Drank as the main wine for our 7th anniversary celebrations at La Fontana in Biltmore Hotel.
Placed in the decanter about 30 minutes before starting consuming, the wine has that distinctive toasty oak and perfume as most mature Opus has. There violets and forest in the nose, the body is bold, good complexity with touches of black truffle, finish is great.
Drink or hold, no rush.
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Brought to Thanksgiving hoping to have with our meal. First opening taste - astringent, tight. 90min later - softened but a bit sour. 200min later - perfect. Would have wasted if rushed. A fantastic Bordeaux style wine and enjoyed considerably though as an after dinner drink.
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Had from a Magnum. The correct color. and a nice full body with a varietal finish. Very good Cab but Howell Mountain Cabs are more forward and have more lingering finish. Pricing this wine for those who want to impress with the label. Many very good cabs from this Valley at much better prices. Not a drinking value!
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Perfect provenance, perfect cork, stored since release as all prior Opus. However, this bottle was austere and very French in taste. Didn't detect any cork failure smells or tastes. It just seemed a dry, a bit faded or tired. All ' 07 bottles of Opus before this were all consistent in flavor/personality. Huh.
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A great wine with highly concentrated fruit, notes of cassis, blackberry, graphite with velvety mouthfeel and long satisfying finish. Tannins are supple and well integrated. Paired with grilled Wagyu ribeye steaks.
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Drank at Rosalie’s in Skaneateles for Kelly’s 47th birthday. No detailed notes but this bottle was as close to a perfect example of Opus as I have ever had. Enjoyed over 4 hours and it never fell off. Sad to only have on ‘07 remaining
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Virtually perfect. Drinking now. Glorious depth and richness without ever being OTT. Black fruits, medium to full bodied, still has a good level of fine ripe tannin and acidity. Long and complex - multiple layers unfold on the palate - wonderful. Drink now and over the next 10 years.
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Decanted over cocktails. This vintage of Opus continues to show with big, bold fruit and firm tannins although it melts into a more delicate finish in the mouth. It's showing much younger than other 2007s from Napa, most of which are near the end of life. Long life ahead for this one.
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Opaque ruby color. Full throaty nose of ripe black fruits, vanilla, mocha, vanilla, with savory notes of smokehouse bbq. Dry, very well-integrated and balanced acidity and tannins, palate follows through. Full body. Incredible balance. Full persistent finish. A powerhouse.
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Opus One Family Exploration (Rockwell Rooftop Lounge): [Tasted Blind] A: deep ruby core with garnet showing on the rims, some sediment N: pronounced, blackberries, black currant, black cherry, green bell pepper (capsicum), black currant leaf, tomato leaf, cedar, tobacco, baking spices, and leather starting to show (developing) P: pronounced, black cherry, blackberries, black currant, tomato leaf, black currant leaf, violet, baking spices, cedar, vanilla, toast, leather
Full body, high alcohol, med tannins (smoothing out), med acid, dry, long finish. Despite being 15 years old, it still seems quite youthful as it was dominated by black fruit and herbaceous notes still. However, it was a very nice and nuanced Californian Cab blend. A well made and high quality wine. Definitely nicely integrated in the bottle now and good to drink now, but I think it can definitely age more as well. 96+ pts
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Decanted over cocktails. This is a good one! Bottle 8 of 18 and showing spectacularly, with a depth I don't usually associate with Opus One. The palate is full, smooth, and silky with well-integrated black and red currants, volcanic earth, supple tannins, and good acid lift. I'm so glad I cellared my Opus instead of drinking it young.
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Dark opaque purple with very little rimming belies its age. Ripe dark fruits with some wood and cacao on the nose. Powerful but not forceful. Opulent but not gaudy. Much more structure and grace than 2010.
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Pronounced nose with notes of cassis, vanilla, smoke, vanilla, chocolate. Medium+ acidity and high tannin. Long finish and full bodied. Drink it side by side with vintage 2014 which exhibit similar notes. But 2007 had a more balanced acidity and tannin.
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Decanted briefly. This bottle showed spectacularly versus the previous one I gave a long decant to, so I recommend only a simple decant prior to pouring. Pure, intense, and balanced blackcurrant, mocha espresso, licorice with broad shoulders, vivacious tannins, very long finish. This is the best of Opus and why we age wine.
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Totally delivered. Silky and elegant, with just-ripe-enough fruit, leather, cocoa and café. The tannins were silky as well, with a good amount of pepper in the everlasting finish. One (Opus) for the books.
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Beautiful black purple in color! A hint of oak on the nose and the palate. Minimal tannin. Full bodied with medium ripe fruit. A hint of floral on the nose. Drinking well now and will keep 15 more years.
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Beautiful classic nose with lots of dark berries and some soft leather notes. On the palate cassis, blackberries, ripe cherries, some dark chocolate and soft earthy and leathery notes. Medium (+) bodied with a lively acidity. Beautiful elegant texture. Fruit driven but not jammy or overdone, classic Opus One. Silky and integrated tannins. Great depth and complexity. Remarkable overall balance. Long and savory finish. In a great spot in the moment, just let it breathe for 30-60 minutes. Drink now until 2032. About 210,000 bottles of this vintage were produced.
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Unbelievable as usual, this wine checks off all the boxes. The texture and seamlessness are so enjoyable from the beginning you instantly know this is something special. Plenty of rich fruit then ensues without any fading.
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From a friend’s cellar, one hour decant. Pure expression of Napa fruit, but not jammy or overdone in any way. Shows cassis only the way that Napa cab can. Palate adds well-integrated oak notes of smoke and cocoa. Finish goes on forever. Some secondary notes showing, but they may never come the way that I am expecting. Still, I respect this as a true vin de terroir. It should continue to drink well for another decade.
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From the cellar of my friend, Quiet Lion. Not the best bottle of the 2007 I've had, but delightful nonetheless. Notes of blackberries, currants, and smoky chocolate. Tannins never quite settled down for me. Still a wine I very much enjoy and look forward to drinking again.
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Decanted 2.5 hours. Pure cassis and charred earth fill the palate. Tannins are a bit rough and never settled down over 90 minutes of drinking. My friend Wine Baron wanted me to mention him. This bottle was a bit of a disappointment although still delicious; I was expecting a more velvety, balanced experience. This is a large-production wine and there has to be some variation but that doesn't mean I like it.
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Special International tasting group (@ Zarzo, Eindhoven, The Netherlands): In the expressive bouquet beautiful dark berries. On the palate a firm dose of good sweetness which is beautifully balanced by good acidity and round tannin. A mouth full of delicious wine which is truly great now and certainly has a future of another 6+ years. Great!
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First time I really like this wine. It’s always been the most overpriced Napa wine in my view, but today it drank perfectly. Gained weight and balance since I had it last. Will be a joy to drink over the next 5-10 years!
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Decanted and served. Plentiful pure redcurrant and lush tannins fill the palate on a bed of toasted mocha and wet earth. A beautiful showing as this wine begins to enter its secondary window. Drink over the next decade.
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- Brick color with medium forming legs with a medium/full body with a long finish - This stellar cab just keeps giving... fruit, vanilla, with touch of cedar to lighten the black berry flavors. The complexity is solid but very approachable. Dont wait, just open!
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Lots of typical cab fruit here, with huge oak influence still evident, but not as many of the secondary aromas that I expect at this stage of the wine’s development. Perhaps these will develop with some more time in bottle. Nonetheless, a very good wine.
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Deep ruby in the glass. Big oak coming out on the nose right away - rich notes of blackberry, vanilla, cedar, chocolate. Not exactly as exciting on the pallet as I was expecting it to be. Smooth, rich and balanced, yes, but lacks depth and focus. The oak will integrate better in the years to come, but I'm afraid that this will not age as gracefully as some vintages I've tried in the past.
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Drank over two days. I guess there is some bottle variation in this vintage at this stage of evolution. This never blossomed into the deep, earthy palate that other bottles have. Nevertheless it's a delicious wine with that beautiful fruit, strong velvety tannins and a touch of earth. Lacks the depth and focus for a higher score.
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WCC Stag Wine Night Blind Tasting @ Jade Palace [Solaia 2008, Opus One 2007, Unico 2006, Dominus 1997, Latour 1996]: 2nd bottle for the night - Black fruits, liquorice, cake and incense bouquet. Palate of black fruits, black cherries, Black Forest cake, liquorice, with a tinge of smoky tertiaries. Long, mint leaves, menthol and tobacco finish. Opulent and powerful, yet not overwhelming. Full bodied, hedonistic. The bottle maintained its stride throughout the night. Best for the night for a few of us; but second for me. Nonetheless, this was very memorable. Open now and good for many more years.
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I really wanted this wine to shine. My feeling was it had more hype than reality. Don’t get me wrong, it was fine wine and truly is delicious. My rating is more of disappointment. Soft with muted fruit, not dry and interestingly, not over fragrant. Ample finish but not over the top. Better wines for price point
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not blind the only pirat between PGCC, and the youngest So you get what you expect. fruitier, more powerful, easier too drink but with a great structure. 94-95 Close to his peak
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Very good - easy to dismiss this wine as over the top, but it's honestly very good. Intense, still has some acid and tannins, it's got a decent finish. Nice bottle with some time left.
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Having a first glass after an hour decant. Lovely nose but overall thin, short finish, unimpressive. There's nice graphite, cedar, cassis and tobacco notes in there, but so far it's the smoke of a distant fire. Let's see in another hour.
Substantial improvement 90 mins later, but still either closed or never going to get there, which is my bet. Acid more apparent, but balance never showed.
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Decanted and served. Probably should have waited two hours as this didn't have time to blossom into the lush wonderfulness of other recent bottles. Nevertheless it showed lovely cassis, black cherry, leather and chocolate.
