Opus One Vertical Tasting Back to the 1979 Vintage Friday, October 10th 7:30pm and the Best Price in the Country on the 2022 Release!!
“Excellent wine generates enthusiasm. And whatever you do with enthusiasm is generally successful.” Baron Philippe de Rothschild, quoted in: “All American wine tastes the same … like Coca Cola.”
- Baron Philippe de Rothschild, The Essential Wine Buff, edited by Jennifer Taylor, 1996.
I can’t tell you the last time I had Coca Cola, wine and water are the two most important beverages you can put in your body.
September/October means it’s time for the fall releases and none of these are more highly anticipated than the iconic Opus and this year we are anxiously awaiting the release of the 2022 vintage. This vintage looks to be exceptional in Napa Valley, a forward and drinkable vintage that will not need as long in the cellar as the outstanding 2021.
Are there two men that walked the earth over the last 100 years that were more important to the wine industry as a whole? I am talking about the two original partners in the Opus One project; Robert Mondavi and the Baron Philippe de Rothschild.
Well, it is kind of ironic that the wines from this winery are now getting the best press ever. We have always been big fans of Opus One and have hosted several events over the years with this winery including an event that put all 26 consecutive vintages released at that time of Opus One on the table. The 1979 showed brilliantly on that occasion as it did in 2010 when we showed it at the great wine seminar with Opus’s CEO David Pearson. Even the French tasters, Pierre-Emanuel Taittinger, Eric Rousseau and Pierre Lurton had nice things to say about this first growth of the Napa Valley.
The newest release is here and although the wine continues to go up in price it has not slowed the demand for this iconic wine as it is sold in over 80 countries the world over and is considered to be one of the most prestigious brands in the wine business.
You can argue that there are better wines at a lower price, but there is no disputing that Opus One is the most successful wine brand created in our lifetime. There is no other wine that has come on the scene the last 45 years that is over 30,000 cases in production and that now costs over $400 per bottle. Opus One is the best investment you could have made in wine the last 40 years!
Join us as we showcase the newest release of Opus One along with older vintages going all the way back to the first three releases of this Iconic wine 1979, 1980 and 1981. The fee for this tasting is $595 + tax, for reservations call 954-523-9463 or e-mail andy@winewatch.com.
Opus One Wine Tasting back to the 1979 Vintage
Friday, October 10, 2025
7:30 PM
1979 Opus One Proprietary Red Wine Napa
1980 Opus One Proprietary Red Wine Napa
1981 Opus One Proprietary Red Wine Napa
2000 Opus One Proprietary Red Wine Napa
2010 Opus One Proprietary Red Wine Napa
2019 Opus One Proprietary Red Wine Napa
2021 Opus One Proprietary Red Wine Napa
2022 Opus One Proprietary Red Wine Napa
Menu
Selection of Cheese and Charcuterie
Portobello Mushroom Carpaccio with Heirloom Tomato Tartar and Lavender Aioli
Seared Hudson Valley Foie Gras Served with Bourbon Vegetable Broth, Edamame, Tomato Concasse and Mascarpone Cheese Tortellini
Japanese A5 Waygu Filet with Ponzu Cabernet Sauce and Sweet Potato Gratin
Dark Chocolate Crème Brulee with Raspberry Sauce
The fee for this tasting is $595 + tax, for reservations call 954-523-9463 or e-mail andy@winewatch.com. Please let us know when you make your reservations if you have any dietary restrictions and chefs Toni and Dani will be happy to accommodate you.
The Newest Release from Opus One the 2022 Vintage
2022 Opus One Napa Valley
Price: $551.25 Your Price: $439.00 (The best price in the country!)
Tasting Notes:Opus One 2022 exudes charm and sophistication from the glass. Primary aromas of blueberry, cassis, and dried rose petals with underlying notes of olive, cigar box, and graphite create a rich and inviting bouquet. On the palate, bright red-fruit flavors, cocoa, and fresh orange peel waltz together into a harmonious and balanced profile. Long and elegant, the finish delivers touches of wet stone, vanilla, and a hint of coffee. Fine-grained tannins and juicy ripeness signal the promise of a long future in the cellar
Opus One harvest 2022
Growing Season
Following early-winter rains which provided 12 inches more rain than the previous year, the late-winter months were unseasonably dry. Late spring weather was turbulent, but did not impact flowering or fruit set. Extreme temperatures during harvest made for a delicate dance by our seasoned vineyard team. Pre-emptive measures were taken in advance of this heat wave; ripe fruit was harvested, and selective irrigation was used based on the needs of the vines. The results were astonishing, with marvelous flavors and exceptional freshness. Harvest began on August 24th and was completed by September 26th.
