This was gifted to me and showed signs of being stored improperly. There was a small amount of seepage and the cork broke when opening. Flavor was fairly muted but still quite smooth. Thankful to have had the chance to drink it. I imaging that if it had been stored better it would have been wonderful.
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Thanks to my friend Kim who put together a flight of 95,96,97,98,99 Opus and paired with several Waygu prepared by our friend Steve. Oh What a night, spectacular food paired with an amazing Vertical that will most likely not be repeated by our group. This wine had an inital funk or dusty nose to it, even after - 2 hour decant. Grateful that the wine was perfectly fine and really good, it just wasn’t up to par with its 4 other siblings on this night Still a 92, could be bottle variance or just this vintage.
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Decanted after battling a very dry cork. Sadly, it was over the hill. Not corked, just nothing left to praise. I drank a lot of Opus in the 2000’s before moving to Bordeaux’s and always held this in high esteem. I don’t see any other reviews that experienced this so perhaps bottle storage contributed to it’s early demise. Bought at a restaurant that offered several older vintages.
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Rarities dinner “Spectacular Californians” late Nov 2021: gleaming rubin red color; intense cassis and red berries flavors mixed with leather and beef; opulent and smooth, almost wheedling on the palate.
Excellent mature Opus One.
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Quite Bordeaux-like and still tight as if a bud waiting to emerge. If tasted blind, I would've never guessed it as coming from Napa Valley as its nose and fruit were quite restrained. Fortunately, it was a gift to a friend. Good but certainly not worth the price. As an aside, I have two friends, one in Colorado and one in Virginia, who will NEVER visit Opus One again nor buy their wines due to the snootiness of the hospitality staff.
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Flawless development and lovely, time to consume, I extended my window by two years but I plan to serve this at several occasions in this fall and winter to family and friends.
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Double decanted // After 1 hour, the wine was still very tight and tannin driven // After 2 hours, the fun started // Still purple and intense // Opened with a lot going on - dark fruit, currents, spices and earth // Middle was subtle showing light leather and mineral notes // Finish took the wine up 1 level - perfume like notes with oak, very light caramel and pepper // Really a wine that can stand alone //
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Old Napa Wines Dinner (Joseph's Place, Wong Chung Hang, Hong Kong): Drank blind in a long line of older Napa reds (most much older). Dusky, semi-transparent beef blood colour lightening at the edges. Nose is very open...mainly high toned piano notes of blackcurrant. Palate is fresh, young blackberry and boysenberry. One-dimensional and disappointing. My bottle and hasn't changed much since I last opened a bottle in 2011. Maybe it still needs time to develop but I'm not convinced.
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Attractive, sweet youthful nose of dark red and black cherries, licorice, wheatgrass, tobacco and earthy goodness. Palate is elegant, medium bodied with a solid bite and dose of inviting tannins. Finish is medium plus.
Very nice and has entered in its early drinking window
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What a delicious wine. I let it breathe for 2.5 hours- at first it was a bit tentative, but as the night unfolded, its depth of dark berries and a bit of chocolate, emerged, with restrained tannins. This really does feel like a fine partnership between California and French wine making. I have never had an Opus One let me down. The wine looks ruby colored. The legs are medium. There is light sediment in the bottle. It tastes like black currant (cassis), cranberry, blackberry, fig and prune. The body is medium/full. The wine finishes medium. The wine has low acidity.
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the wine was very good, it did not disappoint. very round and smooth wine, soft tannins. some graphite at the end. cherry and plum throughout but in no way fruit forward. we did decant but started drinking right away as we were at a restaurant. it did open up as time went on.
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Drank side by side with a 96 montrose. It was literally neck and neck. For me the montrose was a nose ahead. Needs early opening and possible few hours of decanting. Drink over the next few years
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Great color, no bricking whatsoever. This is a wine that can last many more years. Refined and elegant. Well balanced. Cassis, cherries, and blackberries on the palate.
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KC/AC dinner. A treat to taste but not my profile of preference. This one was more earthy/leathery/mineral and a touch of lite/weak berry and a more medium styled wine. In contract to the Lafite, this was more limp if that descriptor works. Maybe not fair but I kept coming back to that each sip of the Opus wanting more.
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Aging well. Agree a bit tight on the open. Still fresh and fruity, but with a Bordeaux twist. I had it twice previously, and this is the best it’s been.
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Really nice bottle of wine with the bordeaux style dominate. Smooth dark fruit and deep garnet color. Cork was soft but not soaked got most way out then broke...gas popper got the rest. Decanted for an hour little tight on open but opened greatly over the next 90 minutes. Nice bouquet on nose fruit a little faded. Maybe that was my cork but I'd be more inclined to wanna drink soon as it was really good but seemingly on the downside.
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I'm no expert but I had no complaints from my company. I thought it was okay and definitely not bad. It was a little better than the 1998 I opened last year, but neither were as good as what I expected... I could have had a hand it that as I doubt I had a wine cellar when I originally brought this back from Opus. The cork broke, but I was able to retrieve it completely. There were a lot of grape skins in the bottle. I only decanted it for a little over an hour. My last bottle of Opus 1 is a 2013. I don't think I'm going to wait 20 years to drink this one....
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Lighter garnet red in glass. Lighter bodied for a brdx style wine, but much much flavor and silky mouthfeel. Double decanted for one hour. Nice cherry notes upon first taste, but many secondary notes over the next two hours. Wonderful experience.
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This followed the 1996 in a side by side tasting. That tasted peak and was wine of the night of 11 wines. This was tight and not as generous. Both showed a velvety characteristic, but this had more grip. The black fruit was less generous. Still, very fine. 93
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I read some notes here before we chose this bottle over the 2006 Scores we comparable at 91.6 and 92 respectively. Followed decant advise went about 3 hours. In general over the hill you never quite know how it's been kept and some reviews are very good. Nose was gone, little fruit, good mouth feel and finish was pleasant is about all I can say positive.
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Still quite youthful, at least 5 more years of aging potential. Lovely wine full and dense. Bit closed on first taste but bloomed through the meal. Not Bordeaux nor California a real hybrid.
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From a half bottle. I picked the wrong time to open this wine. We were at a Shanghai Dumpling place and I thought we'd have a lot of time to explore this wine, but we didn't end up with much time because the service was fast.
The wine had a huge evolutionary track. Starting very austere with black fruit and a tight palate with tannins that was not giving out much, air made a huge different. After about 15 minutes, there was a nice cherry component, with underbrush and hints of oak. The palate kept rounding out more. Some cigar unfurled, and the fruit kept changing, cassis, blackberry, blackcurrant, and later on, this really interesting kind of fake strawberry smell like strawberry ice cream. At times there was very sexy french oak, with some metallic notes (like a Pauillac), a sweetness like honey. It was the kind of wine with a new surprise every sniff and sip.