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Decanted over cocktails and served. This vintage of Opus is showing spectacularly right now with full, silky, integrated body. Cassis, licorice, melted leather float in a palate of seamless acid and mature tannins. What a pleasure. Although Parker says this will last another 15 years, I would not hesitate to open my last bottle today.
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Drank after a flight of Schaefer Hillside Select in 1996, 1997, 1999, 2007 and some Montebello 1996 and 1997. Opus held its own with avery fresh profile and long finish. Nose was still primary but not closed at all. Thick fruit but as said very good acidity to balance it. Tannins are sweet and succulent. Very good now!
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Couldn't resist popping another one since it's drinking so well. The bright, delicious Napa fruit combined with the Pauillac-like earth on the palate make this wine special despite the 15,000 or so cases they incredibly make.
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Popped the first of my 2007 Opus last night after having followed the tasting notes over the years and waiting patiently. This is a bold, masculine Opus that really shows off the terroir with charred earth, baker's chocolate, and very spicy ancho chili balancing the cassis. All of these carry into the long finish. It took about an hour of air to get a more silky texture on the palate but I enjoyed following it right from pop and pour and sipping slowly. Still very youthful, there is a lot of alcohol vapor on the nose at first. Great quality for such a large-production wine and these are just so consistently good. 95-96 with upside potential.
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Pure amazement. Was drinking like an 11 year old well heeled bottle of pimp juice. Zero wrong with it. Have three left. They will keep getting better is hard to believe but definitely true.
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Evolved in the glass like all great wines, smooth as silk with power and tannin rippling underneath the surface. This is drinking beautifully with years to go. This was popped and poured outside on a 90 degree night in New Orleans and it still managed to have a spectacular showing.
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Group wine tasting - top three scoring Smooth; Light; 'Great after taste' black currants; Blackberries; well balanced, floral with long, pleasing after taste; Vanilla; "Classic elegance"
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Mini Opus vertical (07, 08, 12). This was clearly the best of the three. Absolutely outstanding on all aspects. Sophisticated and seamless with plenty of power.
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Erinnert an einen Bordeaux moderner Machart. Viel schwarze Beeren, insbesondere Cassis. Tabak, Leder bisher nur angedeutet. Seidige Tannine runden den Weine ab. Nicht marmeladig, aber dennoch etwas zu glattgebügelt. Heute 93. Habe ihn auch schon deutlich höher bewertet. Danke Thomas
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Deep red cherry color, with medium body, long legs on the glass. Aired for 2 hours, Sweet aromas of leather, tobacco, and anise. Smooth silky medium body. Taste of cherry and coffee with great lasting after taste. Everything you expect from Opus One.
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A week in Napa for the Napa Valley Grape Growers Harvest STOMP party; 8/22/2017-8/27/2017 (Napa, CA): Tasting visit at Opus One. A riper vintage so definitely a more opulent wine. Dark fruits and full of flavor, but still well balanced and silky in the mouthfeel. This is in no way a shy wine, but manages to express both power and elegance at the same time. Drinking very nicely now but should continue to age and improve for some time.
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Although the price of entry is continually creeping up, this is a world-class wine that sits comfortably alongside equally expensive Bordeaux. Beautiful black fruits, anise, tobacco and autumn leaves, tannins ripe and not obtrusive. Excellent length. Yet another incredibly impressive Californian wine, and one that deserves another 5 years in the cellar. Highly recommended. 94++
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A perfect ringer for a Bordeaux blind tasting, the wine has freshness, refinement, soft tannins, and while the fruit is perfectly ripe, here, you find all the fresh, sweet, red and black fruits you could hope for, without any jammy, or overripe notes. Lots of cedar, tobacco and earthy, forest notes only add to the fun. Drink now, or hold...
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This bottle was in a very good place. A really nice balance between new and old world. Tremendous nose of black cherries, creme de cassis, licorice and liqueur. Quite deep and rich, with nice mature flavors of leather and earth to go with red fruit. Long, relatively seamless finish. For my tastes, this is right at the age to drink. Give it 2 hours in the decanter and have at it.
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Decanted for 3 hours. Very elegant and refined with precise red fruit, cassis, tobacco, baking spice, and graphite. Definitely California Cabernet but not highly extracted. Has 10 more years plus to go but drinking well now.
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Popped and 1hr open. bruised apple skin, ripe black and red fruit nose. In a good place right now. Nice flavor, but lost a bit of the fruitiness that made it quite amazing 5 years ago. good balance, which is key for a good opus, but not amazing. A hint of tobacco on the nose, but mainly fruit. Great wine, but still over priced. Flavors apple, ripe blueberry. Ripe blueberry and raspberry also come out on flavor.
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Regular dinner group (@ MH): Beautiful and lush bouquet with dark forest fruits, sweet spices, and beautifully ripe berry fruits. On the palate be mouth full of delicious juice, ripe dark berries, chocolate, some cinnamon, but overall dominating ripe dark berries with beautiful freshness. Very ripe fruits and a delicious wine already. Very happy I bought a few bottles myself. 95 - 96
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A super wine, produced in a great style, that takes the best of the lush, ripe, sweet, fat, juicy, California Cabernet Sauvignon grapes, yet also serves up freshness, balance and harmony. I am sure this will get better, but why wait? It's just great today...
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Almost black in color. Blackberry, graphite, and spice with a terrific nose that outshines the palate. Still tannic, dark cherries, minerals, Bordeaux like in that it is more elegant and not highly extracted and likely in the early part of its drinking phase. From a split. Decanted. Lengthy finish but will improve as the tannins soften over time.
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Always my complaint with Opus, decent but over priced and over hyped. Compare this to even another Mondavi wine (like Continuum) and it's royally embarrassed. Worth trying, but not repeating.
Jet black color, nose is more intriguing than the palate, hint of vanilla from the oak, dark black raspberry, chalky tannins, medium/short finish. Could be more balanced & complex with better depth.
Knocked down a few points because the QPR is atrociously bad and 2007 is a stellar vintage for Cali Cab.
Inexcusably mediocre considering the price.
If you want Bordeaux style Cali Cab done right just buy a bottle of Dominus
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ganska lätt& snyggt för att vara så mycket cab, doften har toner av stall läder och lakrits, smaken är ganska mjuk och härlig, gissade blint på mer merlot än cab i detta vin. väldigt bra vin! mycket gott!
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The first Opus I ever tasted. Hype or pure quality? A bit of both I would say. A great wine, but questionable value (compared to bordeaux in the range). Still on the fruity side, will certainly develop for five more years or so - my guess.
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About as good as it gets wonderfully balanced for a big wine perfect for dinner and the Rolling Stones concert. Deep color, oak, cedar, vanilla, black fruit, black cherry, complex pallet and long finish. The wine may get better but this one is brilliant now.
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Vanilla, sweet spice, black fruits and oak on nose. Very smooth mouthfeel. Complex palate. Well balanced, tannins well integrated, good length. Drinking very well now but would clearly survive for many more years.
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Polished wine, with notes of cassis, blackberry and licorice on the nose. Nicely integrated in the mouth, dense tannins, but not rough. Has a lot of life in it. The best opus I've ever tasted!
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Granato cupissimo. Naso intenso, espressivo, con mora, mirtillo e cacao, spezie a profusione, incenso e cenere, splendida menta. Intenso, esplosivo ma elegante, di impressionante lunghezza
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Opus One - With James Handford MW (Handford Wines, London): Deep, dark red in colour. From the nose the rich fruit dominated, a lot more evident than the less ripe vintage that was 2011. Ripe fruit, jammy at times. Cassis. Lactic notes of young oaky wine. Concentrated on the palate and needs a good 5-7yrs to we believe to integrate the fruit and the oak. Not there yet though. 91
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Rich fruit, lots of cassis, big and a bit chunky, oaky, creamy. On the palate really powerful, tight, very intense with and ripe and polished tannins, great length and enough acidity. Needs time. 91-93+
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Powerful and luscious, with tons of deep purple fruit, concentrated. Good/medium acid, but not as much in tannins as I'd expect. Long blueberry finish, with overtones of cocoa too. I would not expect this to age forever--certainly another five or eight years.
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Caramel, molasses, blackberry jam, fennel and truffle led to layers of polished, soft, round, sweet, crunchy, black and red spicy berries complicated by a long, olive tapenade and strawberry savory finish.
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Tasted at BBR event alongside a 1986 Margaux Margaux. Tasted first and was a massive hit of lush fruit, complexity and depth after the previous burgundy/Pinot flights. So much so that it took a while to get into the Margaux afterwards which was a completely different kind of complexity. This was still too young and not comparable to the Margaux really. It was however, once past the youth, a truly beautiful wine and one that could make you cry such was the depth, richness and balance. I can imagine buying this wine and seeing how it develops - the Margaux however, which was my favourite is a wine I don't think I'll have the pleasure of experiencing again in my lifetime (which fills me with sadness.....) I am trying to hold onto the memory of both.
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powerhouse of a wine, classic cassis and mushroom aroma and taste, so so young, it can live for another 20 + years easily. Let them rest if you have these, go for something more approachable like Dominus.
Dark purple color. Very classy nose of dark berries, cassis, sweet spices, some eucalyptus and some smoke. On the palate there is beautiful density and weight without being heavy. Full-bodied, dense with medium acidity and medium-high tannin that is good quality but still a little present. Great length. A beautiful Opus One, still very young but with great balance. Is it worth the really high price of admission.... probably not but it's very beautiful... give it another 3-5 years.
