2021 Opus One, Napa Valley

100 points, Jane Anson. Two bottles available.

Opus One is what happened when Robert Mondavi and Baron Philippe de Rothschild shook hands in 1978 and agreed to make one wine together in Oakville. The first vintage, 1979, was made from Mondavi's To Kalon fruit and went out under the working name "napamedoc" before anyone settled on Opus One in 1982. Forty years on it is the reference point for what Napa can do in a Bordeaux idiom, and 2021 is one of the strongest vintages it has released.

Where this bottle came from

Bottles at this level reach us through private collectors we know personally, people who bought on release and stored properly. Every rare bottle is inspected before we take it and stays in temperature-controlled storage from the moment it enters our hands.

In the glass

The winery's own note gives crushed cassis, blackberry and black cherry, violet, vanilla and baking spice, closing on black tea, licorice and dark chocolate. Jane Anson called it a classical vintage that perfectly suits the Opus style, sculpted and balanced with a great deal of lift. It is drinkable now with air and built to hold for decades.

Critic scores

• 100 points · Jane Anson, Inside Bordeaux
• 99 points · James Suckling
• 98 points · Lisa Perrotti-Brown MW, The Wine Independent
• 97 points · Antonio Galloni, Vinous

The details

• Producer: Opus One Winery, Oakville
• Appellation: Napa Valley, California
• Vintage: 2021
• Blend: 93% Cabernet Sauvignon, 4% Cabernet Franc, 2% Petit Verdot, 0.5% Merlot, 0.5% Malbec
• Winemaking: 19 days on skins, 19.5 months in new French oak
• Format: 750ml
• Drinking window: now with a long decant, and for decades with cellaring

The 2021 vintage

The second-driest year in the winery's history. Harvest ran from 31 August to 24 September with no heat spike above 100°F, which is the combination Napa growers hope for: small concentrated berries ripened slowly rather than cooked. It is why the 2021s across the valley are being talked about the way the 2013s were.

Serving and pairing

Decant two hours ahead and serve at 62 to 64°F. Dry-aged ribeye, rack of lamb, or a rib roast. If you are opening it young, open it early.

Two bottles, shipped from our Florida cellar in protective packaging. Browse more rare and limited vintages.