I wouldn’t hold the Overture more than 6-8 years, but it still needs a few years to develop. I doubt that the Overture will age like Opus One’s flagship. It was beautifully preserved, still opulent, fresh and vibrant, among the best Napa wines I’ve tasted and a legitimate rival of Bordeaux Premier Crus. I recently tasted the flagship Opus One from 1993. Overture is a blend of all the Bordeaux varietals, apparently including some juice held back from earlier vintages-hence the lack of a vintage designation on the label. The alcohol is nicely done never a distraction. They don’t grip but do propel a very long powerful finish. ![]() On the plus side of medium body, rich and round yet lithe and lively in the mouth with plenty of acidity, it will not achieve the characteristic velvet texture until the oak and acid become more integrated. There is excellent depth and clarity but it is not as complex as I had expected for a wine at this price.ĭeeply concentrated dark fruit gives way to an intense mid-palate that shows licorice but tastes excessively woody. With aeration some loamy earth appears decanting is recommended. The nose shows sweet vanilla, black cherry and cassis wrapped around a core of tobacco. But most quality red wines-especially Bordeaux varietals-will benefit from some aging to get all the components to come together. With its soft tannins, Opus One’s “second wine” is approachable now and was clearly made to be consumed young. Alas, none of them are true of persons, only of wine. ![]() This wine represents Opus One at its best: Balanced with satiny tannins and fresh acidity, providing a strong foundation for flavors of black currant, mocha, and licorice it is the epitome of Napa Valley's powerful terroir.Our literature is full of epigrams about the virtues of age-“The best is yet to be”, “Old age hath yet his honor and his toil”, “With age comes wisdom”. Robert Parker calls it not only “one of the great wines of Napa,” but “the pinnacle of French viticultural knowledge combined with that of California and Napa’s Shangri La-like microclimate.” Grown on the estate’s four vineyard plots-the Ballestra and River Parcels, which flank the winery, as well as To Kalon North and South across Highway 29-the Left Bank-style blend is one of the most coveted, envied, and emulated wines on the planet. Since its first vintage in 1979, Opus One has become the red wine that represents California to the world. And finally, it would be different and unique. Second, it would reflect the partnership between the Mondavi and Rothschild families. The two luminaries struck a partnership eight years later, and agreed on a simple three-point philosophy: First, Opus One would be a classic Bordeaux-style wine. ![]() When he met Robert Mondavi in 1970, Baron Philippe knew he had his man. The Opus One story began when Baron Philippe de Rothschild (of Bordeaux First Growth Mouton Rothschild) conceived of a Bordeaux-Napa Valley project. James Suckling put it simply in his review: "One of the best Opus' in years." We’re thrilled to announce that our visit yielded the kind of allocation that normally only comes at auction: Rare bottles of the 2012 Opus One, direct from the winery cellars and shipping with perfect provenance. 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. Technically, we’d had the appointment for about a month.
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