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Drank it together with Thomas at Piment in Hamburg together with Clos Apalta 2005. The winner was clearly the Cal Cab. The nose is amazing, eukalyptus, mint. Strong powerful, a straightforwarded beast, very complex, mocha, vanilla, too young, lasting for at least 5 more years
Nice Wine but nothing special. Medium bodied, balanced but I have had much better wines at half the price. Very disappointing for $150. This is the 3rd bottle of Opus I have had and none of them blew me away. Dominus is a better wine $4$.
Just found out they are getting $300 for a bottle of this today.
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- Brick color with slow forming legs. It's balanced with a full body. Polished texture with a long finish - Wonderful cab. Enjoyed at dinner for open that bottle night 2014 with Hadley and Gayle at Irving Street Kitchen.
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Excellent bottle of wine. Dark fruit, complex and very well structured. A silky smooth wine. Will hold but excellent at the present. Wish I had more. Will not disappoint.
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Great fruit and a long finish. I like most Opus vintages because it reminds me of nice vacations with my parents when i was younger so maybe my notes on Opus are a little sentimental - take one point or so of my score - just in case.
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Fabulous wine. Smell of cassis and bits of vanilla. Still a bit lighter red color. Sweet taste of berries, vanilla and cassis. Very smooth in the palate.This will be an even better wine in a few years.
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Decanted about 1 hour. Still a little edge but an outstanding wine nonetheless. Lot's of chocolate and spice. Still could use some time but had to try this. A Napa classic.
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Clearly, this is in competition for the best wine produced by Opus One yet. I've always felt the 1996 was the best wine from this estate, but the 2007 Opus One, with its smoke, coffee, licorice, cassis, blackberry and earthy nose changed my mind. Add ripe, juicy, fleshy, rich, supple textures and a long, round, dark berry finish that is ripe, but not too ripe, and you have an idea of what this wine delivers.
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Very light and fruity for opening after 1 hr out. Hour later revealed more complex and rich flavors. Think this will increase over time. Overall delicious but IMO not worth the $$
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Obviously well-made was my first impression on this relatively young Opus. Like most of its kind it can be drunk now or hold for at least 12-15 years to evolve and further mature. Nicely present but velvet tannin structure. A bit on the oak/vanilla, but I guess thats also its style. Hope that when it evolves it will continue to bring structure whilst not being heavy.
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94-96 points. Really big fan of this Opus, my favorite that I have tried so far, and one I look forward to trying again after some more ageing. Beautiful nose of sweet fruits - cabernet really comes through. Tastes of blueberry, dark chocolate with massive layers of black and blue fruits - already pretty ripe and tasty, with soft tannins. A lingering vanilla aspect that many have pointed out, but smooth as can be finish. Tried this on 3 different occasions and was impressed each time. This 07' is real winner that finally makes Opus worth the price tag (although I would recommend more the Insignia of the same vintage).
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A little overrated. The wine was the first out of an unopened six bottle crate from the cellar. Decanted about an hour and then served. The wine did have a lot of traditional california cabernet characteristics. There was a lot of dark berry on the nose. Smelled like blackberry jam right out of the bottle and the nose was actually very pleasant. It decanted a very dark red into a decanter with almost some violet undertones. Decanting did open up the wine a bit, and I was almost certain I could detect a jasmine and almost a caramel(?) - - it was a sweet note kind of like butterscotch. As the wine opened up, smoky characteristics crept in. The palate was dominated by cassis, blackberry, molasses in the front and mid-palate. There was some dark chocolate in the middle, and I detected something in the mid-palate to finish that I still can't really put my finger on. Lavender? Something along those lines. A very smooth wine with a creme cassis that slowly developed over the next hour as it was consumed, with tannic structure that was present, but not overly harsh. Didn't have a very long finish. Not overly heady. I expected a longer finish and a little less integration at this point. Makes me wonder what the true longevity of this one is going to be unless the tannins are just super polished. The subtle notes on this wine made it a delight to drink. I'm not sure what I was expecting, but from some of the other reviews on here I think I was expecting this to drink better than an O'Shaughnessy Mount Veeder or a Quintessa (both of which, IMO, are more complex).
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Decanted 1.5 hours; dark red; nose somewhat closed, dark red berries; deep, dense, chocolate, well structured, sweet undertones, finish a bit to the dry end
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Opus One Vertical (Watson's, Hong Kong): Cola, mocha, tobacco and some dark fruit underneath. Also light touch of violets. Quite intense on the palate. Mild tannins. Balanced acidity. Good length. This is still very young. This was a cool vintage and so quite long. 20 days of skin contact.
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Nez chocolat et mûres. Bouche dodue, ronde, dense, avec une finale amère, chaleureuse, qui n'a pas la classe ni la la longueur attendue d'un vin de ce prix. 89-90 pts à + de 350 au resto...rip off
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The 2007 Opus One had muddled blackberries, blueberries, and dark raspberry on the nose. It smelled like a young, well-made Napa cab that my mother would die for. The profile then evolved into more oak character than I’d expected from the nose (allspice/cinnamon). Still a very fruit-forward (almost like a blueberry pie) wine; delicious, but will improve with a bit more age.
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($190) Appearance: Purple-deep purple; Aroma: Forest floor, hint of dark chocolate, earthy, dark fruit, vanilla, leather; Taste: Earthy, sweet tannin, mushroom balanced with dark fruit, vanilla, leather, sulfur, toast—complex and delicate, supple, forest floor, hint of dark chocolate. Great aging potential, tastes great now, especially when decanted properly and served at the proper temperature (about 64º for this wine).
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Omg first time I got truffle on the nose! Dark wood finish interrupted by the tannins. High alcohol noticeable. Dried fruit on the tip of the palate. Will age more gracefully than I .
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Dark ruby color, coffe, light tannins on initial taste. developed into a more full bodied wine after 3 hrs of decanting. This should be a great Opus over time. Had the 2006 about 3 mos ago, which was excellent, but, this was clearly a much better vintage. Will open another bottle 2015.
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Wow, young and tight even after aerating and decant for 2 hours...but this was fantastic. Dark fruits, hints of chocolate and pencil lead, the flavors kept coming, this will be even better after some time in the cellar! First time trying Opus One not sure the QPR is worth it...it is very good, but I think we've had better for this price. Still, a fantastic wine...I think we would rate even higher after some time in the cellar.
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Decanted 3 hours: Dark purple color, pleasing fruit nose. Big flavors of dark berry fruit well balanced acidity and medium cedar wood. Nice structure. Big, not harsh tannins. Nice to try young.
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The first thing you notice is the beautiful deep purple color, like the blackberries I used to pick with my father. Let breathe for 45 minutes. Oohs and ahhs from my spouse on first tasting. Alive with flavors, mixture of black raspberry and coffee, cough drops and sesame seeds. A sweet wine, fruity. A glowing aftertaste, filling the palette with dried fruit and black peppercorn. Going to leave stand for awhile and dive back in with dinner....
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Consumed 2 bottles back to back with Billy and Roberto at Villa Capri. Great bouquet, extremely young. Extremely high potential, but it is too young to rate higher than low 90s. Definitely to be put away for a few years.
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2011 Casual Session - 12 @ Jade Palace (Jade Palce @ The Forum Shopping Mall): 79% Cabernet Sauvignon, 8% Merlot, 6% Cabernet Franc, 6% Petit Verdot, and 1% Malbec. I believed this was popped and poured as the wine still pretty tight and muscular. Intense and powerful on both nose and palate that boosted with blueberry, plumpish juice accompany by violet, kirsch like aromas that move on to the cream, plush palate with mouth coating intensity that is powerful and voluptuous with coconut candy note lingering at the slightly disjointed, mineral sweet finish. Massive level of ripe tannin but well concealed by the huge concentration of pure sweet fruits. Certainly too young for now and I'm surely get better with age, say, 10yrs. 88-91
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Not sure if this seems shocking but was disappointed at first when opened at restaurant. An hour later it was drinking well but for the price does not seem worth it. Drank the 05 and 07 Robert Foley Claret recently and thought both were better
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So not worth the price. Without the slightly unsettling Janus-headed Mondavi/Rothschild scribble on the label, this is a $50 wine, tops. Gets thinner as it is open, never develops any real character.
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From 375. No decant, balloon glasses. Too Young. Very good, well put together, has all the elements but too young to show them. Drinking this now only inspires me to buy more to lay down while wishing I had left this alone a bit longer.
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Nose of tart cranberries w cedar and less spice. Dark cedar Cigar box w notes of pine nut and green herbs on palate. But of pomegranate and yeasty bread as well.
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Nose of fruit, mushroom, earth, with faint hints of cedar. Incredibly smooth on the palate, without any of the sharp or harsh acidity and tannins that you would expect from a younger wine. Nutty, with pronounced notes of almond and walnuts. Definite cassis and cedar with a hint of spice. Lovely wine and really singing so early in its career. Can't imagine how good it will get after a few years of age. Magnificant.
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Tried at tasting. WOW! My first time tasting Opus One and boy am I happy it was the 07. Rich blackberry, currant, and creamy vanilla. Well-balanced with an amazing mouthfeel and long finish. Just a spectacular wine that is (surprisingly) drinking quite well at the moment.
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Popped and poured. Massive wine with powerful nose of fruit and red berries. The usual blend of chocolate, vanilla and oak on the nose, only more potent and lasting than the typical Napa. Can only but wonder how good this will be after a few years in the cellar.
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Big, jammy and juicy, but also extremely well made and elegant, with balanced tannins and enough acid for definition across the palate. Very hedonistic, with heat that comes close to being overwhelming. Outstanding.
