2011 Opus One, Napa Valley, California, USA
Critics reviews
Antonio Galloni - November 2013
James Suckling - May 2014
About this WINE
Opus One
Opus One was a joint venture between Robert Mondavi and the late Baron Philippe de Rothschild. The first vintage (1979) was released in 1983 at the then unprecedented price of fifty dollars a bottle.
Opus One's fruit comes from the densely planted vineyards that surround the state of the art winery in the Oakville appellation. Opus One is a blend of 95% Cabernet Sauvignon and 5% Merlot and is aged for 18 months in French barrels (100% new) and then another 18 months in bottle before it is released.
Without doubt Opus One is one of California's most high profile wines, as well as being one of its best.
Cab.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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Description
The 2011 Opus One may turn out to be one of the surprises of the year. A brilliant, precise wine, the 2011 impresses for its energy. Sweet floral and spiced notes lead to expressive dark red berries, mocha, anise and new leather in a brilliant Opus One. Readers will note the lower than normal presence of Cabernet Sauvignon in the 2011, which is typical for a year in which blenders play an important role. The blend is 71% Cabernet, 11% Merlot, 9% Petit Verdot/8% Cabernet Franc and 1% Malbec. Opus One seems to really be hitting all the right notes these days. Winemaker Michael Silacci describes 2010 as the most difficult vintage he has ever seen. In 2011, Silacci opted for lower temperatures in fermentation, less contact on the skins, more co-fermentations and earlier bottling, all in response to the unique challenges of that year.
Antonio Galloni - November 2013
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