The wine was really coming out of its shell and getting very captivating when we had to leave the restaurant with more than a 1/3 of a bottle to go. I re-corked it and brought it home, but when I poured some, it was quite a different wine. There was now a lot of bright red fruit, strawberry and cherry, and a floral element. After some time in the glass oak emerged, but the wine had become rather tannic again and the alcohol was very noticeable. It was nice to smell but a little tough to swallow.
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red, no brick, clear with some fine sediment. Decanted for an hour. Very nice, nothing whatsoever wrong. Nicely layered, nicely balanced; first the fruit (dried blueberry is as close as I can come) giving way to chocolate and pepper then old leather and dry loam and pencil lead. Not too sharp. Surprisingly pucker-y tannins at the finish. My only bottle, so timing was a crapshoot that seems to have paid off. Nice now; glad i didn't wait much longer.
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Kiremit rengi ve cok koyu turuncu rofleli, opak. Burun topraksi notlara eslik eden mentol, karanfil ve kasis aromalarina sahip oldukca kompleks. Damakta muhtesem bir asidite ve mineralite mevcut. Yogun meyve konsantrasyonu, siyah erik, bogurtlen gibi, cok guclu ama yuvarlak tanenlere uzun bitisinde guclu karabiber dokunuslari ile mukemmel bir hal aliyor. Ilginc bir sekilde eski dunya saraplarina cok benziyor. Maskulen bir buyuk sarap. Opaque brick with very dark orange rims. Very complex nose with earthy notes and menthol, clove and cassis aromas. There is terrific acidity and minerality on the palate. Dense fruit concentration like plum, blackberries, strong but velvety tannins and strong kicks of black pepper at the long extraordinary finish. Interestingly looks like old world wines. A great and masculine wine.
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Opaque deep ruby red with brick rims. Black olive, menthol, earthy notes, black pepper and blakc fruits on the noose. Medium and very well balanced bodied the wine has live acidity, noticable minerality and tannins. Besides sufficient fruit concentration, layered palate of the wine has also bitter spices and slight mild chocolate flavour. Medium-long finish. Be cereful; two hours after opening, bitter flavours occur.
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Screaming Eagle Showdown (Yellow Springs Inn): Part of a blind tasting of 1999 Cabernets from the US. The French influence showed very clearly with this wine, and therefore was easily identified. I found it restrained and tight, with a strong nose of pencil shavings and leather. Soft tannins still evident. Hard to know whether it was too early or too late. Came bottom half of the tasting.
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Served blind. Decanted for 45 minutes and drank over the next two to three hours. Intriguing nose. On the palate this was mouth coating and full of deep red fruit. This faded quickly and it may make sense to drink this sooner than later.
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PnP at home with pasta bolognese and chicken parmesan. This is a wonderful wine. Great nose which is a mix of new world (dark berries, cassis) and old Bordeaux (leather, forest floor). Great palate as well with perfect balance, great fruit. But by no means a fruit bomb. Long finish. Complemented everything we ate. A winner.
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Drank at dinner with Jim Voelz and Jeff Kloha. Paired with standing rib roast, sautéed squash, crusty bread. Also drank along side Sarge de Gruaud Larose. Worried that Opus was near the end of its time; but it was opulent. Also paired with DeBrand's chocolate truffles. Maybe not a perfect meal; but close!
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soft and approachable. still drinking great. interesting balance between new and old word styles ... generous fruit profile, yet earthy notes and dusty tannins (93)
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wonderful bottle--a really great wine--soft Tannins--well integrated--the smell is stunning--great fruit--very long finish--the best Opus one i had--will hold for a long time--97+
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hints of cassis, rasberry very elegant .Long finish . Very nice. fruit is forward,Recommend drink now The wine looks Ruby colored. The legs are Slow. The body is Full. The wine has Satin-like texture. The wine finishes Long.
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Easter Lunch with JL, TH (California Cabs/blends) (On Lot 10, Hong Kong): Popped and poured, dense ruby colour, exuberant nose of currants, cassis, raspberry with a hint of tar. The full-bodied palate was dominated upfront by fresh and vibrant black and red fruit notes, with the crisp fruity acidity giving the wine a distinct brightness and lift. Dense and plush, this wine is very enjoyable, and my only small wish was that the finish was slightly longer. Still quite young, it can definitely last many decades.
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The fruit is exceptional for this wine, so powerful yet so elegant. The fruit springs from the glass and brings you on a journey full of surprises. The body is med heavy - well balanced by the acidity. The tannin also is balanced by the fruit, it was a perfect triangle. Alcohol level is 14.1% which is well presented. It can age for sure. Patience.
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Opened this on Christmas Eve surrounded by family. Let decant for 4 hours. Served with Beef tenderloin and a gorgonzola sauce. The wine was exquisite, like silk, bold but tannins have diminished making for a unique experience.
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My first opus. 4 hour decant. I thought it was fabulous. Very smooth. Long lovely finish. Did not disappoint as I feared it might after reading other comments.
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Opus One Vertical (Watson's, Hong Kong): Poured from Magnum and decanted about 2 hours. Strong blackcurrant nose with spice and some oak evident. Fine tannins and medium acidity. A little thin on the mid-palate, with plummy flavours, and hot on the finish. Not very impressive, especially for the price. Apparently this spent 40 days in contact with the skins and 17 months in new oak. I suppose this is the new Bordeaux style.
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- Medium forming legs. It's somewhat balanced with a medium body. Smooth texture with a medium finish - Deep brick / purple color fading slightly on the rim. Blackberry and currant with hints of vanilla on the nose. Perhaps lacking a little fruit on the palate with soft tannins. Still balanced with soft leather and black fruit and medium length. Showing some signs of age, but overall not too bad.
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Hits every note well, ticks every box, yet does so without shining or showing any unique character. Sadly, this bland forgetableness of the wine gives it its single flaw.
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Double-decanted a couple of hours before serving. No detailed notes but great depth of colour, quintessential "Napa does Bordeaux" nose and thick, black and red fruit-driven palate with good oak and acid balance but somewhat one-dimensional. Good but not great length. This is a very straight down the middle wine and probably has a few years to evolve further....but I had expected a bit more from it than it delivered.....it is not in the same league as Insignia, Dominus, Pahlmayer, Dunn Howell Mountain or Shafer Hillside Select.