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Ok.. First time tasting this ( I was an Opus One Virgin:p ;)), strong bberry, and a phenolic note.., spicy and alcoholy.. Suggest it needs way more time IMHO ;) don't get me wrong, I'm happy to try more to perfect my baseline!;)
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Black fruits, oak, and briar. Very big. Long finish and well-layered. Only complaint is the heat on it. Not caustic but too much. The alcohol should not stick out at this price.
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Clash of the Titans, Napa Cabernet Sauvignon tasting (Red Slate, Portland, Oregon): Woah... the nose here is enormous! Deep molasses rolls around above green stems and some cooked dark cherries. A bit of heat shows as well. Dark cherry skins start things off on the palate and evolve quickly into a great burst of tart cherry fruit. Dark chocolate slowly rolls over the back end. Some heat shows from the mid palate through the finish. Some nice acidity weaves in and out with the alcohol and ends up drying out the sides of my mouth. Smaller sips subdues the heat a bit, but it still shows. The front and mid are spectacular here, but the heat is just too much for me to really swoon.
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This wine tight and I have some doubts about how forthcoming it will be in another decade. Still, a very nice wine, but I drank this along side the 2007 Robert Craig Howell Mountain and much preferred that at half the price.
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Had some pretty sick uber expensive prime steak and wagyu. Went up against two 2007 heavyweights - Insignia, Lewis Reserve and a 2006 Hall at 1/5 price. Overwhelmed by too much big wine this night to remember the taste and smell. Everything was great. Sophisticate, young, a bit early...much tannins in the beginning.
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Beautiful nose, open, black fruit, pencil lead, blueberry. On the palate, black raspberry, elegant, big, complex. There's a beautiful arc as it evolves in the mouth. Not overdone. Creamy oak on the finish. Medium+ structure. Long! Ready, but this could probably age for a long time. $196
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Had this as part of a 12 bottle California Cab Tasting. This was my best of the night, beating out Peter Michael, Araujo Eisele Vinyard, Caymus Special Selection, and others. Purple all the way to the rim. Powerful nose with subtle notes of pine and fern adding interest to the dark berry fruits. Super smooth taste with impecable balance through the entire experience. Cherry and blueberry fruit, but with some spicy notes underneath to keep it from being boring. Finish is long and lingering with fine tannins and a little acidity. Wow...
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3/11/2024 - gteran76 Likes this wine: 96 Points
Drank as the main wine for our 7th anniversary celebrations at La Fontana in Biltmore Hotel.
Placed in the decanter about 30 minutes before starting consuming, the wine has that distinctive toasty oak and perfume as most mature Opus has. There violets and forest in the nose, the body is bold, good complexity with touches of black truffle, finish is great.
Drink or hold, no rush.
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2/7/2024 - Quiet Lion Likes this wine: 95 Points
Decanted over cocktails. Mature with more acid showing than in its youth, lovely dried herbs and light sous bois.
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12/23/2023 - Norcal5 wrote:
Auction
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11/23/2023 - Nomadirish Likes this wine: 94 Points
Brought to Thanksgiving hoping to have with our meal. First opening taste - astringent, tight. 90min later - softened but a bit sour. 200min later - perfect. Would have wasted if rushed. A fantastic Bordeaux style wine and enjoyed considerably though as an after dinner drink.
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11/19/2023 - JackCMac Likes this wine: 93 Points
Had from a Magnum. The correct color. and a nice full body with a varietal finish. Very good Cab but Howell Mountain Cabs are more forward and have more lingering finish. Pricing this wine for those who want to impress with the label. Many very good cabs from this Valley at much better prices. Not a drinking value!
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10/21/2023 - JS199 wrote: 94 Points
Perfect provenance, perfect cork, stored since release as all prior Opus. However, this bottle was austere and very French in taste. Didn't detect any cork failure smells or tastes. It just seemed a dry, a bit faded or tired. All ' 07 bottles of Opus before this were all consistent in flavor/personality. Huh.
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8/25/2023 - Quiet Lion Likes this wine: 94 Points
Decanted briefly. Still full bodied and luscious with perhaps a touch more oak showing than I'd like.
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7/31/2023 - spendergast Likes this wine: 96 Points
A great wine with highly concentrated fruit, notes of cassis, blackberry, graphite with velvety mouthfeel and long satisfying finish. Tannins are supple and well integrated. Paired with grilled Wagyu ribeye steaks.
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5/21/2023 - jyensan wrote: 98 Points
Drank at Rosalie’s in Skaneateles for Kelly’s 47th birthday. No detailed notes but this bottle was as close to a perfect example of Opus as I have ever had. Enjoyed over 4 hours and it never fell off. Sad to only have on ‘07 remaining
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12/24/2022 - BradE wrote:
Not my cup of tea.
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10/22/2022 - PlanoWine Likes this wine: 93 Points
Dry fruit forward and more life on it. Shooting for 2025 on the second bottle.
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9/22/2022 - Philip67 Likes this wine: 99 Points
Virtually perfect. Drinking now. Glorious depth and richness without ever being OTT. Black fruits, medium to full bodied, still has a good level of fine ripe tannin and acidity. Long and complex - multiple layers unfold on the palate - wonderful. Drink now and over the next 10 years.
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9/20/2022 - Quiet Lion Likes this wine: 96 Points
Decanted over cocktails. This vintage of Opus continues to show with big, bold fruit and firm tannins although it melts into a more delicate finish in the mouth. It's showing much younger than other 2007s from Napa, most of which are near the end of life. Long life ahead for this one.
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4/2/2022 - Costes76 Likes this wine: 97 Points
Opaque ruby color. Full throaty nose of ripe black fruits, vanilla, mocha, vanilla, with savory notes of smokehouse bbq. Dry, very well-integrated and balanced acidity and tannins, palate follows through. Full body. Incredible balance. Full persistent finish. A powerhouse.
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2/18/2022 - Michael Hung Likes this wine: 96 Points
Opus One Family Exploration (Rockwell Rooftop Lounge): [Tasted Blind]
A: deep ruby core with garnet showing on the rims, some sediment
N: pronounced, blackberries, black currant, black cherry, green bell pepper (capsicum), black currant leaf, tomato leaf, cedar, tobacco, baking spices, and leather starting to show (developing)
P: pronounced, black cherry, blackberries, black currant, tomato leaf, black currant leaf, violet, baking spices, cedar, vanilla, toast, leather
Full body, high alcohol, med tannins (smoothing out), med acid, dry, long finish. Despite being 15 years old, it still seems quite youthful as it was dominated by black fruit and herbaceous notes still. However, it was a very nice and nuanced Californian Cab blend. A well made and high quality wine. Definitely nicely integrated in the bottle now and good to drink now, but I think it can definitely age more as well. 96+ pts
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1/28/2022 - Quiet Lion Likes this wine: 97 Points
Decanted over cocktails. This is a good one! Bottle 8 of 18 and showing spectacularly, with a depth I don't usually associate with Opus One. The palate is full, smooth, and silky with well-integrated black and red currants, volcanic earth, supple tannins, and good acid lift. I'm so glad I cellared my Opus instead of drinking it young.
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1/8/2022 - Scar510 Likes this wine: 95 Points
Echo for Laura’s bday. Smooth. But spicy. Fruit is gone. Only earthly notes left. But no bite, super smooth. But still delicious.
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11/19/2021 - Kmmk Likes this wine: 95 Points
Dark opaque purple with very little rimming belies its age. Ripe dark fruits with some wood and cacao on the nose. Powerful but not forceful. Opulent but not gaudy. Much more structure and grace than 2010.
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8/14/2021 - Sean Tay Likes this wine: 98 Points
Pronounced nose with notes of cassis, vanilla, smoke, vanilla, chocolate. Medium+ acidity and high tannin. Long finish and full bodied. Drink it side by side with vintage 2014 which exhibit similar notes. But 2007 had a more balanced acidity and tannin.
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6/26/2021 - Quiet Lion Likes this wine: 98 Points
Decanted briefly. This bottle showed spectacularly versus the previous one I gave a long decant to, so I recommend only a simple decant prior to pouring. Pure, intense, and balanced blackcurrant, mocha espresso, licorice with broad shoulders, vivacious tannins, very long finish. This is the best of Opus and why we age wine.
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6/26/2021 - royalscam Likes this wine: 94 Points
Fantastic! Thinking I should have drunk when it was a bit younger. Still delivers ....
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4/29/2021 - brasstab Likes this wine: 95 Points
Totally delivered. Silky and elegant, with just-ripe-enough fruit, leather, cocoa and café. The tannins were silky as well, with a good amount of pepper in the everlasting finish. One (Opus) for the books.
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2/26/2021 - ragtop Likes this wine: 96 Points
Beautiful black purple in color! A hint of oak on the nose and the palate. Minimal tannin. Full bodied with medium ripe fruit. A hint of floral on the nose. Drinking well now and will keep 15 more years.
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1/23/2021 - DrZett wrote: 96 Points
Beautiful classic nose with lots of dark berries and some soft leather notes. On the palate cassis, blackberries, ripe cherries, some dark chocolate and soft earthy and leathery notes. Medium (+) bodied with a lively acidity. Beautiful elegant texture. Fruit driven but not jammy or overdone, classic Opus One. Silky and integrated tannins. Great depth and complexity. Remarkable overall balance. Long and savory finish.
In a great spot in the moment, just let it breathe for 30-60 minutes. Drink now until 2032.
About 210,000 bottles of this vintage were produced.
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1/1/2021 - Trolson wrote: 93 Points
After six hours decanted, we understood the high ratings. Wine transformed during that time.
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11/16/2020 - JS199 wrote: 98 Points
Unbelievable as usual, this wine checks off all the boxes. The texture and seamlessness are so enjoyable from the beginning you instantly know this is something special. Plenty of rich fruit then ensues without any fading.