Varietal Breakdown
Cabernet Sauvignon 80%, Petit Verdot 8%, Cabernet Franc 6.5%, Merlot 5%, and Malbec 0.5%
Skin Contact
20 days
Barrel Aging
18 months in new French oak
2022 Opus One Napa Valley 6 LIter
Price: $5525.00 Your Price: $4862.00
2022 Opus One Napa Valley 3 Liter
Price: $2570.75 Your Price: $2262.26
2022 Opus One Napa Valley Magnum
Price: $1215.00 Your Price: $1069.20
2022 Opus One Napa Valley (375ml)
Price: $287.00 Your Price: $252.56
Older Vintages of Opus One on SALE!
2021 Opus One Napa
Price: $485.25 Your Price: $427.02 Quantity in Stock: 18
2021 Opus One Napa (375ml)
Price: $270.00 Your Price: $237.60 Quantity in Stock: 11
(100 points) “A classical vintage that perfectly suits the Opus style. Gorgeous vivid plum colour, sculpted, balanced, with a ton of lift, waves of rose petals, iris and peony, soft grilled cumin, sage and white pepper spice. Love the hidden power here and the supple slightly chalky tannins that are structured in their architecture with a precision and carved quality. Precise, layered and stretched out, a brilliant Opus, concentrated and yet delicate. Feels pared back and captures the spirit of early Opus, when it moved forward the conversation of what Napa could be. Michael Silacci director, 100% new oak for ageing extremely well integrated even now. (8/2024) Jane Anson
2019 Opus One Napa MAGNUM
Price: $1159.00 Your Price: $1019.92 Quantity in Stock: 2
2019 Opus One Proprietary Red Wine Napa USA
Price: $480.00 Sale Price: $395.00 Quantity in Stock: 4
2019 Opus One Proprietary Red Wine Napa USA 375ml
Price: $245.00 Your Price: $215.60 Quantity in Stock: 11
(99 Points) Winemaker Michael Silacci commented that usually the blends are finished in January or February after the vintage. This year, with the 2019s, he was still tweaking the blend, but he did mention that this is "pretty close to the final blend." Deep garnet-purple in color, the 2019 Opus One leaps from the glass with notes of Black Forest cake, Morello cherries, mulberries and fresh blackcurrants plus hints of licorice, wilted roses, Sichuan pepper and iron ore. Full-bodied, the palate is jam-packed with juicy black, blue and red fruits, framed by velvety tannins and background freshness, finishing on a compelling earthy/mineral note. Tasted as a barrel sample, this is a truly magnificent Opus One in the making! Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
2018 Opus One Napa 3 Liter
Price: $2750.00 Your Price: $2420.00 Quantity in Stock: 1
2018 Opus One Magnum Napa
Price: $1132.50 Your Price: $996.60 Quantity in Stock: 2
2018 Opus One Napa 375ml
Price: $199.50 Your Price: $175.56 Quantity in Stock: 1
(98 Points) Very deep garnet-purple in color, the 2018 Opus One soars out of the glass with bright, bold boysenberries, warm cassis and ripe, juicy black plums notes, plus emerging nuances of lilacs, oolong tea, cinnamon stick, tilled soil and black truffles. Medium to full-bodied, the palate is packed with tightly wound layers of crunchy black fruits, supported by firm, grainy tannins and fantastic freshness, finishing with lifted fruitiness and on a lingering mineral note. Wine Advocate
2012 Opus One Napa
Price: $650.00 Sale Price: $500.00 Quantity in Stock: 1
After a warm and dry winter, generous rains returned in March just in time for bud-break and provided the water needed for the rest of the year. Mother Nature continued to favor the vintage with a superb growing season characterized by moderate temperatures and bountiful sunshine resulting in one of the valley’s most exceptional vintages. At harvest, the fruit exhibited the classic style of our Oakville estate vineyards with incredible depth of flavor, layers of complexity and excellent structure. Picking started on September 21st at the fresh fruit stage of ripeness to keep flavors bright and lively. Through careful and precise management of the incoming fruit, harvest continued evenly until it was completed on October 20th.
The 2012 Opus One effuses fresh dark fruit aromas accentuated by subtler notes of forest-floor and graphite.The wine’s round mouthfeel and satiny tannins wrap around classic flavors of cassis, blackberry and black cherry. This refined and age-worthy wine simultaneously offers a long lingering finish, with lively acidity and a sturdy structure at the close.
