Wine Advisor
Opus One 1991
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Description
Opus One is the realized dream of two men: Baron Philippe de Rothschild of Chateau Mouton Rothschild in Bordeaux and Napa Valley vintner Robert Mondavi. Together, our founders set out to create a single wine dedicated to the pursuit of uncompromising quality. This singular mission shapes every vintage, today and for generations to come.
Tasting notes
Reviewed by: Neal Martin
One of my earliest tasting notes: a half-bottle given to me by the delightfully entitled and rather eccentric “Mr. Wigglesworth” if I recall. I noticed how deep the colour is and was utterly seduced by the purity on the nose, though there was still a lot of unresolved new oak. Wonderful definition and vigour. The full-bodied palate is very tannic, sinewy, with layers of blackberries, cassis and dark chocolate. Very long. An epiphany for this writer and at the time, I summed this wine up in one word: fantastic. Tasted December 1997.
Reviewed by: Lisa Perrotti-Brown
Tasted twice Deep garnet brick. Complex notes of meat, game, dried plum, black olive and dried Mediterranean herbs with a whiff of brett influence giving notes of sweaty saddles and a distinctive medicinal / band-aid character. The palate is nicely structured with a medium+ level of finely grained tannins and a crisp backbone of acidity fleshed out by an ample concentration of evolved fruit flavours. Long finish. Drink now to 2014. Tasted April 2009.
Reviewed by: Robert M. Parker, Jr.
Opus One's 1991 is a gorgeously rich, opaque ruby/purple-colored wine with a knock-out nose of smoke, cassis, vanilla, and a whiff of herbs and licorice. Full-bodied, with surprisingly supple, concentrated, chocolatey, cassis, and blackcurrant flavors that ooze across the palate, this voluptuously-textured example of Opus One is atypical in a vintage that produced so many backward wines. There is no question the wine possesses plenty of tannin, but it is admirably concealed by the copious quantities of concentrated fruit. This Opus can be drunk now as well as over the next 15+ years. Tel. (707) 963-1979.
About the Producer
The world-renowned Opus One was created in the 1970's as a result of a merger between two visionaries, Baron Philippe de Rothschild (lengendary Bordeaux wine magnate and owner of Château Mouton-Rothschild in Pauillac) and Robert Mondavi (an icon in the history of American wine with a namesake wine empire in California). It was their aim to develop a New World equivalent to a Bordeaux First Growth in the Napa Valley region of California. The exceptional style of Opus One resulted from the combination of their talent, their vision and the unique terroir of the Oakville AVA (an Eden for Cabernet Sauvignon). Today, this highly sought-after wine is produced from four different parcels, two parcels making up the famous 40-hectare To-Kalon vineyard, along with the River and Ballestra Parcels surrounding the Opus One winery. While the exact proportions depend on vintage, the blend is dominated by Cabernet Sauvignon, complemented by Cabernet Franc, Merlot and Malbec, reminiscent of Bordeaux's Left Bank. The wines are vinified separately before being matured in French oak barrels for a period of 18 months. They stay in the cellar, ageing in bottle for another 15 months, before being released on the market in October of each new year.
1988(2)1989(1)
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