Opus One, Napa Valley, 2023
In Opus One, there is a lifted berry-fruit nose, leafy and smoky blackcurrant, sour cherry and plum. Loamy earthiness, pencil lead, cigar box and mocha mingle with a lilting vanilla, black pepper and orange peel. The profile is deep and rich, but with a supple brightness and a beautifully open-knit and enticing texture. In this cooler year, you feel the Bordeaux classicism shine through; it is demure and refined, but with flashes of Napa opulence that make this label so appealing and distinctive.
critic reviews
A measured, balanced growing season, dry but without the heat spikes of 2022, and this Opus is a pretty stately beast, deep rich purple, intense, structured, edges of violet set against black fruits, cassis, bilberry, damson. This is one of the slowest unrolls that I have had with Opus, it rewards patience to showcase the chalk and slate texture of the tannins, and you can safely put this away for a few years before drinking. Cabernet Sauvignon dominant in terms of its construction and architecture, 95% new oak. A long slow harvest in this exceptional year, from September 14 to October 16, Michael Silacci winemaking director. Sustainable farming initiatives significantly increased in this year, with the addition of Kimberlee Marrineli to the team, including planting of cover crops across the vineyard to lower soil temperature. The oak is a little higher than in the Overture but less evident in the armatics.
The 2023 Opus One is a brilliant young wine. Its balance is absolutely exquisite, even in the early going. Bright red/purplish fruit, crushed flowers, white pepper and mint are nicely delineated throughout. I especially admire the wine's sculpted feel. It's all class and finesse here.