Opus One, Napa Valley,

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.

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.