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On the weekend the Kiwi supporters had great expectations before the game, but let down afterwards. Being an Aussie I wasn't but having tried this wine, I know how they feel. You have great expectations - name - history - wine makers - etc, you come away quite disappointed. I had read several reports prior to drinking that suggested that Opus One was great in the frst 3-5 years but didn't age well. This wine support these reports. The wine starts out well, fresh on the nose, good tanins, reasonable amount of fruit which seems to be emerging and a dryness more associated with Left Bank Bordeaux than with Californian Cab. You put your drink down, have a chat and a bite, come back to it, and its all gone wrong. Rather than all those elements coming together, the wine falls apart. It is a pleasant drinkable wine BUT it is meant to be one of the first growths / Grand Crus of the Napa Valley. My opinion is that they have to go back to square one and get this right. They have great location, facilities, people and terrior. There is no reason, except a flaw in the process that stops this from being better. Maybe its is down to the winemaker. Blame the vinatge if you like, but the 1999 Dominus we had afterwards was splendid and as I've said before, a great winemaker makes a good wine in a bad year. These guys need to up their game. Not just because the bottles cost US$150 upwards, but because 2 of the great names of the wine world have put their names (and silouettes) on the bottle, and the wine should honour those names.
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Popped and poured. Great nose with lots of fruit. Still had a lot of life in this bottle. Very complex finish that lingered for about 20+ second in your mouth. Drank with meal and did not evolve much over the course of the night. A very pleasant experience. I got more out of this Opus than I expected to get.
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Dark ruby w some brick starting to show. Clean black fruits and some vanilla on the nose. Dry, med acidity, med body, black cherry, some prune, and vanilla. Med length. Still lots of fruit given age. Not sure if price justified.
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Slightly aged ruby. Some sediment. Developed and slightly lifted nose with sweet currants, raspberry and sour cherry. Vegetables, meat, bell pepper, smoke and gravelly earth. Fullbodied palate with carrying acidity and smooth grip. Big dark berry fruit, chocolate covered raisins, pencil shavings and well-integrated oak. Pretty long finish. Deliciously savoury, voluptuous bdx-style and altogether very nice. Worthy of it's price tag - well, maybe not.
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This drank amazingly well. I was concerned about how well this bottle was stored before I received it, but it was amazing. No decanting...from horizontal to in the glass on a whim. Needed about an hour to hit it's peak, but no regrets. I wish I had a lot more of this. Very, very nice.....this was a gift from a very,very dear friend. Not sure which I cherish more, the friend or the wine. I wish I could have enjoyed the wine with the friend.
Thanks Sara. You're the best.
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Group de Degustation Diner, Octobre 2010 (Chez Patrick, 26 Peel Street, Central, Hong Kong): Served blind with no indication of age or country of origin. Deep red colour lightening at the rim but still opaque. Nose is closed but with distinct pencil lead. Good palate of rich black and red fruits and cedar woods. Tastes like a 5th Growth Pauillac or similar. Powerful, inky finish. I guessed it was a 1996 Haut-Batailley. Much better than the 1990 Opus One that preceded it.
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Nur sehr leicht und zart in der Nase. Fast ein leichter Ton von Amarenakirsche. Sehr reif. Am Gaumen: Nach 5 Minuten geöffnet noch sehr harte Tannine mit einem sehr reifen und weichen, aber zu zarten Hintergrund. Dieser wein braucht Luft, sonst ist er nicht offen. Tannine überlagern den zarten Körper. Denke aber, dass das nach einer Stunde anders wird.
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Decanted for 2 hours, still disappointing (especially for the money). Decent ripe nose, with slight hint of glycerin and olive character. Body was weak, leaning towards simply wimpy with watery flavors of leather and dark cherry. Should have been better.
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Opened this wine up and decanted for 2 hours before drinkings. Reminds me of a Bordeaux with hints of green olives. This wine is drinking very nice right now.
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Great bottle of California Cab. Very ruby red in color. I have enjoyed this wine many times and it will not disappoint. A little on the pricey side however.
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Greenblanket really didn't want to like this wine but he cannot tell a lie - it was tremendous offering a complete suite of bdx style cab flavors. The texture, balance between fruit and structure, and persistence of the finish were all wonderful. Some of the posters here seem to want a bigger, thicker wine, not that there's anything wrong with that, but Greenblanket prefers the food friendly and delicious profile of this wine.
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I've enjoyed Opus One a few times and have never felt the quality matched the price. This bottle, however, was superb -- perhaps becuase it had aged just the right amount of time (11 years in this case). Still, the expectation is high when a bottle cost over $100. Lesson learned - you can't rush a good thing. The 1999 Opus One is composed of 84% Cabernet sauvignon, 7% Merlot, 5% Cabernet Franc, 3% Malbec, and 1% Petit Verdot. The wine was very smooth -- almost creamy in texture with soft tannins and round, rich fruit. Cheers!
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Considering the price and the general quality of the '99 vintage, this is a modest disappointment. The initial nose and finish are more traditional Bordeaux (earth, herbs and a touch of smoke) and after an hour of decanting the fruit comes forward (characteristically big CA red - jammy dark berries with cherries). Could probably stand another two years of good cellaring. Unfortunately this one doesn't compare to the '94 and '97 vintages.
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Drank with home 20 day dry aged ribeye. Decent fruit, with good tannins, but as others have said, it didn't hold up to the steak. Finish was medium. It was hard to rate this higher since we had a 99 Insignia the day prior (which was outstanding). Maybe this wine reached its peak a couple years ago?
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Very good. However was a bit light for my taste. We had with a fantastic dry aged prime rib Gordine cooked and perhaps the wine didn't quite hold up to it. Due to its light nature, the complex flavors might have been better suited for a hungry pre dinner palate. For you smokers, perhaps with a smoke
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Excellent mature meritage. Completely balanced and delicious. Decanted for over an hour before tasting. The wine held up perfectly over the course of dinner. I consider this wine approaching it's peak and could continue to mature over time.
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prime example of cal cab. Enjoyed with friends at a 65 b-d celebration. the cork crumbled, the wine was soft and pleasant, still taste it, the party was over many hours and bottles ago, the Opus lingers on
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I had this bottle with friends alongside a 99 Harlan Estate. The 2 were totally different. This wine is pure Bordeaux with a barnyard nose and earthy, silky smooth finish. If u like Bordeaux- look no further - this is it. this was solid from the first second in the glass. Decanted and drank over 2 hrs. Decanted was barley necessary. Get involved with this wine. I think its right at its peak today. Very very nice!
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dinner with clients and alot of wine: but silky smooth, decent fruit but underwhelming for price point. i would though the finish would have been thicker, Nice wine to drink though on company's dime.
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Interesting bottle that at first started out very young in its expression of jammy, yet textured and really quite nice california cab...The wine evolved rather quickly and seemed to drop the bulk of its primary fruit and nuanced quite well as a second stage with a much more bordeaux style acidic style that was alkso quite nice...by hour 3 it was austere and had dropped too much of its primary fruit for my taste...Popped and poured and probably the most satisfying stage was it's first, but boy did it eveolve quickly
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Nose needed an hour or so to open and then was a lovely dark berry aroma. Fairly heavy tannins hit the mid palate a bit quickly, and I felt were less well integrated with the currenat and blackberry flavours than one would expect. Finish was pleasant enough but not particularly robust. a very nice wine, but below outstanding
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Another great bottle of Opus. Needs more time but after decanting for an hour it was beautiful. Tannins were soft and right. Color was dark and rich with layers of current and dark fruit, very concentrated.
