September 27, 2023 - Decanted at Keen's Steakhouse in NYC. Perfect pairing with prime rib, definitely a "wow" wine around the table. The heft was impressive, this is a big chewy red, lots of vibrant juicy fruit, hints of sweetness, with all of the mineral asphalt backbone - distinctly CA. A few guests preferred the '06 Shafer cab which was dryer, but this was my WOTN. 94/95
November 3, 2022 - Solid cork, no infiltration. Stained deep maroon. Little to no fruit upon first taste. Wait, now fruit present, and tannins. Burgundy in glass with light rim. Coiled and tight but sense there is much here. But it never arrived. I tasted throughout day, next day, and day after that, and no fruit and not much in the way of secondary flavors. Disappointment in this one.
October 2, 2022 - Could use 1hr+ decaunt.
June 7, 2022 - Opaque purple. The nose was predominantly dark-fruited with blackberries, licorice, boot polish, lead pencil and some floral, lavender and mineral notes thrown in for good measure. Full, round, rich dark-fruited palate delivered with energy and focus. Some raspberry and savoury notes appearing on the long, long finish. Excellent balance. This bottle was in a really good place and I suspect may hold at this level for at least another 5+ years.
February 18, 2022 - Opus One Family Exploration (Rockwell Rooftop Lounge): [Tasted Blind]
A: deep dark ruby
N: med+ intensity, red currant, black currant, black cherry, cassis, red plum, red plum, lavender, bell pepper, baking spices, vanilla, toast (youthful)
P: pronounced, black currant, black cherry, cassis, red currant, bell pepper, tomato leaf, lavender, tobacco, vanilla, a bit spicy
High alcohol, med+ acid, med+ length, dry, med+ tannin. A bit strong and hot PnP, but opens up well and got better over the next 2-3 hours. What a youthful wine, almost thinking it needs at least a few more years to really start evolving. Came off as a bit aggressive and hot to me right now, but I can see this growing and integrating beautifully over the next 3-5 years. Did not find any tertiary notes at all. Spicy pepper notes did not show too well with the strong alcohol, but was very interesting nonetheless. Well made wine, probably just needs time. 93+ pt
November 20, 2021 - Absolute perfection
September 19, 2021 - 2 hour decant prior to dinner at Tesse.
Lots of potential but drank young. The tannins are slightly over pronounced. The green pepper from the Cab Franc is evident in the blend , and makes this Bordeaux style blend interesting. I’ll be interested to see how this develops with more age
August 7, 2021 - 2+ hour decant. I was expecting truly great things and was disappointed to find it better than drinkable but not particularly impressive. Alcohol showed too much. The black and red fruits appeared in disjointed and clashing layers. The wine was very smooth. The element of complexity such as bell pepper at mid palate and Eucalyptus at the finish would have be fine if there were not battling so much with the fruit. In short this bottle was a long way away from coming together despite the decant. My tablemates for dinner found it far more enjoyable that I did, but I'd sit on this wine for at least another several years before trying it.
April 30, 2021 - So this was outstanding. Still red fruit, fine tannin, hasn't transitioned to earthy tones yet. Wonderful. Not sure for what more you could ask.
January 31, 2021 - Amazing!