputation as a top wine-producing area.

The primary grape variety is Cabernet Sauvignon, which thrives in the region’s warm climate and well-drained soils. However, you can also find other Bordeaux varietals such as Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot, and Malbec, as well as some white wine grapes like Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc.

Oakville benefits from a Mediterranean climate with warm, sunny days and cool nights. The region’s proximity to San Pablo Bay allows for morning fog, which provides natural cooling, making it ideal for slow grape ripening and flavour development.

The diverse soils add to the complexity of the wines produced. The region features a mix of volcanic, alluvial, and sedimentary soils that offer distinct characteristics to the grapes. The Napa River runs through the area, further enriching the soils with sediment deposits.

Oakville is home to some of the most prestigious and iconic wineries in Napa Valley. Prominent names like Robert Mondavi Winery, Opus One, Far Niente, Screaming Eagle, and Harlan Estate have put Oakville on the world wine map.

Winemakers in Oakville employ various traditional and modern winemaking techniques to ensure the highest quality wines. Careful grape selection, hand harvesting, small-lot fermentations, oak barrel aging, and blending are standard practices used to craft complex and balanced wines.

In recognition of the unique terroir and distinct characteristics of the wines produced, Oakville was designated as an American Viticultural Area (AVA) in 1993. This official appellation status further solidifies the region’s significance in the wine industry.

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Cabernet Sauvignon Blend

Cabernet Sauvignon Blend

Cabernet Sauvignon lends itself particularly well in blends with Merlot. This is actually the archetypal Bordeaux blend, though in different proportions in the sub-regions and sometimes topped up with Cabernet Franc, Malbec, and Petit Verdot.

In the Médoc and Graves the percentage of Cabernet Sauvignon in the blend can range from 95% (Mouton-Rothschild) to as low as 40%. It is particularly suited to the dry, warm, free- draining, gravel-rich soils and is responsible for the redolent cassis characteristics as well as the depth of colour, tannic structure and pronounced acidity of Médoc wines. However 100% Cabernet Sauvignon wines can be slightly hollow-tasting in the middle palate and Merlot with its generous, fleshy fruit flavours acts as a perfect foil by filling in this cavity.

In St-Emilion and Pomerol, the blends are Merlot dominated as Cabernet Sauvignon can struggle to ripen there - when it is included, it adds structure and body to the wine. Sassicaia is the most famous Bordeaux blend in Italy and has spawned many imitations, whereby the blend is now firmly established in the New World and particularly in California and  Australia.

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