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I referred a friend ot get a recurrent hernia repair to a surgeon I know. I fdidn't feel comfortable repairing a friends hernia. A week after surgery he brings over this wine and tells me it's one of his favorites. I figure it's a nice bottle and saved it in basement. 6 months or so later we are invited to their house for dinner and the tuesday before I suggest it's time to try the wine before we see them. It was remarkable in that I had my pregnant wife try it because it was so good. I don't remember much more except a week after dinner I learned the cost of the wine while out with friends - and to think I hadn't spent more than $30 on a bottle of wine till then :)
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12/25/2023 - john galt wrote: 94 Points
Deep red fruit, dirt, a little black pepper, elegant, warm, just stunning, prime time!
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12/24/2023 - Myalover wrote: flawed
This was gifted to me and showed signs of being stored improperly. There was a small amount of seepage and the cork broke when opening. Flavor was fairly muted but still quite smooth. Thankful to have had the chance to drink it. I imaging that if it had been stored better it would have been wonderful.
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12/10/2023 - Woodbridge Brad Likes this wine: 93 Points
Full color dense, slight edge of brick, great complex nose. Soft and supple, very vibrant. Very much what I wanted tonight.
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10/7/2023 - Jhalpern27 Likes this wine: 92 Points
Thanks to my friend Kim who put together a flight of 95,96,97,98,99 Opus and paired with several Waygu prepared by our friend Steve. Oh What a night, spectacular food paired with an amazing Vertical that will most likely not be repeated by our group. This wine had an inital funk or dusty nose to it, even after - 2 hour decant. Grateful that the wine was perfectly fine and really good, it just wasn’t up to par with its 4 other siblings on this night Still a 92, could be bottle variance or just this vintage.
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6/20/2023 - David Harper wrote:
Decanted after battling a very dry cork. Sadly, it was over the hill. Not corked, just nothing left to praise. I drank a lot of Opus in the 2000’s before moving to Bordeaux’s and always held this in high esteem. I don’t see any other reviews that experienced this so perhaps bottle storage contributed to it’s early demise. Bought at a restaurant that offered several older vintages.
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3/25/2023 - Woodbridge Brad Likes this wine: 94 Points
Elegant and vibrant, deep color, ripe but dry and not hot.
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11/27/2021 - Fatty Cat wrote: 93 Points
Rarities dinner “Spectacular Californians” late Nov 2021: gleaming rubin red color; intense cassis and red berries flavors mixed with leather and beef; opulent and smooth, almost wheedling on the palate.
Excellent mature Opus One.
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11/27/2021 - Woodbridge Brad Likes this wine: 96 Points
Clearly best of the evening, classic superb claret. Opened with my grandson this is his birth year.
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10/13/2021 - oakville72 Likes this wine: 92 Points
Quite Bordeaux-like and still tight as if a bud waiting to emerge. If tasted blind, I would've never guessed it as coming from Napa Valley as its nose and fruit were quite restrained. Fortunately, it was a gift to a friend. Good but certainly not worth the price. As an aside, I have two friends, one in Colorado and one in Virginia, who will NEVER visit Opus One again nor buy their wines due to the snootiness of the hospitality staff.
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8/28/2021 - Woodbridge Brad Likes this wine: 93 Points
Flawless development and lovely, time to consume, I extended my window by two years but I plan to serve this at several occasions in this fall and winter to family and friends.
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4/9/2021 - Markzittman wrote:
Was not great. Maybe past it’s prime. Drink others sooner !
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3/14/2021 - gman4commerce Likes this wine: 94 Points
Epic opus one -- I bought from the winery but the cork somehow didn't hold up - but it still opened up great and has great structure and depth.
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12/6/2020 - orange boy wrote: 96 Points
high rating great body fun fullness
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11/11/2020 - TarpStrapMan Likes this wine: 94 Points
Wow. So sad this is my last bottle. Fabulous.
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11/9/2020 - penguin3546 Likes this wine: 94 Points
Double decanted // After 1 hour, the wine was still very tight and tannin driven // After 2 hours, the fun started //
Still purple and intense // Opened with a lot going on - dark fruit, currents, spices and earth // Middle was subtle
showing light leather and mineral notes // Finish took the wine up 1 level - perfume like notes with oak, very light
caramel and pepper // Really a wine that can stand alone //
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10/30/2020 - Goldstone Likes this wine: 88 Points
Old Napa Wines Dinner (Joseph's Place, Wong Chung Hang, Hong Kong): Drank blind in a long line of older Napa reds (most much older). Dusky, semi-transparent beef blood colour lightening at the edges. Nose is very open...mainly high toned piano notes of blackcurrant. Palate is fresh, young blackberry and boysenberry. One-dimensional and disappointing. My bottle and hasn't changed much since I last opened a bottle in 2011. Maybe it still needs time to develop but I'm not convinced.
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10/14/2020 - mchern02 wrote: 93 Points
2 hour decant
Attractive, sweet youthful nose of dark red and black cherries, licorice, wheatgrass, tobacco and earthy goodness. Palate is elegant, medium bodied with a solid bite and dose of inviting tannins. Finish is medium plus.
Very nice and has entered in its early drinking window
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8/1/2020 - KV67 wrote:
Still holding up amazing firm tannins still exist with a nice plum cherry tobacco notes
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6/27/2020 - JonathanFP Likes this wine: 94 Points
What a delicious wine. I let it breathe for 2.5 hours- at first it was a bit tentative, but as the night unfolded, its depth of dark berries and a bit of chocolate, emerged, with restrained tannins. This really does feel like a fine partnership between California and French wine making. I have never had an Opus One let me down.
The wine looks ruby colored. The legs are medium. There is light sediment in the bottle. It tastes like black currant (cassis), cranberry, blackberry, fig and prune. The body is medium/full. The wine finishes medium. The wine has low acidity.
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5/31/2020 - mike@mparmet.com wrote: 90 Points
Past it’s prime. Was spectacular 5 years ago, now has added a barnyard taste of age.
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4/6/2020 - jswine15 Likes this wine: 94 Points
Really drinking well, drinking it blind you would think it was a bordeaux . Probably at or near its peak
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9/22/2019 - tanstaafl Likes this wine: 93 Points
the wine was very good, it did not disappoint. very round and smooth wine, soft tannins. some graphite at the end. cherry and plum throughout but in no way fruit forward. we did decant but started drinking right away as we were at a restaurant. it did open up as time went on.