Varietals:Cabernet Sauvignon 79%, Cabernet Franc 7%, Petit Verdot 6%, Merlot 6%, Malbec 2%
Skin Contact: 18 Days
Barrel Aging: 18 Months in new French oak
Wine Watch Tasting Notes: This is 79% cabernet sauvignon, 7% cabernet franc, 6% merlot, 6% petit Verdot and 2% Malbec. A beautiful bouquet of cigar box spice, cassis and currant berry fruit, round and this is a beautiful vintage that opens up rather quickly and on the second day there is even more fruit here and quite smooth but with nice acidity and a long layered finish, old world style and new world boldness. This wine has a certain amount of early drinking appeal like the rest of the 2012 vintage from Napa but it is built to last for decades in the cellar. Finish 50+ Most Excellent +
2002 Opus One Napa 6 liter
Price: $6500.00 Sale Price: $5100.00 Quantity in Stock: 1
(94 Points) I tend to think that recent vintages of Opus One are even greater than vintages made during this era, but the 2002 is certainly one of the top wines Opus has produced during the early part of this century. It boasts a dense plum/purple hue along with a striking bouquet of graphite, toasty oak, creme de cassis and acacia flowers. Full-bodied, opulent and young, it offers accessibility as well as silky tannins. A thoroughly complete wine that is pure and rich, it tastes like a hypothetical blend of a great Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon married to a Bordeaux Pauillac. Bravo! (RP) Review Date: 06/2012, Wine Advocate
2000 Opus One Napa
Price: $693.75 Sale Price: $555.00 Quantity in Stock: 1
2000 Opus One Napa 375ml
Price: $343.75 Sale Price: $275.00 Quantity in Stock: 1
(92 Points) Made in the Opus style, which is graceful, limpid and elegant, but with hidden depths of authority and power. The blackberry, cherry and oak flavors are pretty, but the wine is most notable for its harmony and grace. Tannins play only a supportive role, but they will let this wine age effortlessly for many years.- Wine Enthusiast
1981 Opus One, Napa Valley, USA
Price: $725.00 Sale Price: $600.00 Quantity in Stock: 1
Winemaker Notes: 1981 marked one of the earliest harvests in Napa Valley history.A very mild winter with lower-than-average rainfall gave way to early bud break and hot weather in June. The 1981 Opus One is lean, elegant, and quite long-lived.
1980 Opus One, Napa Valley, USA
Price: $1500.00 Sale Price: $1050.00 Quantity in Stock: 2
(99 points) "This wine was stunning when I tried it in June 2018, and delivers again here. Just a wonderful nuanced wine rippling with flavour. Richer and more layered than the 1979, with dense black cherry and black truffle, finishing on softer forest floor notes. Opened up and kept surprising over hours in the glass. No Merlot in this vintage. One of the coolest growing seasons on record, long and slow with two weeks of hot weather just before harvest that brought the grapes to perfect ripeness. Just 10 days skin contact during the winemaking, but still inky in colour and still going strong almost 40 years on." Vinous
2022 Opus One Overture, Napa Valley
List Price: $236.25 Your Price: $207.90
Since 1993, Overture has been an expression of place across time. In keeping with an internal desire to underscore the importance of the growing season, Opus One has taken the necessary steps for Overture to become a vintage-dated wine. In doing so, Opus One intends to emphasize the diversity of our estate with a renewed focus.
The fruit is harvested and vinified with the same care, precision, and attention to detail as Opus One. Unique aromatics, flavors, and textures are recognized as ideal for Overture — more red fruit, herbal characteristics, soft tannins, and creamy texture.
Overture 2022 captivates you from the start. Its aromatic profile weaves a complex tapestry of bright cherry, fresh forest berries, and cut rose stems interwoven with delicate scents of violets, toasted almond, and anise. Blackberry, blueberry, and wild cherry take the lead on the palate with a lively acidity that adds a vibrant edge. The finish is long and rounded, with a touch of mocha and black tea that showcase the wine’s depth. This expression of selected parcels from our estate vineyards will age gracefully for years to come.
