2016 Opus One, Napa Valley

Opus One was founded by Baron Philippe de Rothschild, legendary proprietor of Château Mouton Rothschild, and renowned Napa Valley vintner Robert Mondavi. By combining the great winemaking traditions and innovations of both families, the founders’ singular goal was to create an exceptional wine in the heart of Napa Valley. Opus One, like any great work, arose out of passion. Dedicated to uncompromised quality, Opus One’s sole purpose is to express this vision and passionate spirit for generations to come.
 
A blend of 77.5% Cabernet Sauvignon, 8% Petit Verdot, 8% Merlot, 5% Cabernet Franc and 1.5% Malbec, the Opus One 2016 Proprietary Red Wine was bottled in July and August 2018.
 
Deep garnet-purple colored, the 2016 Opus One offers up bold, expressive black and blue fruits: warm black plums, black cherries, blackcurrants and wild blueberries with a beautiful undercurrent of lilacs, roses, fertile loam, underbrush and Indian spices. Medium to full-bodied, the palate is a tightly coiled spring ready to explode, with fantastic tension and wonderfully ripe, very fine-grained tannins, finishing very long with a mineral lift.
 
98 points Lisa Perrotti-Brown robertparker.com Sep 2018 Drink 2021-2055
 
Fantastic aromas that are complex and complete with blackcurrants, blueberries and herbs, such as basil and bay leaf. But always subtle. Full-bodied yet linear and very refined with a very persistent finish. It shows drive and brightness. So refined at the end. Needs at least three to five years to come together.
 
99 points jamessuckling.com Dec 2019 

2016 Opus One is one of Napa Valley’s truly great modern classics, born from the iconic partnership between Baron Philippe de Rothschild of Château Mouton Rothschild and Robert Mondavi, a collaboration that set out to create a single world class wine that could stand alongside the great châteaux of Bordeaux. The vineyards lie in the heart of Oakville on the valley floor and benchlands, where deep gravelly alluvial soils and the warm days and cool nights of Napa give Cabernet Sauvignon and its blending partners extraordinary depth, structure and aromatic purity. The 2016 vintage in Napa was near perfect, with a long, even growing season that delivered ripe fruit, balanced acidity and beautifully refined tannins, making this one of the most complete Opus One releases in recent memory.

In the glass the wine shows a deep, inky ruby colour, opening with layers of blackcurrant, blackberry, dark plum, violet, graphite, cedar and subtle mocha. The palate is powerful yet seamless, delivering waves of cassis, blueberry, dark chocolate and savoury spice wrapped in velvety, finely grained tannins that build slowly and finish long and resonant. Despite its richness, there is a wonderful freshness and precision that keeps it elegant rather than heavy. It is magnificent with roast beef, lamb, game and truffle dishes, and it will continue to evolve for twenty to thirty years, gaining more tobacco, leather and earthy complexity while retaining its luxurious fruit.