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9/21/2019 - LB88 wrote: 93 Points
Drank side by side with a 96 montrose. It was literally neck and neck. For me the montrose was a nose ahead. Needs early opening and possible few hours of decanting. Drink over the next few years
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9/15/2019 - mike410 Likes this wine: 92 Points
Great color, no bricking whatsoever. This is a wine that can last many more years. Refined and elegant. Well balanced. Cassis, cherries, and blackberries on the palate.
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7/6/2019 - LiteItOnFire Likes this wine: 91 Points
KC/AC dinner. A treat to taste but not my profile of preference. This one was more earthy/leathery/mineral and a touch of lite/weak berry and a more medium styled wine. In contract to the Lafite, this was more limp if that descriptor works. Maybe not fair but I kept coming back to that each sip of the Opus wanting more.
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1/20/2019 - Eamc2 Likes this wine: 91 Points
Aging well. Agree a bit tight on the open. Still fresh and fruity, but with a Bordeaux twist. I had it twice previously, and this is the best it’s been.
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12/7/2018 - Woodbridge Brad Likes this wine: 90 Points
Wine Old-Timers Lunch (Charles Krug Winery Carriage Hose): Still quite vital with a complex nose of briar and toasted oak. Lean austere tannin structure that still is evolving. Very tasty.
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9/23/2018 - redmancge Likes this wine:
Really nice bottle of wine with the bordeaux style dominate. Smooth dark fruit and deep garnet color. Cork was soft but not soaked got most way out then broke...gas popper got the rest. Decanted for an hour little tight on open but opened greatly over the next 90 minutes. Nice bouquet on nose fruit a little faded. Maybe that was my cork but I'd be more inclined to wanna drink soon as it was really good but seemingly on the downside.
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8/26/2018 - Crane Guy wrote: 85 Points
I'm no expert but I had no complaints from my company. I thought it was okay and definitely not bad. It was a little better than the 1998 I opened last year, but neither were as good as what I expected... I could have had a hand it that as I doubt I had a wine cellar when I originally brought this back from Opus.
The cork broke, but I was able to retrieve it completely. There were a lot of grape skins in the bottle. I only decanted it for a little over an hour. My last bottle of Opus 1 is a 2013. I don't think I'm going to wait 20 years to drink this one....
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7/29/2018 - mpricher wrote: 92 Points
Lighter garnet red in glass. Lighter bodied for a brdx style wine, but much much flavor and silky mouthfeel. Double decanted for one hour. Nice cherry notes upon first taste, but many secondary notes over the next two hours. Wonderful experience.
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6/24/2018 - swade wrote: 93 Points
This followed the 1996 in a side by side tasting. That tasted peak and was wine of the night of 11 wines. This was tight and not as generous. Both showed a velvety characteristic, but this had more grip. The black fruit was less generous. Still, very fine. 93
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5/15/2018 - Harley1199 wrote: flawed
Coravined. Badly corked. Surely bad storage. Smelling like acetone. One dude said for cooking ... Don't think so, even.
Mediante Coravin. A corcho. Seguramente mal almacenado. Olía como a acetona. Un tío decía que para cocinar ... Ni para eso.
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4/1/2018 - johnjmcguire3@gmail.com Likes this wine: 94 Points
I was worried it would be vinegar. Let it breathe for an hour after decanting. NOT TO WORRY! It was super awesome and worth the wait
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1/28/2018 - joedv8s wrote: 90 Points
I read some notes here before we chose this bottle over the 2006
Scores we comparable at 91.6 and 92 respectively.
Followed decant advise went about 3 hours. In general over the hill
you never quite know how it's been kept and some reviews are very good. Nose was gone, little fruit, good mouth feel and finish was pleasant is about all I can say positive.
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12/19/2017 - Candiehill23 wrote:
At Samanthas with Zach on 12/20
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12/1/2016 - Woodbridge Brad Likes this wine: 92 Points
Still quite youthful, at least 5 more years of aging potential. Lovely wine full and dense. Bit closed on first taste but bloomed through the meal. Not Bordeaux nor California a real hybrid.
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11/5/2016 - FGS Likes this wine: 92 Points
Silky soft, with great fruit. Took several hours in the decanter to come to life, but worth the wait. Sorry it was my last bottle.
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10/28/2016 - grosel Likes this wine: 95 Points
Absolutely awesome
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7/15/2016 - Bordeaux_Jon Likes this wine: 94 Points
From a half bottle. I picked the wrong time to open this wine. We were at a Shanghai Dumpling place and I thought we'd have a lot of time to explore this wine, but we didn't end up with much time because the service was fast.
The wine had a huge evolutionary track. Starting very austere with black fruit and a tight palate with tannins that was not giving out much, air made a huge different. After about 15 minutes, there was a nice cherry component, with underbrush and hints of oak. The palate kept rounding out more. Some cigar unfurled, and the fruit kept changing, cassis, blackberry, blackcurrant, and later on, this really interesting kind of fake strawberry smell like strawberry ice cream. At times there was very sexy french oak, with some metallic notes (like a Pauillac), a sweetness like honey. It was the kind of wine with a new surprise every sniff and sip.
The wine was really coming out of its shell and getting very captivating when we had to leave the restaurant with more than a 1/3 of a bottle to go. I re-corked it and brought it home, but when I poured some, it was quite a different wine. There was now a lot of bright red fruit, strawberry and cherry, and a floral element. After some time in the glass oak emerged, but the wine had become rather tannic again and the alcohol was very noticeable. It was nice to smell but a little tough to swallow.
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5/12/2016 - grosel Likes this wine: 91 Points
Took a half hour or so to open up and then was lovely
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3/12/2016 - Greg J wrote:
Consumed at Canoe for 50th
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12/29/2015 - G_H wrote: 93 Points
Chamomile, medicinal, honey, euclayptus, very dense, surprisingly good for an Opus One. Tasted blind.
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8/15/2015 - docjer Likes this wine: 94 Points
BEAUTIFUL COLOR, LEGS AND BOUQUET OF FLOWERS.
There is no sediment in the bottle.
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8/8/2015 - twoamps Likes this wine: 92 Points
red, no brick, clear with some fine sediment. Decanted for an hour. Very nice, nothing whatsoever wrong. Nicely layered, nicely balanced; first the fruit (dried blueberry is as close as I can come) giving way to chocolate and pepper then old leather and dry loam and pencil lead. Not too sharp. Surprisingly pucker-y tannins at the finish. My only bottle, so timing was a crapshoot that seems to have paid off. Nice now; glad i didn't wait much longer.
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4/26/2015 - Bellalisa99 wrote: 93 Points
Delicious, ready to drink. Very smooth taste, bold flavors.