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11/6/2020 - streethawk Likes this wine: 95 Points
From a friend’s cellar, one hour decant. Pure expression of Napa fruit, but not jammy or overdone in any way. Shows cassis only the way that Napa cab can. Palate adds well-integrated oak notes of smoke and cocoa. Finish goes on forever. Some secondary notes showing, but they may never come the way that I am expecting. Still, I respect this as a true vin de terroir. It should continue to drink well for another decade.
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10/24/2020 - WineBaron Likes this wine: 96 Points
From the cellar of my friend, Quiet Lion. Not the best bottle of the 2007 I've had, but delightful nonetheless. Notes of blackberries, currants, and smoky chocolate. Tannins never quite settled down for me. Still a wine I very much enjoy and look forward to drinking again.
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10/24/2020 - Quiet Lion Likes this wine: 95 Points
Decanted 2.5 hours. Pure cassis and charred earth fill the palate. Tannins are a bit rough and never settled down over 90 minutes of drinking. My friend Wine Baron wanted me to mention him. This bottle was a bit of a disappointment although still delicious; I was expecting a more velvety, balanced experience. This is a large-production wine and there has to be some variation but that doesn't mean I like it.
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10/14/2020 - mats13 Likes this wine: 97 Points
Magical wine. Everything, literally everything you want from Napa. Perfect vintage, stunning wine in prime time.
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9/27/2020 - Zweder wrote: 97 Points
Special International tasting group (@ Zarzo, Eindhoven, The Netherlands): In the expressive bouquet beautiful dark berries. On the palate a firm dose of good sweetness which is beautifully balanced by good acidity and round tannin. A mouth full of delicious wine which is truly great now and certainly has a future of another 6+ years. Great!
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7/7/2020 - JS79 Likes this wine: 94 Points
Expressions of Time and Place at Opus One with Michael Silacci - 67PM tasting
Purple/crimson rim
Switch to dry farming this vintage. Warm vintage
Candied cherry underneath, green pepper, rose petal, slight cake mic, vanilla pods on the nose
black cherry, pepper and spice on the palate. melting tannins again. So smooth - more merlot elements coming through in blend.
medium finish.
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6/24/2020 - aegerter Likes this wine: 96 Points
First time I really like this wine. It’s always been the most overpriced Napa wine in my view, but today it drank perfectly. Gained weight and balance since I had it last. Will be a joy to drink over the next 5-10 years!
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5/2/2020 - Quiet Lion Likes this wine: 96 Points
Decanted and served. Plentiful pure redcurrant and lush tannins fill the palate on a bed of toasted mocha and wet earth. A beautiful showing as this wine begins to enter its secondary window. Drink over the next decade.
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4/17/2020 - gabird wrote: 94 Points
- Brick color with medium forming legs with a medium/full body with a long finish - This stellar cab just keeps giving... fruit, vanilla, with touch of cedar to lighten the black berry flavors. The complexity is solid but very approachable. Dont wait, just open!
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12/1/2019 - streethawk wrote: 91 Points
Lots of typical cab fruit here, with huge oak influence still evident, but not as many of the secondary aromas that I expect at this stage of the wine’s development. Perhaps these will develop with some more time in bottle. Nonetheless, a very good wine.
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11/30/2019 - Burgnick Likes this wine: 92 Points
Drank on day two. Chocolate, cedarwood, vanilla and dark currant. Elegant for a napa with bright and balanced ripe fruit.
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10/2/2019 - grapenomad wrote: 92 Points
Deep ruby in the glass. Big oak coming out on the nose right away - rich notes of blackberry, vanilla, cedar, chocolate. Not exactly as exciting on the pallet as I was expecting it to be. Smooth, rich and balanced, yes, but lacks depth and focus. The oak will integrate better in the years to come, but I'm afraid that this will not age as gracefully as some vintages I've tried in the past.
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9/26/2019 - Quiet Lion Likes this wine: 94 Points
Drank over two days. I guess there is some bottle variation in this vintage at this stage of evolution. This never blossomed into the deep, earthy palate that other bottles have. Nevertheless it's a delicious wine with that beautiful fruit, strong velvety tannins and a touch of earth. Lacks the depth and focus for a higher score.
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9/9/2019 - dnnk88 Likes this wine: 96 Points
WCC Stag Wine Night Blind Tasting @ Jade Palace [Solaia 2008, Opus One 2007, Unico 2006, Dominus 1997, Latour 1996]: 2nd bottle for the night - Black fruits, liquorice, cake and incense bouquet. Palate of black fruits, black cherries, Black Forest cake, liquorice, with a tinge of smoky tertiaries. Long, mint leaves, menthol and tobacco finish. Opulent and powerful, yet not overwhelming. Full bodied, hedonistic. The bottle maintained its stride throughout the night. Best for the night for a few of us; but second for me. Nonetheless, this was very memorable. Open now and good for many more years.
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9/8/2019 - vinodonpedro wrote: 95 Points
Sublime wine. Lots of berries, hints of vanilla. Very enjoyable to drink. This is quite ready to be enjoyed.
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8/16/2019 - chuckos77 Likes this wine: 91 Points
I really wanted this wine to shine. My feeling was it had more hype than reality. Don’t get me wrong, it was fine wine and truly is delicious. My rating is more of disappointment. Soft with muted fruit, not dry and interestingly, not over fragrant. Ample finish but not over the top. Better wines for price point
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8/8/2019 - aquacongas Likes this wine: 94 Points
not blind
the only pirat between PGCC, and the youngest
So you get what you expect. fruitier, more powerful, easier too drink but with a great structure. 94-95 Close to his peak
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8/8/2019 - DrZett wrote: 93 Points
Beautiful but still very young, needs more time or 4-5 hours of decanting.
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8/2/2019 - BBinSC wrote: 92 Points
Very good - easy to dismiss this wine as over the top, but it's honestly very good. Intense, still has some acid and tannins, it's got a decent finish. Nice bottle with some time left.
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7/21/2019 - kzkpt wrote: 86 Points
Having a first glass after an hour decant. Lovely nose but overall thin, short finish, unimpressive. There's nice graphite, cedar, cassis and tobacco notes in there, but so far it's the smoke of a distant fire. Let's see in another hour.
Substantial improvement 90 mins later, but still either closed or never going to get there, which is my bet. Acid more apparent, but balance never showed.
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7/3/2019 - Quiet Lion Likes this wine: 94 Points
Decanted and served. Probably should have waited two hours as this didn't have time to blossom into the lush wonderfulness of other recent bottles. Nevertheless it showed lovely cassis, black cherry, leather and chocolate.
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5/2/2019 - Quiet Lion Likes this wine: 97 Points
Decanted over cocktails and served. This vintage of Opus is showing spectacularly right now with full, silky, integrated body. Cassis, licorice, melted leather float in a palate of seamless acid and mature tannins. What a pleasure. Although Parker says this will last another 15 years, I would not hesitate to open my last bottle today.
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1/31/2019 - UTPK wrote:
Drank after a flight of Schaefer Hillside Select in 1996, 1997, 1999, 2007 and some Montebello 1996 and 1997. Opus held its own with avery fresh profile and long finish. Nose was still primary but not closed at all. Thick fruit but as said very good acidity to balance it. Tannins are sweet and succulent. Very good now!
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1/23/2019 - LB88 wrote: 95 Points
Exquisite balance of cigar, oak, cedar. Drinking so well and has great poise and length. Can drink from now!
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12/3/2018 - Quiet Lion Likes this wine: 96 Points
Couldn't resist popping another one since it's drinking so well. The bright, delicious Napa fruit combined with the Pauillac-like earth on the palate make this wine special despite the 15,000 or so cases they incredibly make.
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11/10/2018 - Quiet Lion Likes this wine: 96 Points
Popped the first of my 2007 Opus last night after having followed the tasting notes over the years and waiting patiently. This is a bold, masculine Opus that really shows off the terroir with charred earth, baker's chocolate, and very spicy ancho chili balancing the cassis. All of these carry into the long finish. It took about an hour of air to get a more silky texture on the palate but I enjoyed following it right from pop and pour and sipping slowly. Still very youthful, there is a lot of alcohol vapor on the nose at first. Great quality for such a large-production wine and these are just so consistently good. 95-96 with upside potential.
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10/19/2018 - JonnyG wrote: flawed
VA-marred: thin, with a dominant soy note and hints of eucalyptus.
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10/12/2018 - mdkraft99 Likes this wine: 95 Points
Just fantastic, layers of flavors and very smooth, flavors consistent with other tasting notes, really wish we had more.
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9/12/2018 - vinodonpedro wrote: 94 Points
Really enjoyed this one. Very much ready to drink now. Decanted for an hour prior to serving. Very smooth tannins, good finish. We liked it a lot.
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9/2/2018 - maxbyfuglinjr wrote:
Pure amazement. Was drinking like an 11 year old well heeled bottle of pimp juice. Zero wrong with it. Have three left. They will keep getting better is hard to believe but definitely true.
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7/5/2018 - Oolivia123 Likes this wine:
Opus
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6/17/2018 - JS199 wrote: 98 Points
From a .375ml. More mature than the 750 and best Opus I've had to date. Phenomenal in every aspect. Hold on the 750s.
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5/13/2018 - Redrum Likes this wine: 98 Points
Evolved in the glass like all great wines, smooth as silk with power and tannin rippling underneath the surface. This is drinking beautifully with years to go. This was popped and poured outside on a 90 degree night in New Orleans and it still managed to have a spectacular showing.
