Opus One 2016

Opus One 2016 — Napa Valley

This Opus One 2016 stands as one of the estate’s great recent successes, from a vintage in Napa Valley that was ripe, luminous and remarkably balanced. The wine combines the depth of Cabernet Sauvignon, the precision of a Bordeaux-style blend and the refined Opus One signature: pure black fruit, aromatic freshness, fine tannins and a long, structured finish.

Founded by Baron Philippe de Rothschild and Robert Mondavi, Opus One has always aimed to unite the discipline of a great Bordeaux wine with the solar energy of Oakville. The 2016 perfectly illustrates this ambition: a deep, elegant and already highly harmonious wine, yet clearly built for long cellar ageing.

Terroir: Oakville, Cabernet Sauvignon and Californian balance

Opus One is located in Oakville, at the heart of Napa Valley, one of the world’s most renowned areas for Cabernet Sauvignon. The estate is based on four carefully farmed vineyard parcels planted with the five traditional Bordeaux varieties: Cabernet Sauvignon, Petit Verdot, Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Malbec.

Oakville’s climate combines warm days, cooler nights and influences from San Pablo Bay. This diurnal range encourages full ripeness while preserving aromatics, acidity and structure. In 2016, ripening conditions were particularly favourable, with an ideal August, moderate temperatures through harvest and only a brief heat spike in early September.

Tasting notes

Appearance: deep purple with garnet reflections, dense, bright and still very youthful in expression. The colour suggests a wine of great concentration, but without any visual heaviness.

Nose: intense and refined, with fresh red and blue fruits, black cherry, blackberry, cassis, blueberry, baking spices, vanilla and a delicate floral note. With air, the bouquet gains complexity through sage, rosemary, black olive, cedar, tobacco, eucalyptus, violet and a touch of pepper.

Palate: full, harmonious and highly structured, with rich yet perfectly controlled substance. Flavours of black cherry, blackberry, cassis and blue fruits unfold over a creamy texture, supported by fine, ripe and tightly knit tannins. The finish is long, fresh and persistent, with touches of dark chocolate, espresso, graphite, cedar and spice.

Expression of the 2016 vintage

The 2016 vintage was marked by the fifth consecutive year of drought in Northern California, yet the Oakville estate received enough rain before spring to establish favourable early conditions. Budbreak was early, August conditions were ideal, and harvest began on September 9 under moderate temperatures before concluding on October 12.

This combination explains the wine’s style: full ripeness, vivid fruit, tension, freshness and remarkably fine tannins. The 2016 can already impress with its harmony, but it remains a wine for cellaring. Its balance, concentration and tannic frame will allow it to evolve for many years towards more cedar, tobacco, graphite, fine leather, forest floor, cocoa and sweet spices.