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2/26/2015 - Dinler Bulent Likes this wine: 94 Points
Kiremit rengi ve cok koyu turuncu rofleli, opak. Burun topraksi notlara eslik eden mentol, karanfil ve kasis aromalarina sahip oldukca kompleks. Damakta muhtesem bir asidite ve mineralite mevcut. Yogun meyve konsantrasyonu, siyah erik, bogurtlen gibi, cok guclu ama yuvarlak tanenlere uzun bitisinde guclu karabiber dokunuslari ile mukemmel bir hal aliyor. Ilginc bir sekilde eski dunya saraplarina cok benziyor. Maskulen bir buyuk sarap.
Opaque brick with very dark orange rims. Very complex nose with earthy notes and menthol, clove and cassis aromas. There is terrific acidity and minerality on the palate. Dense fruit concentration like plum, blackberries, strong but velvety tannins and strong kicks of black pepper at the long extraordinary finish. Interestingly looks like old world wines. A great and masculine wine.
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2/25/2015 - winetuning Likes this wine: 91 Points
Opaque deep ruby red with brick rims. Black olive, menthol, earthy notes, black pepper and blakc fruits on the noose. Medium and very well balanced bodied the wine has live acidity, noticable minerality and tannins. Besides sufficient fruit concentration, layered palate of the wine has also bitter spices and slight mild chocolate flavour. Medium-long finish. Be cereful; two hours after opening, bitter flavours occur.
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12/5/2014 - jonanator wrote: 93 Points
Drank beautifully and narrowly edged a '99 Caymus Special Selection. The nose stole the show
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11/27/2014 - EvanJB wrote:
Unfortunately had gone bad, likely not stored properly before given to us.
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11/3/2014 - PopularCar Likes this wine: 93 Points
Good middle weight Opus. Decanted 30 minutes & needed another 15 in the glass to open up. Drink soon
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10/24/2014 - kfyfe wrote: 95 Points
Bought on our honeymoon... And drank on our 10yr anniversary. Outstanding wine. Wished we'd bought more.
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7/29/2014 - JimN wrote: 92 Points
Screaming Eagle Showdown (Yellow Springs Inn): Part of a blind tasting of 1999 Cabernets from the US. The French influence showed very clearly with this wine, and therefore was easily identified. I found it restrained and tight, with a strong nose of pencil shavings and leather. Soft tannins still evident. Hard to know whether it was too early or too late. Came bottom half of the tasting.
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7/29/2014 - PSUSteve wrote: 92 Points
Served blind. Decanted for 45 minutes and drank over the next two to three hours. Intriguing nose. On the palate this was mouth coating and full of deep red fruit. This faded quickly and it may make sense to drink this sooner than later.
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6/14/2014 - nogohawk Likes this wine: 94 Points
Popped & poured - dark purple color with loads of fruit - excellent finish; drinking well now.
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4/7/2014 - sbbulldog wrote: 93 Points
Full on color. No bricking. Seductive nose, primarily black fruits, but briary. Smooth, resolved tannins. Not over the hill. Wish I had more.
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4/3/2014 - Fid Likes this wine: 96 Points
PnP at home with pasta bolognese and chicken parmesan. This is a wonderful wine. Great nose which is a mix of new world (dark berries, cassis) and old Bordeaux (leather, forest floor). Great palate as well with perfect balance, great fruit. But by no means a fruit bomb. Long finish. Complemented everything we ate. A winner.
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2/11/2014 - jbehrendt Likes this wine: 92 Points
Drank at dinner with Jim Voelz and Jeff Kloha. Paired with standing rib roast, sautéed squash, crusty bread. Also drank along side Sarge de Gruaud Larose. Worried that Opus was near the end of its time; but it was opulent. Also paired with DeBrand's chocolate truffles. Maybe not a perfect meal; but close!
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10/25/2013 - Tmjdoc Likes this wine: 97 Points
fantastic wine. 14 years old and has developed well. Smooth, tannins soft and yet very fruit forward. Finish as smooth as start.
Lovely production.
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9/22/2013 - ipp Likes this wine:
soft and approachable. still drinking great. interesting balance between new and old word styles ... generous fruit profile, yet earthy notes and dusty tannins (93)
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9/10/2013 - UPL Likes this wine: 97 Points
wonderful bottle--a really great wine--soft Tannins--well integrated--the smell is stunning--great fruit--very long finish--the best Opus one i had--will hold for a long time--97+
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6/8/2013 - insanediver Likes this wine: 95 Points
Excellent! Been waiting for several years to open. Made the perfect Valentines Day evening.
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5/29/2013 - ejmazo Likes this wine: 91 Points
let sit in glass for about 2 hours and tasted smooth jammy rasbery taste, Absolutely wonderful. Long finish.
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5/29/2013 - ejmazo Likes this wine: 89 Points
hints of cassis, rasberry very elegant .Long finish . Very nice. fruit is forward,Recommend drink now
The wine looks Ruby colored. The legs are Slow. The body is Full. The wine has Satin-like texture. The wine finishes Long.
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3/31/2013 - djump Likes this wine: 90 Points
Drank it on Easter. It lived up to expectation, but I would recommend to drink now
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3/22/2013 - ilee wrote: 92 Points
Easter Lunch with JL, TH (California Cabs/blends) (On Lot 10, Hong Kong): Popped and poured, dense ruby colour, exuberant nose of currants, cassis, raspberry with a hint of tar. The full-bodied palate was dominated upfront by fresh and vibrant black and red fruit notes, with the crisp fruity acidity giving the wine a distinct brightness and lift. Dense and plush, this wine is very enjoyable, and my only small wish was that the finish was slightly longer. Still quite young, it can definitely last many decades.
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3/22/2013 - thebeginner Likes this wine: 93 Points
The fruit is exceptional for this wine, so powerful yet so elegant. The fruit springs from the glass and brings you on a journey full of surprises. The body is med heavy - well balanced by the acidity. The tannin also is balanced by the fruit, it was a perfect triangle. Alcohol level is 14.1% which is well presented. It can age for sure. Patience.
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2/16/2013 - Brett Likes this wine: 93 Points
Very good wine, if you still have this year...time to drink up.
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1/12/2013 - Swottri wrote: 95 Points
Opened this on Christmas Eve surrounded by family. Let decant for 4 hours. Served with Beef tenderloin and a gorgonzola sauce. The wine was exquisite, like silk, bold but tannins have diminished making for a unique experience.
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12/25/2012 - dander111 wrote: 95 Points
My first opus. 4 hour decant. I thought it was fabulous. Very smooth. Long lovely finish. Did not disappoint as I feared it might after reading other comments.
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10/20/2012 - Kemo Sabe wrote: 92 Points
Still going strong - drinking well right now.
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9/30/2012 - NavyGrog wrote: 92 Points
Smooth, fruity and tannins are just right.
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4/26/2012 - DonalOB wrote: 90 Points
Opus One Vertical (Watson's, Hong Kong): Poured from Magnum and decanted about 2 hours.
