Opus One 1993

Opus One 1993 is a mature-vintage Bordeaux blend from the Napa Valley made by one of the true icons of Californian winemaking. Known as NapaMedoc for the first three vintages and rebranded in 1982 as Opus One, this iconic Californian winery was founded as a joint venture between Baron Philippe de Rothschild of Château Mouton Rothschild and Robert Mondavi. The objective was to recreate a First Growth level, Bordeaux style wine in the Napa Valley and by every measure, they succeeded. Historically the Grand Vin has been a blend of around 95% Cabernet Sauvignon and 5% Merlot aged for 18 months in 100% new French oak before being laid down for a further 18 months to mature in bottle. "This has wonderful spice and depth but drops off just a little quicker than some. Forty two days skin contact, variable weather during flowering so a difficult fruit set and low crop numbers in the end. A cool August allowed for long slow ripening, and there are layers of liquorice and slate notes adding complexity through the mid-palate." Decanter, 2019