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5/12/2018 - starkravingmad Likes this wine: 98 Points
Group wine tasting - top three scoring
Smooth; Light; 'Great after taste' black currants; Blackberries; well balanced, floral with long, pleasing after taste; Vanilla; "Classic elegance"
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4/8/2018 - JS199 wrote: 96 Points
Mini Opus vertical (07, 08, 12). This was clearly the best of the three. Absolutely outstanding on all aspects. Sophisticated and seamless with plenty of power.
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12/10/2017 - aquacongas Likes this wine: 93 Points
Erinnert an einen Bordeaux moderner Machart. Viel schwarze Beeren, insbesondere Cassis. Tabak, Leder bisher nur angedeutet. Seidige Tannine runden den Weine ab. Nicht marmeladig, aber dennoch etwas zu glattgebügelt. Heute 93. Habe ihn auch schon deutlich höher bewertet. Danke Thomas
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10/26/2017 - Tsliwinski Likes this wine: 96 Points
Awh, so nice. Has dark fruit nose, a little iron and tremendous staying power. Decanted for an hour. Delicious!!!
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8/26/2017 - jicreixell wrote: 96 Points
Deep red cherry color, with medium body, long legs on the glass. Aired for 2 hours, Sweet aromas of leather, tobacco, and anise. Smooth silky medium body. Taste of cherry and coffee with great lasting after taste. Everything you expect from Opus One.
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8/23/2017 - retired_and_roving wrote:
A week in Napa for the Napa Valley Grape Growers Harvest STOMP party; 8/22/2017-8/27/2017 (Napa, CA): Tasting visit at Opus One. A riper vintage so definitely a more opulent wine. Dark fruits and full of flavor, but still well balanced and silky in the mouthfeel. This is in no way a shy wine, but manages to express both power and elegance at the same time. Drinking very nicely now but should continue to age and improve for some time.
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7/3/2017 - EM_MB wrote: 95 Points
Decanted 2 hours.
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6/15/2017 - JS199 wrote: 95 Points
From a split, ready to go. Very French, very sophisticated. Texturally this was a 99+, flavor wise a 94. Perfect balance.
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6/15/2017 - themki wrote: 98 Points
Skyscraper of tastes - perfect now
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5/26/2017 - felixp Likes this wine: 94 Points
Although the price of entry is continually creeping up, this is a world-class wine that sits comfortably alongside equally expensive Bordeaux.
Beautiful black fruits, anise, tobacco and autumn leaves, tannins ripe and not obtrusive. Excellent length.
Yet another incredibly impressive Californian wine, and one that deserves another 5 years in the cellar.
Highly recommended. 94++
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5/24/2017 - Jeff Leve wrote: 94 Points
A perfect ringer for a Bordeaux blind tasting, the wine has freshness, refinement, soft tannins, and while the fruit is perfectly ripe, here, you find all the fresh, sweet, red and black fruits you could hope for, without any jammy, or overripe notes. Lots of cedar, tobacco and earthy, forest notes only add to the fun. Drink now, or hold...
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5/20/2017 - Cristal2000 Likes this wine: 94 Points
This bottle was in a very good place. A really nice balance between new and old world. Tremendous nose of black cherries, creme de cassis, licorice and liqueur. Quite deep and rich, with nice mature flavors of leather and earth to go with red fruit. Long, relatively seamless finish. For my tastes, this is right at the age to drink. Give it 2 hours in the decanter and have at it.
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4/30/2017 - MAXIMUM SATISFACTION wrote: 96 Points
Decanted for 3 hours. Very elegant and refined with precise red fruit, cassis, tobacco, baking spice, and graphite. Definitely California Cabernet but not highly extracted. Has 10 more years plus to go but drinking well now.
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3/12/2017 - RickyT12 Likes this wine: 94 Points
Popped and 1hr open. bruised apple skin, ripe black and red fruit nose. In a good place right now. Nice flavor, but lost a bit of the fruitiness that made it quite amazing 5 years ago. good balance, which is key for a good opus, but not amazing. A hint of tobacco on the nose, but mainly fruit. Great wine, but still over priced. Flavors apple, ripe blueberry. Ripe blueberry and raspberry also come out on flavor.
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1/10/2017 - gteran76 Likes this wine: 98 Points
Perfect at this point in time. Earthy fresh and dark altogether.
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12/17/2016 - Zweder wrote: 96 Points
Regular dinner group (@ MH): Beautiful and lush bouquet with dark forest fruits, sweet spices, and beautifully ripe berry fruits. On the palate be mouth full of delicious juice, ripe dark berries, chocolate, some cinnamon, but overall dominating ripe dark berries with beautiful freshness. Very ripe fruits and a delicious wine already. Very happy I bought a few bottles myself. 95 - 96
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11/15/2016 - AdamGoldston Likes this wine: 93 Points
After a 2 hour double decant was drinking well. Well balances, earthy tones, tobaccos.
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10/26/2016 - Jeff Leve wrote: 95 Points
A super wine, produced in a great style, that takes the best of the lush, ripe, sweet, fat, juicy, California Cabernet Sauvignon grapes, yet also serves up freshness, balance and harmony. I am sure this will get better, but why wait? It's just great today...
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10/9/2016 - Fuzzy Squash Likes this wine: 95 Points
Bordeaux in style.
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10/1/2016 - rustyRudy Likes this wine: 95 Points
Almost black in color. Blackberry, graphite, and spice with a terrific nose that outshines the palate. Still tannic, dark cherries, minerals, Bordeaux like in that it is more elegant and not highly extracted and likely in the early part of its drinking phase. From a split. Decanted. Lengthy finish but will improve as the tannins soften over time.
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10/1/2016 - andrewdodd86 wrote: 88 Points
Always my complaint with Opus, decent but over priced and over hyped. Compare this to even another Mondavi wine (like Continuum) and it's royally embarrassed. Worth trying, but not repeating.
Jet black color, nose is more intriguing than the palate, hint of vanilla from the oak, dark black raspberry, chalky tannins, medium/short finish. Could be more balanced & complex with better depth.
Knocked down a few points because the QPR is atrociously bad and 2007 is a stellar vintage for Cali Cab.
Inexcusably mediocre considering the price.
If you want Bordeaux style Cali Cab done right just buy a bottle of Dominus
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8/27/2016 - MWiking wrote: 94 Points
ganska lätt& snyggt för att vara så mycket cab,
doften har toner av stall läder och lakrits,
smaken är ganska mjuk och härlig, gissade blint på mer merlot än cab i detta vin.
väldigt bra vin! mycket gott!
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8/26/2016 - Rixon Likes this wine: 94 Points
The first Opus I ever tasted. Hype or pure quality? A bit of both I would say. A great wine, but questionable value (compared to bordeaux in the range). Still on the fruity side, will certainly develop for five more years or so - my guess.
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8/25/2016 - FamilyLarsson wrote: 93 Points
En riktigt bra Napa Cab. Söt mogen frukt, viss stallighet, mull och multna löv. Väldigt mjuk och tillgängligt men fint balanserad
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8/25/2016 - Patrik H Likes this wine: 94 Points
On the nose: Acetone, soil, leather and stable
On the palate: Sweet fruit, rather warm and smooth wine
Medium + finish
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8/5/2016 - Empirate wrote:
2hr decant.
Fresh dark fruit and touch of French oak spice on the nose with a bit of heat.
Mid palate is fresh and interesting with a smooth transition from fruit to spice.
Nit picking includes a notice of imbalance/acidity on the medium + finish.
I wonder if this is a bit of a dumb phase (generously?). This well stored bottle was out of balance which unfortunately gives me worry about my stash.
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7/16/2016 - cdebeau Likes this wine: 95 Points
Exceptionally smooth tannins, long velvety finish
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5/21/2016 - ChicagoScot Likes this wine: 95 Points
Smooth, balanced and rich!
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3/9/2016 - fcxj wrote: 94 Points
Classic California fruit bomb. Enjoyed it for what it is. Oak gone, just sweet fruit.
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3/7/2016 - steinersing wrote: 95 Points
very interesting wine, bit of spice, forest aromas, but great intensity. Of the series that evening, this wine has parallels to Harlan.
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11/24/2015 - RayOB wrote: 92 Points
Opus One Tasting (67 Pall Mall): Lot's of fruit, chocolate, cheery and raspberry on the nose. Still quite tannic on the palate.
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10/16/2015 - Thumper88 Likes this wine: 93 Points
Long finish
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7/13/2015 - Opusone99 wrote: 93 Points
Sans prise de notes. 93-94.
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6/28/2015 - The Wine Guy Likes this wine: 94 Points
About as good as it gets wonderfully balanced for a big wine perfect for dinner and the Rolling Stones concert. Deep color, oak, cedar, vanilla, black fruit, black cherry, complex pallet and long finish. The wine may get better but this one is brilliant now.
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5/3/2015 - bvin Likes this wine: 92 Points
Vanilla, sweet spice, black fruits and oak on nose. Very smooth mouthfeel. Complex palate. Well balanced, tannins well integrated, good length. Drinking very well now but would clearly survive for many more years.
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4/29/2015 - JHumps Likes this wine: 93 Points
Drinking very well. One of the great Opus vintages.
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4/24/2015 - bubbachumps wrote: 95 Points
Polished wine, with notes of cassis, blackberry and licorice on the nose. Nicely integrated in the mouth, dense tannins, but not rough. Has a lot of life in it. The best opus I've ever tasted!
