Fine & Rare Opus One 2019

"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!" - 97-99/100 Robert Parker's Wine Advocate

"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." - 99/100 James Suckling

"Full bottle 1,424 g. 78% Cabernet Sauvignon, 8% Merlot, 6% Petit Verdot, 6% Cabernet Franc, 2% Malbec. Notably wet spring and then a warm late summer meant picking started 10 September, a little earlier than usual, and lasted for a full four weeks. Aged for 18 months in French oak. 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." - Jancis Robinson

"The 2019 Opus One is a remarkably elegant wine. Silky tannins and bright, floral aromatics add to an impression of total finesse. Crushed flowers, bright red-toned fruit, mint, lavender and rose petal are all beautifully delineated. There's a touch of new oak today, but new wood has never been a signature of Opus One, so I imagine that is a stage in the wine's development. Interestingly, the 2019 is the first vintage fermented mostly with ambient yeasts." - 97/100 Vinous

"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." - 95/100 Wine Spectator

"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." - 98/100 Decanter