Opus One, Napa Valley, 2019

Name: Opus One, Napa Valley
Brand: Opus One
Price: 2175.53 GBP

Available Vintages

all 2010 2017 2018 2019 2021 2022

justerini & brooks tasting note

Plum, cherry and red currant notes frame the nose joined by stony aromas, a touch of rosemary, black pepper, mint and sage. Aromatically there's great clarity to this, a theme that continues on the palate, with crisp, detailed flavours of black plum, mulberry, rose, mocha and ferrous spice. Overall, the 2019 displays surprising levity and deftness with length and focussed intensity on the finish. This is not an opaque, heavy Napa - indeed the new oak is barely noticeable - but a modern traditional rendition, built upon twin tenets of restraint and freshness. A long savoury finish signals the complexity that will come with more time in bottle. 2019 marks the first vintage where the team at Opus have managed to use 100% native yeasts for fermentation. Bottled at 13.5% abv.

critic reviews

99/100Jane Anson,Robert Parker Wine Advocate

Juicy, balanced, succulent, and is showing exceptionally well at this point, although has a long life ahead if you can hold back. I love the 2019 vintage in Napa and Tuscany, and here it shows its grace, balance and nuance, without compromising on depth and quality of ripe black fruits studded with sage, rosemary, pencil lead, mint leaf, eucalyptus, crushed rocks. Signature Opus, expressive and joyful but with a classicism that is hard to resist. Michael Silacci winemaker, 100% new oak for ageing.

DRINKING WINDOW 2030 - 2045

date of review 06/2025

97/100Antonio Galloni,Vinous

The 2019 Opus One is a remarkably elegant wine. Silky tannins and bright, floral aromatics add to an impression of total finesse. Crushed flowers, bright red-toned fruit, mint, lavender and rose petal are all beautifully delineated. There's a touch of new oak today, but new wood has never been a signature of Opus One, so I imagine that is a stage in the wine's development. Interestingly, the 2019 is the first vintage fermented mostly with ambient yeasts.

DRINKING WINDOW 2029 - 2049

date of review 02/2023

98/100Jane Anson,Inside Bordeaux

The balance of the 2019 vintage in Napa is a pleasure to taste, and this is a brilliant Opus One, showing nuance, depth and concentration, and a ton of rich dark fruits. There is so much to love here, it ebbs and flows through the palate, has some of the character of the early years, those 1979s and 1980s that are still tasting incredible, and the utterly brilliant 1987. Raspberry, blueberry, damson, cassis, there are crunchy fruits and sweet fruits at the same time, playing off against each other, fine tannins, a full bloom of floral violet and peony aromatics, gentle woodsmoke and white pepper, with tension, depth and poise. 22 day skin contact. A wet winter meant a late bud break, 10-15 days behind average, followed by a hot summer that allowed the vines to catch up, so harvest relatively normal beginning September 10 for one month.

DRINKING WINDOW 2024 - 2042

date of review 08/2022