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3/9/2015 - Ludi Likes this wine: 95 Points
Granato cupissimo. Naso intenso, espressivo, con mora, mirtillo e cacao, spezie a profusione, incenso e cenere, splendida menta. Intenso, esplosivo ma elegante, di impressionante lunghezza
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2/4/2015 - Papies wrote: 91 Points
Opus One - With James Handford MW (Handford Wines, London): Deep, dark red in colour. From the nose the rich fruit dominated, a lot more evident than the less ripe vintage that was 2011. Ripe fruit, jammy at times. Cassis. Lactic notes of young oaky wine. Concentrated on the palate and needs a good 5-7yrs to we believe to integrate the fruit and the oak. Not there yet though. 91
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2/4/2015 - rossi.wine wrote: 92 Points
Rich fruit, lots of cassis, big and a bit chunky, oaky, creamy. On the palate really powerful, tight, very intense with and ripe and polished tannins, great length and enough acidity. Needs time. 91-93+
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1/1/2015 - SantaFeTopher Likes this wine: 95 Points
Powerful and luscious, with tons of deep purple fruit, concentrated. Good/medium acid, but not as much in tannins as I'd expect. Long blueberry finish, with overtones of cocoa too. I would not expect this to age forever--certainly another five or eight years.
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11/27/2014 - Jeff Leve wrote: 94 Points
Caramel, molasses, blackberry jam, fennel and truffle led to layers of polished, soft, round, sweet, crunchy, black and red spicy berries complicated by a long, olive tapenade and strawberry savory finish.
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9/13/2014 - Luckyb Likes this wine: 94 Points
Tasted at BBR event alongside a 1986 Margaux Margaux. Tasted first and was a massive hit of lush fruit, complexity and depth after the previous burgundy/Pinot flights. So much so that it took a while to get into the Margaux afterwards which was a completely different kind of complexity. This was still too young and not comparable to the Margaux really. It was however, once past the youth, a truly beautiful wine and one that could make you cry such was the depth, richness and balance. I can imagine buying this wine and seeing how it develops - the Margaux however, which was my favourite is a wine I don't think I'll have the pleasure of experiencing again in my lifetime (which fills me with sadness.....) I am trying to hold onto the memory of both.
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9/2/2014 - George C ATLANTA Likes this wine: 96 Points
powerhouse of a wine, classic cassis and mushroom aroma and taste, so so young, it can live for another 20 + years easily. Let them rest if you have these, go for something more approachable like Dominus.
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8/7/2014 - NostraBacchus Likes this wine: 95 Points
Dark purple color. Very classy nose of dark berries, cassis, sweet spices, some eucalyptus and some smoke. On the palate there is beautiful density and weight without being heavy. Full-bodied, dense with medium acidity and medium-high tannin that is good quality but still a little present. Great length. A beautiful Opus One, still very young but with great balance. Is it worth the really high price of admission.... probably not but it's very beautiful... give it another 3-5 years.
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7/13/2014 - aquacongas Likes this wine: 96 Points
Drank it together with Thomas at Piment in Hamburg together with Clos Apalta 2005. The winner was clearly the Cal Cab. The nose is amazing, eukalyptus, mint. Strong powerful, a straightforwarded beast, very complex, mocha, vanilla, too young, lasting for at least 5 more years
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5/19/2014 - The Wine Geek Likes this wine: 88 Points
Nice Wine but nothing special. Medium bodied, balanced but I have had much better wines at half the price. Very disappointing for $150. This is the 3rd bottle of Opus I have had and none of them blew me away. Dominus is a better wine $4$.
Just found out they are getting $300 for a bottle of this today.
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3/27/2014 - Evjoker wrote: 91 Points
Scelini fidelli with jorges and olgins. Still a little young. Lots of spice particularly anise. Very balanced.
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3/23/2014 - Raider Likes this wine: 93 Points
Taste again 2015
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2/23/2014 - "H" wrote:
- Brick color with slow forming legs. It's balanced with a full body. Polished texture with a long finish - Wonderful cab. Enjoyed at dinner for open that bottle night 2014 with Hadley and Gayle at Irving Street Kitchen.
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1/1/2014 - capacious Likes this wine: 93 Points
Beautifully put together and probably will be a 95 or better in time. It can be drunk now but unless you have to wait a while.
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12/24/2013 - Gator96 Likes this wine: 94 Points
Great wine... First tastes are great!!!
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11/23/2013 - uncle al Likes this wine: 95 Points
Excellent bottle of wine. Dark fruit, complex and very well structured. A silky smooth wine. Will hold but excellent at the present. Wish I had more. Will not disappoint.
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10/28/2013 - CK6865 wrote: 89 Points
Decanted for 4 hours, very light ,not much structure, very bla,
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10/10/2013 - DrZett Likes this wine: 95 Points
Great fruit and a long finish. I like most Opus vintages because it reminds me of nice vacations with my parents when i was younger so maybe my notes on Opus are a little sentimental - take one point or so of my score - just in case.
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8/27/2013 - chetjan wrote: 89 Points
Unremarkable
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8/17/2013 - mscaryg wrote:
ANDREW'S WINE
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5/10/2013 - Dnathanson wrote: 94 Points
Needs more time to develop.
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2/8/2013 - mliszt Likes this wine: 95 Points
sensational simply fine bottle
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1/24/2013 - Coollawyer wrote: 93 Points
Oak, hints of vanilla
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11/25/2012 - jicreixell wrote: 96 Points
Fabulous wine. Smell of cassis and bits of vanilla. Still a bit lighter red color. Sweet taste of berries, vanilla and cassis. Very smooth in the palate.This will be an even better wine in a few years.
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11/8/2012 - krhaugh wrote: 95 Points
Decanted about 1 hour. Still a little edge but an outstanding wine nonetheless. Lot's of chocolate and spice. Still could use some time but had to try this. A Napa classic.
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10/29/2012 - webbaker wrote: flawed
Cork tainted, but the polyethylene trick worked like a champ. Still very closed, but looks to be outstanding. I'd probably rate a 95.
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10/15/2012 - anonymoose12345 Likes this wine: 88 Points
Tasted as part of a 2003-2009 vertical.
Very ripe sweet fruit on the nose. Taste of ripe cherry and dark fruit. Low acidity. Tart and tannic finish.
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8/9/2012 - Jeff Leve wrote: 94 Points
Clearly, this is in competition for the best wine produced by Opus One yet. I've always felt the 1996 was the best wine from this estate, but the 2007 Opus One, with its smoke, coffee, licorice, cassis, blackberry and earthy nose changed my mind. Add ripe, juicy, fleshy, rich, supple textures and a long, round, dark berry finish that is ripe, but not too ripe, and you have an idea of what this wine delivers.
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8/3/2012 - Chadsc95 wrote: 94 Points
Very light and fruity for opening after 1 hr out. Hour later revealed more complex and rich flavors. Think this will increase over time. Overall delicious but IMO not worth the $$
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7/20/2012 - DDH-VitisVinifera Likes this wine: 90 Points
Obviously well-made was my first impression on this relatively young Opus. Like most of its kind it can be drunk now or hold for at least 12-15 years to evolve and further mature. Nicely present but velvet tannin structure. A bit on the oak/vanilla, but I guess thats also its style. Hope that when it evolves it will continue to bring structure whilst not being heavy.
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6/12/2012 - SonnyChiba wrote: 95 Points
94-96 points. Really big fan of this Opus, my favorite that I have tried so far, and one I look forward to trying again after some more ageing. Beautiful nose of sweet fruits - cabernet really comes through. Tastes of blueberry, dark chocolate with massive layers of black and blue fruits - already pretty ripe and tasty, with soft tannins. A lingering vanilla aspect that many have pointed out, but smooth as can be finish. Tried this on 3 different occasions and was impressed each time. This 07' is real winner that finally makes Opus worth the price tag (although I would recommend more the Insignia of the same vintage).
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5/20/2012 - mflesh wrote: 91 Points
A little overrated. The wine was the first out of an unopened six bottle crate from the cellar. Decanted about an hour and then served. The wine did have a lot of traditional california cabernet characteristics. There was a lot of dark berry on the nose. Smelled like blackberry jam right out of the bottle and the nose was actually very pleasant. It decanted a very dark red into a decanter with almost some violet undertones. Decanting did open up the wine a bit, and I was almost certain I could detect a jasmine and almost a caramel(?) - - it was a sweet note kind of like butterscotch. As the wine opened up, smoky characteristics crept in. The palate was dominated by cassis, blackberry, molasses in the front and mid-palate. There was some dark chocolate in the middle, and I detected something in the mid-palate to finish that I still can't really put my finger on. Lavender? Something along those lines. A very smooth wine with a creme cassis that slowly developed over the next hour as it was consumed, with tannic structure that was present, but not overly harsh. Didn't have a very long finish. Not overly heady. I expected a longer finish and a little less integration at this point. Makes me wonder what the true longevity of this one is going to be unless the tannins are just super polished. The subtle notes on this wine made it a delight to drink. I'm not sure what I was expecting, but from some of the other reviews on here I think I was expecting this to drink better than an O'Shaughnessy Mount Veeder or a Quintessa (both of which, IMO, are more complex).
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5/4/2012 - Miceri wrote: 93 Points
Decanted 1.5 hours; dark red; nose somewhat closed, dark red berries; deep, dense, chocolate, well structured, sweet undertones, finish a bit to the dry end
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4/26/2012 - DonalOB wrote: 94 Points
Opus One Vertical (Watson's, Hong Kong): Cola, mocha, tobacco and some dark fruit underneath. Also light touch of violets. Quite intense on the palate. Mild tannins. Balanced acidity. Good length. This is still very young.
This was a cool vintage and so quite long. 20 days of skin contact.
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3/30/2012 - d'Artagnan wrote: 90 Points
Nez chocolat et mûres. Bouche dodue, ronde, dense, avec une finale amère, chaleureuse, qui n'a pas la classe ni la la longueur attendue d'un vin de ce prix. 89-90 pts
à + de 350 au resto...rip off
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3/13/2012 - Dacronboy1 wrote: 95 Points
Decanted. Great nose. Really opened up to a creamy finish after an hour.