Varietal Breakdown: Cabernet Sauvignon 94%, Cabernet Franc 3%, Merlot 1.5%, Malbec 1%, and Petit Verdot 0.5%
Skin Contact 20 days
Barrel Aging: 18 months in new French oak
A bit more about Opus One:
Over the span of a little more than three decades Opus One has become the most renowned name in American wine. The ride to the top has never been easy for the folks behind Opus One. From its conception as an idea created by the late Robert Mondavi and the late Baron de Rothschild, Opus One has been enveloped in controversy. The ambitious price of the first release, the doubting critics, the cynical consumers, and the overworked hype that has surrounded the wine from the beginning have all fueled the debate about its real quality. However, the new century has ushered in a new era for Opus One - this great winery's place in the future scheme of things has now been accepted and the quality niche it has carved for itself is no longer being questioned by the wine community. Opus One has proven itself beyond a doubt - it has, does, and you know you have made it in the world of elite wines when your peers from Bordeaux refer to you as one of the "First Growths" of Napa Valley.
The seeds for Opus were sown as far back as 1970 when Baron Rothschild visited California and made the oft-quoted statement "California wines are like Coca-Cola - they all taste the same." By 1975 the revered Baron, the dynamo who revolutionized Bordeaux and brought great fame to his beloved Château Mouton, apparently had a change of heart. He and Robert Mondavi met that year in Hawaii to discuss future possibilities. Four years later in 1979 the good Baron announced a joint venture with his American counterpart, Robert Mondavi, to produce a Franco-American wine in the Napa Valley. Conceived to utilize French vinification techniques and traditional Bordeaux grape varieties, the wine would be grown and produced in California; the winemaking decisions would be made jointly by Robert Mondavi's winemaker, Tim Mondavi, and his counterpart at Château Mouton, Lucien Sionneau (Sionneau, now retired, was replaced by Patrick Léon). The first vintage for Opus One was harvested in 1979, but it was not until October 1983 that a name for the wine was announced. Hundreds of choices were considered; but it was the Baron, a great patron of the arts and a lover of music, who suggested the name so closely associated with the art of music. When the name was revealed, Baron Philippe said in an interview: "A bottle of wine is a symphony to me". A full two years earlier excitement about the first release of this historic venture reached a crescendo at the first Napa Valley Wine Auction in the summer of 1981. A barrel of the 1979 vintage came up for sale. Nobody but the winemakers and the inner circle of Mondavi's staff had even tasted the wine, yet the bidding was furious for the first case from the first barrel. In less than three minutes the gavel slammed on the winning bid of $24,000 from Charles Mara of Syracuse, New York. The purchase price set an auction record - $2000 a bottle for California wine.
In the beginning, the grapes for Opus One came from Mondavi's best and most famous piece of vineyard real estate, the To-Kalon Ranch, 100 acres of which (known as the "Q Block") were sold to the joint venture by the Mondavi family after the partnership was formed in 1979. In 1983 Opus One began planting on a site across Highway 29 from the Robert Mondavi Winery; it was to be called the River Parcel and is north of the present winery. Two years later the Ballestra Vineyard was planted on what is now the south side of the winery. In the ensuing years phylloxera struck and completely devastated the first two vineyards (now replanted). Only Ballestra, which was planted on resistant rootstock at the specific instruction of Mouton's technical director, Patrick Léon, survived the epidemic unscathed. The winery follows a gravity flow design that put most of the vast edifice underground, covering it with an earthen berm that rises, pyramid-like, from the flat vineyard plain of Oakville which surrounds the site. No expense was spared to build the Opus One winery. According to Robert Mondavi, "We stopped at nothing to buy the finest equipment in order to produce the kind of wine we wanted...We looked at the finest materials in the world. We didn't look at price; we picked what we wanted...we felt this was being built, not for the next 10 or 15 years, but for the next couple of hundred years." Construction of the winery was not without its obstacles. The cellar had to be waterproofed, insulated, and cooled using a costly radiant system based on miles of pipes in the cellar's floor and ceiling that circulate 45 F water, cooling the air to 55 F. Those measures, plus the cost overruns that often are associated with high profile construction projects, caused the Opus One winery budget to balloon. From initial concept to completion, the project took seven years to finish. When the doors opened in 1991, winery officials conceded that Opus, budgeted between $10 and $13 million, had cost a staggering $26 million!
The first two vintages of Opus One - 1979 and 1980 - were released together in the spring of 1984. The wines were controversial in that not all felt they were of outstanding quality. However, most observers now believe that recent vintages have been at the very top echelon of reds produced in California. The wines have also become serious collectibles. The 1985 - one of the top vintages of the 1980's - now commands $400 to $650 a bottle. A bit high for a bottle of California wine, but that seem small in comparison to the 1979 (the first vintage, hardly drinkable at this point) this wine is selling for around $2000- a true trophy wine.
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