The estate vineyards of Opus One, comprised of four parcels, sit in the western portion of the famed Oakville AVA in Napa Valley. It remains an ongoing testament to the founders’ vision of a singular wine that transcends generations.
Rising gracefully from the vineyards, Opus One winery stands in subtle celebration of the land and the open space that surrounds the estate. Guided by the vision of our founders, winemaker Michael Silacci combines intuition and technical acumen with the dual perspective of viticulturist and winemaker. From tasting berries to careful sorting and extended aging in new French oak barrels, each stage of the winemaking process is afforded the same meticulous consideration and attention. After 18 months, the Opus One wine is bottled and held an additional 15 months until release on October 1st each year. Place, often defined as terroir, represents the geography, the climate and the essential human element which is captured in the wine’s balance between power and finesse, structure and texture. The essence of time is expressed in Opus One wine by the character of each vintage. The facial profile of the two founders is visible on their iconic label. Producing luxury wines from its Napa Valley vineyards, the partnership made its first vintage in 1979 and has made wine at Opus One since 1991. Opus One is a partnership founded by Baron Philippe de Rothschild of Chateau Mouton Rothschild in Pauillac, France, and renowned Napa Valley vintner, Robert Mondavi. This 2006 represents cellared Opus at its best: Bursting with life yet showing the nuances of age, it's a must-have for collectors of all stripes.Learn about Opus One, it’s history, the winery and the wine. Robert Parker calls it not only “one of the great wines of Napa,” but “the pinnacle of French viticultural knowledge combined with that of California and Napa’s Shangri La-like microclimate.” 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.
We’re thrilled to announce that our visit yielded the kind of allocation that normally only comes at auction: a rare allocation of 2006 Opus One. 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. 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. Technically, we’d had the appointment for about a month.
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