As a wine photographer I often receive a thimble-full of wine, not enough to taste Yet I do get to taste with my eyes and recently explored (with the microscope) several vintages of Opus One and wondered longingly if the images reflected the true nature of the wine.
The four vintage wines captured were 2001, 2005, 2008, and the not yet released 2009. All except the 2009 (too early to tell) received expert ratings of 90 or better. The winemaker was Michael Silacci.
I will synthesize here are expert ratings and reviews plus my own wordy spin on the pictures from within the bottle. BTW, my words came from what the pictures reveal, before reading expert opinions or actually imbibing.
My words interpreting the wine portraits –
2009 OPUS ONE
Tight, concentrated, not ready to burst out
EXPERTS: William Kelley at special vertical tasting with David Pearson, CEO of Opus One Winery at Oxford University Wine Circle in April 2012 says about Opus One 2009, “a wine that has not yet been released. Still very tight on the palate, this wine has a very powerful entry, but though promising it is difficult to evaluate in its current state.”
2008 OPUS ONE
Strong structure, bright tannins, flying forth with a softened presence that lingers.
From Opus: this precocious and remarkable wine offers a long finish. A satin texture enrobes the wine’s smooth, round tannins, its bright acidity supporting a juicy and elegant mouth feel. The smallest per-acre yield in thirty-two vintages of Opus One.BLEND – 86% Cabernet Sauvignon, 8% Petit Verdot, 4% Merlot, 1% Cabernet Franc, and 1% Malbec. – 22 days of skin contact and 17 months of barrel aging in new French oak.
EXPERTS
Kelley 4/2012 The 2008 is also a formidable wine with great aromatics, though it is currently a little unresolved on the palate-as one would expect
ST 5/2011 Juicy and energetic in the mouth, with enticing inner-mouth florality. Not a particularly dense or fruity style but boasts nicely integrated acidity and already displays a lot of personality
2005 OPUS ONE
2005 was visually the most complex of this series with strong softened structures and smooth mouth embracing textures. This wine curls around the tongue with a tickle and tingle.
From Opus: A voluptuous garnet, a long and luscious finish. Gorgeously pure, opulently full-bodied, with sweet tannins, superb concentration, and a low acid, ripe, tannic finish. Blend: Cabernet Sauvignon 88%, Merlot 5%, Petit Verdot 3%, Cabernet Franc 3% Malbec 1% .29 Days Skin Contact 18 Months Aging in New French Oak barrels.
EXPERTS
ST may 08 velvety in texture but also juicy and firmly structured, with mouthcoating flavors. elegantly styled wine really coats the mouth without coming off as overly sweet. Finishes with noteworthy spine and length.
RP Gorgeously pure, opulently full-bodied, with sweet tannins, superb concentration, and a low acid, ripe, tannic finish, it tastes like a top-notch vintage of ripe Bordeaux, but made in California
4/2012 Kelley. The 2005 is full-bodied and ripe, clearly has a long life ahead of it
2/2009 Wine globe.com A soft, creamy entry gives way to a concentrated mid-palate that expands in the mouth and lingers on the finish.
4/2011 City Wine Cellar – A tightly knit youngster, ending with a strong, structured tannin
2001 OPUS ONE
Concentrated, focused, restrained and rounded
From Opus: A supple, creamy entry is followed by intense flavors of ripe black cherry, cassis, and dark chocolate, finishing with lingering. BLEND: Cabernet Sauvignon 87%, Merlot 6%, Malbec 3%, Cabernet Franc 2% Petit Verdot 2%
32 Days Skin Contact and 17 Months aging in New French Oak barrrels.
EXPERTS
ST 1/2005 (at 4 yrs old) Suave, smooth, lush and mouth-filling, Generous, pliant wine, finishing with chewy but ripe tannins and lingering sweetness
EXPERTS’ REVIEWS taken from a variety of wonderful wine buying sites such as Wine Access. Those cited here include Steve Tanzer (ST), Robert Parker (RP), Wine Spectator (WS), Wine Enthusiast (WE) and the now defunct Wine News (WN), William Kelley of QLI
Ratings: 2001 2005 2008 2009
- ST 91 92 94
- RP 95 93
- WS 90 94
- WE 95
- WN 93
Opus One, a partnership of two wine greats, Robert Mondavi and Baron Philippe de Rothschild, was the first collaboration of French and American winemakers. In the late 1970s, Mondavi and Rothschild aimed to combine the best of Bordeaux and Napa and now David Pearson and Michael Silazzi are building that reputation. READ at QLI, the enviable Opus One vertical tasting at Oxford.