Strong blackcurrant nose with spice and some oak evident. Fine tannins and medium acidity. A little thin on the mid-palate, with plummy flavours, and hot on the finish. Not very impressive, especially for the price.
Apparently this spent 40 days in contact with the skins and 17 months in new oak. I suppose this is the new Bordeaux style.
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4/22/2012 - T Warner wrote: 90 Points
- Medium forming legs. It's somewhat balanced with a medium body. Smooth texture with a medium finish - Deep brick / purple color fading slightly on the rim. Blackberry and currant with hints of vanilla on the nose. Perhaps lacking a little fruit on the palate with soft tannins. Still balanced with soft leather and black fruit and medium length. Showing some signs of age, but overall not too bad.
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2/14/2012 - g289519 wrote: 90 Points
Finish was tailing off quickly, still great but drink now.
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1/14/2012 - Wino from Michigan wrote: 92 Points
Very nice and ready to drink but not a killer wine as one would expect for the price.
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12/27/2011 - acraner wrote: 89 Points
nothing great at all.. so not worth the money.. the 2001 is so much better than this vintage
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12/14/2011 - frederic73 wrote: 91 Points
Hits every note well, ticks every box, yet does so without shining or showing any unique character. Sadly, this bland forgetableness of the wine gives it its single flaw.
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9/13/2011 - Goldstone wrote: 88 Points
Double-decanted a couple of hours before serving. No detailed notes but great depth of colour, quintessential "Napa does Bordeaux" nose and thick, black and red fruit-driven palate with good oak and acid balance but somewhat one-dimensional. Good but not great length. This is a very straight down the middle wine and probably has a few years to evolve further....but I had expected a bit more from it than it delivered.....it is not in the same league as Insignia, Dominus, Pahlmayer, Dunn Howell Mountain or Shafer Hillside Select.
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8/31/2011 - pekingunther wrote: 88 Points
On the weekend the Kiwi supporters had great expectations before the game, but let down afterwards. Being an Aussie I wasn't but having tried this wine, I know how they feel. You have great expectations - name - history - wine makers - etc, you come away quite disappointed. I had read several reports prior to drinking that suggested that Opus One was great in the frst 3-5 years but didn't age well. This wine support these reports. The wine starts out well, fresh on the nose, good tanins, reasonable amount of fruit which seems to be emerging and a dryness more associated with Left Bank Bordeaux than with Californian Cab. You put your drink down, have a chat and a bite, come back to it, and its all gone wrong. Rather than all those elements coming together, the wine falls apart. It is a pleasant drinkable wine BUT it is meant to be one of the first growths / Grand Crus of the Napa Valley. My opinion is that they have to go back to square one and get this right. They have great location, facilities, people and terrior. There is no reason, except a flaw in the process that stops this from being better. Maybe its is down to the winemaker. Blame the vinatge if you like, but the 1999 Dominus we had afterwards was splendid and as I've said before, a great winemaker makes a good wine in a bad year. These guys need to up their game. Not just because the bottles cost US$150 upwards, but because 2 of the great names of the wine world have put their names (and silouettes) on the bottle, and the wine should honour those names.
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7/31/2011 - Bcw1989 wrote: 90 Points
Popped and poured. Great nose with lots of fruit. Still had a lot of life in this bottle. Very complex finish that lingered for about 20+ second in your mouth. Drank with meal and did not evolve much over the course of the night. A very pleasant experience. I got more out of this Opus than I expected to get.
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7/3/2011 - rexmerlot wrote: 89 Points
Dark ruby w some brick starting to show. Clean black fruits and some vanilla on the nose. Dry, med acidity, med body, black cherry, some prune, and vanilla. Med length. Still lots of fruit given age. Not sure if price justified.
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5/15/2011 - avp wrote:
Slightly aged ruby. Some sediment.
Developed and slightly lifted nose with sweet currants, raspberry and sour cherry. Vegetables, meat, bell pepper, smoke and gravelly earth.
Fullbodied palate with carrying acidity and smooth grip. Big dark berry fruit, chocolate covered raisins, pencil shavings and well-integrated oak. Pretty long finish.
Deliciously savoury, voluptuous bdx-style and altogether very nice. Worthy of it's price tag - well, maybe not.
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11/5/2010 - Jazzman wrote: 96 Points
This drank amazingly well. I was concerned about how well this bottle was stored before I received it, but it was amazing. No decanting...from horizontal to in the glass on a whim. Needed about an hour to hit it's peak, but no regrets. I wish I had a lot more of this. Very, very nice.....this was a gift from a very,very dear friend. Not sure which I cherish more, the friend or the wine. I wish I could have enjoyed the wine with the friend.
Thanks Sara. You're the best.
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10/6/2010 - Goldstone wrote: 87 Points
Group de Degustation Diner, Octobre 2010 (Chez Patrick, 26 Peel Street, Central, Hong Kong): Served blind with no indication of age or country of origin. Deep red colour lightening at the rim but still opaque. Nose is closed but with distinct pencil lead. Good palate of rich black and red fruits and cedar woods. Tastes like a 5th Growth Pauillac or similar. Powerful, inky finish. I guessed it was a 1996 Haut-Batailley. Much better than the 1990 Opus One that preceded it.
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9/24/2010 - Brett wrote: 91 Points
Very nice bottle.
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8/3/2010 - GA wrote: 93 Points
8/10 Still young but good fruit and complexity on the finish. 93 pts.
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7/7/2010 - mmontejano wrote: 90 Points
Not worth the $.
Good, but not that good.
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6/3/2010 - weiny wrote:
Nur sehr leicht und zart in der Nase. Fast ein leichter Ton von Amarenakirsche. Sehr reif. Am Gaumen: Nach 5 Minuten geöffnet noch sehr harte Tannine mit einem sehr reifen und weichen, aber zu zarten Hintergrund. Dieser wein braucht Luft, sonst ist er nicht offen. Tannine überlagern den zarten Körper. Denke aber, dass das nach einer Stunde anders wird.
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5/9/2010 - LARich wrote: 88 Points
Decanted for 2 hours, still disappointing (especially for the money). Decent ripe nose, with slight hint of glycerin and olive character. Body was weak, leaning towards simply wimpy with watery flavors of leather and dark cherry. Should have been better.
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3/21/2010 - fosara wrote: 91 Points
Enjoyed with Scott and pepper steak
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2/28/2010 - RBurgundy wrote: 94 Points
Opened this wine up and decanted for 2 hours before drinkings. Reminds me of a Bordeaux with hints of green olives. This wine is drinking very nice right now.
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2/20/2010 - Marc S wrote: 92 Points
Great bottle of California Cab. Very ruby red in color. I have enjoyed this wine many times and it will not disappoint. A little on the pricey side however.
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2/18/2010 - Morningstar wrote: 79 Points
Dark purple red; subtle nose; sweet palate; dry finish; try again 12 months later.
