1981 Opus One

Community Tasting Notes (15) Avg Score: 90.8 points

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  8/15/2020 - walkerjfw wrote: 94 Points

  Patio dinner with Doug and Debbie (Chez Walker - Princeton, NJ): They brought this, very generous contribution to the evening. Well-stored bottle, cork in good shape. PnP, drank over the course of the evening.
  
  Faded garnet/brick color. Nose was great right out of the bottle...dark fruits, cigar box, graphite and dried violets. Palate was dusted dark cherry, plums, leather, cedar, currants, coffee. Silky palate, tannins are resolved. Continued to evolve over the 3 hours we drank it. Medium weight and finish.
  
  Great experience to have the opportunity to drink this. We opened this bottle first given the age, I am cautious not to miss something with very old wine. It can go through phases when opened in what it shows or sometimes shut down quickly. This continued to evolve over the course of the evening, saving some for later was a good call. If tasted blind would have guess left bank based on the nose and texture.
  
  Well preserved bottles are hard to come by. While past its prime, its aged beautifully, layered and nuanced. Score is adjusting for age and showing on this night. Drink this now if you have it...

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  5/9/2017 - mbesche wrote: 93 Points

  Found this hidden in the cellar where it has lived for 25 years, forgotten.
  What a surprise! Plenty of fruit, balance and length. Tannins are there, but
  not apparent. This wine is nowhere near the end of the road, but must have
  Been stunning in its prime.

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  1/7/2016 - Rieslingfan wrote:

  Served blind as part of a series of 4 older Cabernets, this was the richest and deepest of the 4. Tobacco, dark red fruit, cedar and dusty earth were all quite obvious and forward. The structure was still present, but just barely, keeping everything together. This had been opened about 90 minutes prior to us drinking it (no decanting), and held steady through the end of the tasting for a total of about 3 hours open. I see no rush to drink it up, though any 30+ year old wine will have up and down bottles. This one was very much up.

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  12/22/2012 - Prinsen wrote: 86 Points

  Defenately over the hill and not something special.

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  11/21/2012 - Spaniard Likes this wine: 95 Points

  Outstanding! I rushed to open this bottle because of all the reports I have been reading about its drinking window expiration. I did not decant. First taste after been open for 10 minutes was very reassuring. Phew! It is everything I would have hoped from this winery: lean & elegant. Nose is powerful and dominated by cedar, leather and tobacco. No fruit (unless you have a good imagination!). Mouthfeel is silky with soft tannins and.... a structure/acidity to keep this wine alive for 5 more years! Not the longest finish but I am not complaining. I wish I could share this with my wine buddies but I was not expecting this wine to be alive by now. Two hours later the wine was still singing...but you could slightly notice the oxidation creeping in. Four hours later, the little I had left in the bottle was already off. In conclusion: fabulous if consumed within 2 hours after opening and do NOT decant.

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