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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.
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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. This refined and age-worthy wine offers lively acidity and a sturdy structure with a long lingering finish.Technically, we’d had the appointment for about a month. The wine's round mouthfeel and satiny tannins wrap around classic flavors of cassis, blackberry and black cherry. The wine effuses dark fruit aromas accentuated by subtler notes of forest-floor and graphite. Cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot, Merlot and Malbec. Finishes with a long, layered aftertaste. The dense core of fruit pushes through a front of rustic graphite and loamy earth. Boasts lovely grain and density but this is currently quite firm-edged, finishing with a cool herbal note and serious tannic spine.Ī Pauillac-like expression from Napa Valley, this features smoky, toasty oak from the get-go, framing the intense flavors of earth, crushed rock and gravelly dried dark berry. Sappy, classically dry and penetrating, showing excellent intensity to the flavors of black fruits, coffee bean, spices and bitter chocolate. Highly perfumed aromas of blackcurrant, violet, coffee, graphite, menthol and leather. I expect the 2012 will offer a long and broad drinking window of pure pleasure.ĭeep red-ruby. The 2012 has just been bottled, but it is superb. Fine, silky tannins support the huge, creamy finish. Dark red and black fruit, smoke, cedar, new leather and tobacco all meld together as the 2012 shows off its personality. Rich, powerful and seductive, the 2012 Opus One blossoms in the glass with superb textural richness and volume. Hard not to drink now but better in 2018. Tight and compacted tannins with beautiful fruit and great length.
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#Opus one 2012 review full
Full body with seamless tannins and balance.
#Opus one 2012 review plus
Hints of mint too, plus hazelnut and chocolate. Glorious purity of fruit here with black currants, blueberries, dark chocolate, fresh herbs and forest floor.
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