Launched in 1979, when the interest in winemaking in Napa was still at this stage nascent, Opus One is classified as one of the more ambitious joint ventures between 2 of the most esteemed figures of winemaking in the world. This venture went onto achieve close to overnight critical acclaims, which matches up to the lofty name Opus One wine.
Today, almost four decades later, Opus One is still a highly sought after bottlings within in Napa Valley. Here are a few things that you should know about Opus One wine and this prestigious winery.
Opus One Is Associated With An Impressive Pedigree
Opus One began as a New World-One World partnership between Robert Mondavi, who was famous for his exclusive Napa winery, and Baron Philippe de Rothschild of Château Mouton Rothschild in Bordeaux.
The suggestion of this venture came from the Baron during a meeting between this pair in 1970 in Hawaii. The deal was later sealed when Mondavi paid a visit to Rothschild in Bordeaux later in 1978.
Lucien Sionneau, the winemaker for Château Mouton Rothschilds, and Timothy the son of Robert Mondavi made their 1st joint vintage in 1979 at the Robert Mondavi Winery. The Opus One project debuted officially in the year 1980.
The initial vintages of the Opus One were labeled Napamédoc, which was suggested as the approval of the Franco-American heritage of these wines. It was only later with the 1982 vintage that this brand went onto adopt the name Opus One.
Opus One Only Produce Two Wines
The flagship red wine for the Opus One brand is a Cabernet-dominant Bordeaux blend, which contains small quantities of Merlot, Petit Verdot, and Cabernet Franc.
The second and only Opus One wine is known as the Overture, is made from the grapes which have not quite made it to the Opus One grade. The Overture derived its name from a musical reference which means an “orchestral piece” which is typically at the start of any composition.
Part Of The Blend Is Derived From Kalon Which Is One Of Napa’s Legendary Vineyards
The Kalon vineyard is owned jointly by several famous Napa producers. It is typically known as the very best land for winemaking in Napa. In the year 1981, Mondavi sold a portion of his overall share in this vineyard to the Opus One venture which had just recently launched, to provide grapes of the highest quality which went onto serve as a backbone to their blend.
Opus One Wine Is Highly Popular
According to the data derived from Wine-Searcher, Opus One happens to be the highest searched-for wine that is made in America in this database. It also ranks 7th for the most-searched-for wines across the globe.
Constellation Brands Currently Owns 50% Of Opus One
In the year 2004, Mondavi made the decision to sell this eponymous label, which was inclusive of his 50% share in Opus One to Constellation Brands. He sold his share for a whopping $1.36 billion. Currently, Opus One is equally and jointly owned by Constellation Brands and Baron Philippe de Rothschild S.A.