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2/17/2010 - greenblanket wrote:
Greenblanket really didn't want to like this wine but he cannot tell a lie - it was tremendous offering a complete suite of bdx style cab flavors. The texture, balance between fruit and structure, and persistence of the finish were all wonderful. Some of the posters here seem to want a bigger, thicker wine, not that there's anything wrong with that, but Greenblanket prefers the food friendly and delicious profile of this wine.
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1/10/2010 - Patton wrote: 94 Points
I've enjoyed Opus One a few times and have never felt the quality matched the price. This bottle, however, was superb -- perhaps becuase it had aged just the right amount of time (11 years in this case). Still, the expectation is high when a bottle cost over $100. Lesson learned - you can't rush a good thing.
The 1999 Opus One is composed of 84% Cabernet sauvignon, 7% Merlot, 5% Cabernet Franc, 3% Malbec, and 1% Petit Verdot. The wine was very smooth -- almost creamy in texture with soft tannins and round, rich fruit. Cheers!
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1/2/2010 - bwaverley wrote: 90 Points
Considering the price and the general quality of the '99 vintage, this is a modest disappointment. The initial nose and finish are more traditional Bordeaux (earth, herbs and a touch of smoke) and after an hour of decanting the fruit comes forward (characteristically big CA red - jammy dark berries with cherries). Could probably stand another two years of good cellaring. Unfortunately this one doesn't compare to the '94 and '97 vintages.
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12/28/2009 - FShone wrote: 91 Points
Drank with home 20 day dry aged ribeye. Decent fruit, with good tannins, but as others have said, it didn't hold up to the steak. Finish was medium. It was hard to rate this higher since we had a 99 Insignia the day prior (which was outstanding). Maybe this wine reached its peak a couple years ago?
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12/1/2009 - Sausalito wrote:
Very good. However was a bit light for my taste. We had with a fantastic dry aged prime rib Gordine cooked and perhaps the wine didn't quite hold up to it. Due to its light nature, the complex flavors might have been better suited for a hungry pre dinner palate. For you smokers, perhaps with a smoke
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6/1/2009 - PaulT wrote: 95 Points
Excellent mature meritage. Completely balanced and delicious. Decanted for over an hour before tasting. The wine held up perfectly over the course of dinner. I consider this wine approaching it's peak and could continue to mature over time.
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5/28/2009 - kmforster wrote: 92 Points
Silky, but not as expressive as hoped for -- drank too soon?
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5/17/2009 - shadow wrote: 95 Points
prime example of cal cab. Enjoyed with friends at a 65 b-d celebration. the cork crumbled, the wine was soft and pleasant, still taste it, the party was over many hours and bottles ago, the Opus lingers on
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5/16/2009 - cabguy99 wrote: 94 Points
I had this bottle with friends alongside a 99 Harlan Estate. The 2 were totally different. This wine is pure Bordeaux with a barnyard nose and earthy, silky smooth finish. If u like Bordeaux- look no further - this is it. this was solid from the first second in the glass. Decanted and drank over 2 hrs. Decanted was barley necessary. Get involved with this wine. I think its right at its peak today. Very very nice!
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1/25/2009 - Tac wrote: 91 Points
Served at a New Year's party. Excellent bottle. Great color and nose.
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9/9/2008 - sasvino wrote: 90 Points
dinner with clients and alot of wine: but silky smooth, decent fruit but underwhelming for price point. i would though the finish would have been thicker, Nice wine to drink though on company's dime.
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3/22/2008 - Marc S wrote: 92 Points
Excellant bottle of wine. Deep red ruby in color.
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3/10/2008 - zimmy07 wrote: 91 Points
cedar, currant, and an american bordeaux nose. Bit off early, but came together well. Not overly complex
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3/7/2008 - psmith wrote:
Sort of out-of-whack originally - overly ripe and flabby feel. Better with time, well structured with dark fruit. Needs time. Enjoyable.
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3/2/2008 - Brett wrote: 91 Points
Nice bottle.
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2/15/2008 - loverboy wrote: 89 Points
Seem pretty closed, Nice nose though, can feel a little bordeaux style in the nose. Offered very little mouth taste.
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1/20/2008 - jmd60611 wrote: 92 Points
Delicious yet again...Big fruit, beautifully integrated componenents, a great drinker
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1/2/2008 - johnwine wrote: 90 Points
i agree with Parker’s description of this unusual Opus. However, I think that it has come together and is enjoying a peak.
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12/25/2007 - earthly wrote: 91 Points
nice showing after a little open air
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11/26/2007 - jmd60611 wrote: 90 Points
Interesting bottle that at first started out very young in its expression of jammy, yet textured and really quite nice california cab...The wine evolved rather quickly and seemed to drop the bulk of its primary fruit and nuanced quite well as a second stage with a much more bordeaux style acidic style that was alkso quite nice...by hour 3 it was austere and had dropped too much of its primary fruit for my taste...Popped and poured and probably the most satisfying stage was it's first, but boy did it eveolve quickly
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10/11/2007 - Marc S wrote: 97 Points
Alwayd a great bottle.
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9/8/2007 - jmd60611 wrote: 86 Points
Drinkable quaffer with no real redeeming qualities....worth 25 bucks or maybe 60 in a rest to me...Fruit with nothing there there
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7/8/2007 - huntly wrote: 89 Points
Nose needed an hour or so to open and then was a lovely dark berry aroma. Fairly heavy tannins hit the mid palate a bit quickly, and I felt were less well integrated with the currenat and blackberry flavours than one would expect. Finish was pleasant enough but not particularly robust. a very nice wine, but below outstanding
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6/24/2007 - jmd60611 wrote: 91 Points
I liked this wine...Deep perple with a smooth rich mouthfeel, maybe a tad uni dimensional but sweet juice
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8/21/2005 - gjmwine wrote: 94 Points
Another great bottle of Opus. Needs more time but after decanting for an hour it was beautiful. Tannins were soft and right. Color was dark and rich with layers of current and dark fruit, very concentrated.
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10/25/2003 - micki wrote: 95 Points
I referred a friend ot get a recurrent hernia repair to a surgeon I know. I fdidn't feel comfortable repairing a friends hernia. A week after surgery he brings over this wine and tells me it's one of his favorites. I figure it's a nice bottle and saved it in basement. 6 months or so later we are invited to their house for dinner and the tuesday before I suggest it's time to try the wine before we see them. It was remarkable in that I had my pregnant wife try it because it was so good. I don't remember much more except a week after dinner I learned the cost of the wine while out with friends - and to think I hadn't spent more than $30 on a bottle of wine till then :)
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1/27/2003 - futronic wrote: 91 Points
Deep garnet/ruby colour. Aromas of mint, earth, leather, and cassis. A bit austere, but still juicy with a lingering finish.
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