Opus One
Opus One 2023 (750ml)
Opus One 2023 (750ml)
Pre Arrival Offer, Wines due between December 2026 and February 2027
A beautifully composed Opus One, opening with red cherry, elderberry, cassis and red plum, with the fruit feeling bright, fresh and remarkably precise. There’s impressive concentration underneath, but the 2023 is defined as much by its elegance and energy as it is by its depth.
Cabernet Sauvignon dominates the blend at 81%, joined by 7% Merlot, 6% Cabernet Franc, 5% Petit Verdot and 1% Malbec. Cherry blossom and dried violet bring a floral lift, while graphite, forest floor, tobacco and vanilla add complexity. On the palate, cassis and elderberry are joined by black pepper, chocolate-covered orange peel and sweet oak.
Opus One was founded by Baron Philippe de Rothschild of Château Mouton Rothschild and Napa Valley's Robert Mondavi, with the ambition of combining Napa richness with the structure and refinement of great Bordeaux. The 2023 was matured for 19 months in French oak.
Silky tannins give the wine a polished, seamless texture, while a bright line of freshness carries everything through to a long finish. This is an Opus One that manages to feel serious and structured without becoming heavy – impressive now, but very much built for the cellar.
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Wine at a Glance
Critic reviews
Decanter, 98/100
Decanter, 98/100
The bouquet is utterly enticing, offering cool blue-fruit notes and a dusting of cocoa-powder freshness that stirs anticipation for the first sumptuous sip. On the palate, satiny richness unfolds, imbued with crunchy red cherry and juicy blackberry fruit, alongside refined sagebrush and tobacco nuances. There is a sense of intricately fine-knit tannins – compact yet impressively integrated at this youthful stage – framed by subtle, refined oak spice. The finish is long and mineral, marked by graphite and a touch of black sea salt. The wine was fermented entirely with native yeasts in stainless steel, with a portion aged in amphora in this vintage, before maturing for 19 months in 95% new French oak. The blend is rounded out by small additions of Malbec and Petit Verdot. In 2023, the vines were farmed regeneratively for the first time, with harvest completed by mid-October.
Jeb Dunnock, 98/100
Jeb Dunnock, 98/100
Another absolute gorgeous wine from this team, the 2023 Opus One offers up cassis, black raspberries, spicy wood, flowers, and graphite in a beautifully layered, complex, nuanced bouquet. Medium to full-bodied on the palate, with a pure, layered mouthfeel, ripe tannins, and integrated acidity, this ultra-classic, elegant Opus One will keep for 30-40 years. It's at the same level as the 2010, 2016, and 2021. Drink 2025-2065.
Robert Parker's Wine Advocate, 96/100
Robert Parker's Wine Advocate, 96/100
Hand-bottled from the blending tank (the wine went through the bottling line one week prior to my visit), the 2023 Opus One looks to be the most complete of the last three vintages. It weighs in at just 13.5% alcohol but comes across as medium- to full-bodied, featuring a mix of cassis and black cherries on the nose, gently touched by hints of sage and pencil shavings, plus an exquisitely silky mouthfeel supported by a base of fine-grained tannins that linger elegantly on the extended finish. Picked from September 14 through October 16, this vintage is 81% Cabernet Sauvignon, 7% Merlot, 6% Cabernet Franc, 5% Petit Verdot and 1% Malbec.
Wine Spectator, 95/100
Wine Spectator, 95/100
This shows a high-pitched hint of lilac in front of a loganberry, cherry and red currant compote core stitched with savory and tobacco details. Flashes of cool earth and chestnut leaf ripple underneath on the fine-grained, cedar-tinged finish. A lovely expression of the savory style. Cabernet Sauvignon, Petit Verdot, Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Malbec.
