Opus One 2019

JAMES SUCKLING: "The purity of fruit is really something else here, with currants and fresh flowers, such as violets and roses. Flower stems as well. Fantastic length and structure to the wine, with tightness and focus. Wonderful fruit. Graceful. A blend of 78% cabernet sauvignon, 8% merlot, 7% petit verdot, 6% cabernet franc and 1% malbec. Try after 2028."

THE WINE ADVOCATE: "Winemaker Michael Silacci commented that usually the blends are finished in January or February after the vintage. This year, with the 2019s, he was still tweaking the blend, but he did mention that this is "pretty close to the final blend." Deep garnet-purple in color, the 2019 Opus One leaps from the glass with notes of Black Forest cake, Morello cherries, mulberries and fresh blackcurrants plus hints of licorice, wilted roses, Sichuan pepper and iron ore. Full-bodied, the palate is jam-packed with juicy black, blue and red fruits, framed by velvety tannins and background freshness, finishing on a compelling earthy/mineral note. Tasted as a barrel sample, this is a truly magnificent Opus One in the making!"

DECANTER: "Intensely perfumed on the nose, rose petals, violets, deeply scented and seductive. Rich yet expansive on the palate, very open with dark chocolate, cherries, fragrant blackcurrant - sweet and scented, with satin-like tannins that effortlessly support the flavours. There is real drive and persistency to this, fresh, youthful and alive with a vibrant juiciness that is so appealing. No one element is too dominant, this feels harmonious and balanced with an excellent tangy acidity and long minty, herbal finish with edges of tobacco and dark chocolate. A classic Opus with breadth, finesse and energy. Grapes were harvested 10 days earlier than average, on 10th September with harvest lasting four weeks. 6% Cabernet Franc and 2% Malbec complete the blend. Ageing 19 months in new French oak."

JEB DUNNUCK: "The 2019 Opus One is brilliant and certainly a worthy follow-up to the 2018. Pure cassis fruits, notes of violets, rose petals, and lead pencil, medium to full body, nicely integrated background oak, and terrific tannins all define this beauty, and while it has the vintage's up-front charm, it's going to age beautifully for 20+ years as well. The blend is 78% Cabernet Sauvignon, 8% Merlot, 7% Petit Verdot, and the rest Cabernet Franc and Malbec."

JANCIS ROBINSON: "Transparent crimson - much paler than the average Napa Cab blend. Heady, complex nose with very many more layers than the Overture launched at the same time, September 2022 on the Bordeaux Place. Hints of tobacco leaf as well as very ripe fruit. Really high toned; this could double as a nasal decongestant, I think. Much more pronouned cassis flavours than the Overture even though the proportion of Cabernet is much lower. Sweet palate entry but a real lift and kick on the finish. No heaviness at all. A little less bordelais than the 2018: richer but not concentrated or overripe in the stereotypical Napa Cab idiom. I'd love to see this blind in a line-up with other Napa Cabs. Tannins very well managed with a tiny chewiness on the very end. You could drink it already, but on past performance one has to believe it has ageing potential."

WINE SPECTATOR: "Elegantly styled, despite some serious heft, this offers a mix of alluring mulberry, griotte and cassis notes bearing a gently mulled edge, while flashes of apple wood, sweet bay leaf and red tea flicker along the edges. Very refined in feel, with seamless structure extending the finish so the fruit can linger. Cabernet Sauvignon, Petit Verdot, Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Malbec. Drink now through 2038."