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2/19/2012 - WineBec wrote:
The 2007 Opus One had muddled blackberries, blueberries, and dark raspberry on the nose. It smelled like a young, well-made Napa cab that my mother would die for. The profile then evolved into more oak character than I’d expected from the nose (allspice/cinnamon). Still a very fruit-forward (almost like a blueberry pie) wine; delicious, but will improve with a bit more age.
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1/11/2012 - andrew.schoen wrote: 98 Points
($190) Appearance: Purple-deep purple; Aroma: Forest floor, hint of dark chocolate, earthy, dark fruit, vanilla, leather; Taste: Earthy, sweet tannin, mushroom balanced with dark fruit, vanilla, leather, sulfur, toast—complex and delicate, supple, forest floor, hint of dark chocolate. Great aging potential, tastes great now, especially when decanted properly and served at the proper temperature (about 64º for this wine).
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12/28/2011 - beej wrote: 89 Points
Omg first time I got truffle on the nose! Dark wood finish interrupted by the tannins. High alcohol noticeable. Dried fruit on the tip of the palate. Will age more gracefully than I .
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12/18/2011 - ronaldo wrote: 93 Points
Dark ruby color, coffe, light tannins on initial taste. developed into a more full bodied wine after 3 hrs of decanting. This should be a great
Opus over time. Had the 2006 about 3 mos ago, which was excellent, but, this was clearly a much better vintage. Will open another bottle
2015.
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12/17/2011 - mdkraft99 wrote: 93 Points
Wow, young and tight even after aerating and decant for 2 hours...but this was fantastic. Dark fruits, hints of chocolate and pencil lead, the flavors kept coming, this will be even better after some time in the cellar! First time trying Opus One not sure the QPR is worth it...it is very good, but I think we've had better for this price. Still, a fantastic wine...I think we would rate even higher after some time in the cellar.
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10/16/2011 - Dbesserer wrote: 91 Points
Young. Seriously needs a long decant. Very complex but just not ready yet. Super tannic.
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9/6/2011 - Empirate wrote: 95 Points
Decanted 3 hours: Dark purple color, pleasing fruit nose. Big flavors of dark berry fruit well balanced acidity and medium cedar wood. Nice structure. Big, not harsh tannins. Nice to try young.
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8/18/2011 - erichrod wrote: 92 Points
Special wine, but need time.
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8/12/2011 - iwadasn wrote: 96 Points
The first thing you notice is the beautiful deep purple color, like the blackberries I used to pick with my father. Let breathe for 45 minutes. Oohs and ahhs from my spouse on first tasting. Alive with flavors, mixture of black raspberry and coffee, cough drops and sesame seeds. A sweet wine, fruity. A glowing aftertaste, filling the palette with dried fruit and black peppercorn. Going to leave stand for awhile and dive back in with dinner....
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8/9/2011 - vinomex wrote: 92 Points
Consumed 2 bottles back to back with Billy and Roberto at Villa Capri. Great bouquet, extremely young. Extremely high potential, but it is too young to rate higher than low 90s. Definitely to be put away for a few years.
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8/4/2011 - Sleepy Dave wrote: 88 Points
2011 Casual Session - 12 @ Jade Palace (Jade Palce @ The Forum Shopping Mall): 79% Cabernet Sauvignon, 8% Merlot, 6% Cabernet Franc, 6% Petit Verdot, and 1% Malbec.
I believed this was popped and poured as the wine still pretty tight and muscular. Intense and powerful on both nose and palate that boosted with blueberry, plumpish juice accompany by violet, kirsch like aromas that move on to the cream, plush palate with mouth coating intensity that is powerful and voluptuous with coconut candy note lingering at the slightly disjointed, mineral sweet finish. Massive level of ripe tannin but well concealed by the huge concentration of pure sweet fruits. Certainly too young for now and I'm surely get better with age, say, 10yrs. 88-91
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7/30/2011 - ralevine wrote: 92 Points
Not sure if this seems shocking but was disappointed at first when opened at restaurant. An hour later it was drinking well but for the price does not seem worth it. Drank the 05 and 07 Robert Foley Claret recently and thought both were better
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7/4/2011 - peters5280 wrote: 93 Points
Very approachable and good. It will get better with more time in the bottle. I love the potential for this vintage.
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7/1/2011 - Niagara wrote: 89 Points
So not worth the price. Without the slightly unsettling Janus-headed Mondavi/Rothschild scribble on the label, this is a $50 wine, tops. Gets thinner as it is open, never develops any real character.
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6/1/2011 - WineHawkeye wrote: 92 Points
From 375. No decant, balloon glasses. Too Young. Very good, well put together, has all the elements but too young to show them. Drinking this now only inspires me to buy more to lay down while wishing I had left this alone a bit longer.
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5/30/2011 - ckinv368 wrote: 95 Points
Nose of tart cranberries w cedar and less spice. Dark cedar Cigar box w notes of pine nut and green herbs on palate. But of pomegranate and yeasty bread as well.
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3/13/2011 - jasonkle wrote: 95 Points
Opus at its finest. Medium heavy. Flavorful. Like velvet.
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3/9/2011 - ckinv368 wrote: 95 Points
Nose of fruit, mushroom, earth, with faint hints of cedar. Incredibly smooth on the palate, without any of the sharp or harsh acidity and tannins that you would expect from a younger wine. Nutty, with pronounced notes of almond and walnuts. Definite cassis and cedar with a hint of spice. Lovely wine and really singing so early in its career. Can't imagine how good it will get after a few years of age. Magnificant.
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3/5/2011 - Decanthor wrote: 96 Points
Tried at tasting. WOW! My first time tasting Opus One and boy am I happy it was the 07. Rich blackberry, currant, and creamy vanilla. Well-balanced with an amazing mouthfeel and long finish. Just a spectacular wine that is (surprisingly) drinking quite well at the moment.
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3/4/2011 - jorge48 wrote: 93 Points
Popped and poured. Massive wine with powerful nose of fruit and red berries. The usual blend of chocolate, vanilla and oak on the nose, only more potent and lasting than the typical Napa. Can only but wonder how good this will be after a few years in the cellar.
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3/3/2011 - Stosh wrote: 95 Points
Big, jammy and juicy, but also extremely well made and elegant, with balanced tannins and enough acid for definition across the palate. Very hedonistic, with heat that comes close to being overwhelming. Outstanding.
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2/26/2011 - Jack Cranley wrote: 92 Points
Big jammy blackberry nose plus some coffee and smoked meat notes. Big tannins. Spicy. Big manly wine. Dark almost roasted finish. Dry and complex.
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2/22/2011 - Double-A Likes this wine: 95 Points
Cherry, gingerbread, licorice and cocoa nose. Full and firm structure with fresh fruit and good minerality on the finish.
5/5
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2/11/2011 - Amerique wrote: 96 Points
Delicious, creamy black cherry fruit with touch of vanillin flavor, great complexity
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2/3/2011 - vegasoenophile wrote: 89 Points
- Tasted at Wine Spectator New World Wine Experience 2010
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1/15/2011 - Lulu2 wrote: 89 Points
Ok.. First time tasting this ( I was an Opus One Virgin:p ;)), strong bberry, and a phenolic note.., spicy and alcoholy.. Suggest it needs way more time IMHO ;) don't get me wrong, I'm happy to try more to perfect my baseline!;)
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1/14/2011 - BigShlo wrote: 90 Points
Black fruits, oak, and briar. Very big. Long finish and well-layered. Only complaint is the heat on it. Not caustic but too much. The alcohol should not stick out at this price.
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12/10/2010 - subtlet Likes this wine: 91 Points
Clash of the Titans, Napa Cabernet Sauvignon tasting (Red Slate, Portland, Oregon): Woah... the nose here is enormous! Deep molasses rolls around above green stems and some cooked dark cherries. A bit of heat shows as well. Dark cherry skins start things off on the palate and evolve quickly into a great burst of tart cherry fruit. Dark chocolate slowly rolls over the back end. Some heat shows from the mid palate through the finish. Some nice acidity weaves in and out with the alcohol and ends up drying out the sides of my mouth. Smaller sips subdues the heat a bit, but it still shows. The front and mid are spectacular here, but the heat is just too much for me to really swoon.
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12/5/2010 - Brad451 wrote: 92 Points
This wine tight and I have some doubts about how forthcoming it will be in another decade. Still, a very nice wine, but I drank this along side the 2007 Robert Craig Howell Mountain and much preferred that at half the price.
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12/4/2010 - km5 wrote: 92 Points
Had some pretty sick uber expensive prime steak and wagyu. Went up against two 2007 heavyweights - Insignia, Lewis Reserve and a 2006 Hall at 1/5 price. Overwhelmed by too much big wine this night to remember the taste and smell. Everything was great. Sophisticate, young, a bit early...much tannins in the beginning.
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12/2/2010 - joshwoodward wrote: 96 Points
Beautiful nose, open, black fruit, pencil lead, blueberry. On the palate, black raspberry, elegant, big, complex. There's a beautiful arc as it evolves in the mouth. Not overdone. Creamy oak on the finish. Medium+ structure. Long! Ready, but this could probably age for a long time. $196
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11/14/2010 - Grenik wrote: 96 Points
Had this as part of a 12 bottle California Cab Tasting. This was my best of the night, beating out Peter Michael, Araujo Eisele Vinyard, Caymus Special Selection, and others. Purple all the way to the rim. Powerful nose with subtle notes of pine and fern adding interest to the dark berry fruits. Super smooth taste with impecable balance through the entire experience. Cherry and blueberry fruit, but with some spicy notes underneath to keep it from being boring. Finish is long and lingering with fine tannins and a little acidity. Wow...
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