Not nearly as balanced as the 1995.įirst vintage to be made from as much as 90% estate fruit. Very sweet start to the palate, with lots of tannin. (More than the 1994.) Very good balance.Ĭontinued heat spells resulted in small, relatively early crop of very ripe berries.Ĭabernet Sauvignon 86%, Cabernet Franc 8%, Merlot 3%, Malbec 3% Round and ready and plump and forward, though tannins insist at the finish. More intense than the 1991.Īnother prolonged growing season with the harvest from late Sep to mid Oct.Ĭabernet Sauvignon 86%, Cabernet Franc 7%, Merlot 5%, Malbec 2%Ī certain herbaceousness on the nose, though no shortage of ripeness underneath. Rather simpler than the 1993 on the nose, in fact. Very long, cool growing season led to highly regarded vintage.Ĭabernet Sauvignon 93%, Cabernet Franc 4%, Merlot 2%, Malbec 1% I can imagine other California winemakers envying this! Very, very refreshing and appetising. More voluptuous and easier than the 1991. Estate fruit had to be supplemented by To-Kalon produce.Ĭabernet Sauvignon 89%, Cabernet Franc 7%, Merlot 4% Smaller berries and crop size than usual. Drier (as opposed to sweeter) than the 1979 or 1986. First vintage to be made at Opus One winery, surrounded by young vines that would have to be replanted thanks to phylloxera.Ĭabernet Sauvignon 93%, Cabernet Franc 6%, Merlot 1%ĭeep, healthy crimson. A bit awkward and gawky.ĭrought ended by 17” rain in March. Interesting combination of Californian-style fruit and Bordeaux winemaking. Good depth of crimson with muddy orange rim. Patrick Leon of Mouton in charge.Ĭabernet Sauvignon 87%, Cabernet Franc 9%, Merlot 4% Slightly dry, but neat, finish.Įarly budbreak, even longer growing season than 1985. Definitely Californian on the palate, though the acidity is starting to dominate. Lucien Sionneau of Mouton oversaw the blend.Ĭabernet Sauvignon 80%, Cabernet Franc 16%, Merlot 4%
Debut vintage, from To-Kalon vineyard, made at Mondavi winery. And they certainly don’t belong to the school of overripe, over-alcoholic, over the top California Cabernets of which we have seen so much in recent years. And yet they have a much drier, tauter, more French accent than most of their peers. I don’t think you would ever mistake these wines for a top bordeaux – they’re too ripe and sweet for that. And then during the 1990s we see the formula settling down to a harmonious blend of the best of Bordeaux with the best of California. Then the 1986, and indeed most wines of the late 1980s from Opus, demonstrate the very particular character of a wine made from fruit grown California style but vinified à la bordelaise. But something had to be released because the announcement had been made. Lucien Sionneau came over from Bordeaux but he was too late to have much impact on the final wine, except for identifying some potential lots of press wine which in the end were not used. The first vintage, 1979, was pure California – California fruit and California winemaking, of that era. This was a fascinating tasting through history. See inside information for lots of techie stuff on Opus One.
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