![]() As Jancis mentioned in her article, Penfolds recently released a new, unproven Shiraz for £850 per bottle, in bare-faced defiance of the criticism it has faced over ever-increasing prices for its top wines (The 2015 of Grange has an RRP of £591). Secondly, let's consider value and relativity. Our database contains 39 tasting notes covering 24 vintages of Opus One with a mean score of 17.5, and a mode of 18. The difference may seem marginal, but it is real, and it remains true that experiencing the truly greatest wines of the world is never cheap. Scores are important here, because it is almost unheard of for inexpensive wines to score above 17.5. I scored it 18++, and I see that Jancis was half a point ahead of me when she tasted it earlier this year (see Opus goes wild, which also reveals more about their winemaking philosophy). There is an impeccability to the fruit that sets such wines apart. It was like Pauillac in seductive soft focus: all the sun-kissed richness of Napa with all the savoury formality of Bordeaux. I tasted the newly released 2016 in Singapore in September and the impression was instant. The first is the quality of the wine itself. But surely readers of the world's best wine website are at least open to persuasion that Opus One is worth the asking price? Indeed, for the majority of British wine drinkers, anything above the average bottle price of around £6 must seem excessive. Since Jancis recently asked if wine is becoming a luxury, observing that 'it is becoming increasingly difficult to find wines of real interest under £25 a bottle', a typically well-informed and thoughtful debate has been running on our Members' forum, citing many examples of the way prices for fine wine have increased so dramatically in recent years.įor many people, £300 for a bottle of wine is absurdly expensive, offensive even. Opus One, the famous Californian Cabernet, is neither in need of greater exposure nor, at £300 per bottle, of interest to the bargain hunter. Most wines of the week are chosen with the bargain hunter in mind, bringing lesser-known bottles to the attention of those who would most appreciate them. If you’re someone who doesn’t feel comfortable with a price tag over a couple of hundred bucks, but you’d like to splurge a bit, Overture is a very nice option.If value is relative, then Opus One most definitely qualifies (as does a Sonoma Zinfandel at a somewhat lower price).įrom $299, €329.90, £296.68, SG$450 and widely available around the world. Overture isn’t cheap, but at about $80 a bottle most of us are a lot more likely to be able to afford multiples. ![]() With the going rate of about $235 a bottle, not many people can afford that. I wouldn’t mind having cases upon cases of it resting in my cellar. Yes, the vintage Opus One is a fabulous wine with a lot going on. It is well balanced with some earthiness and a hint of baking spices. On the palate are some nice dark fruit, specifically black cherry and currant, as well as some tobacco. The color is a medium purple and has a wonderful aroma of chocolate-covered cherries. I decanted this wine for about an hour before pouring. We had a tasting at Opus One a couple of years ago, and had purchased a bottle then. ![]() Overture is only available at the winery or on their website. While their signature wine is called Opus One, their second wine is appropriately (especially if you’re a music enthusiast) called Overture. This happy marriage produces some of Napa’s finest wines. The winemaking, however, is modeled after the techniques of Bordeaux. They use grapes from some of the most well respected vineyards in Napa. The other four Bordeaux varietals (Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot and Malbec) are also used. Founded as a joint venture between Baron Philippe de Rothschild of Chateau Mouton Rothschild and renowned Napa vintner Robert Mondavi, Opus One’s goal was to create a Bordeaux style blend based on Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon. Opus One is a winery in Napa that produces a second wine. Although these wines may not be as complex, balanced and sublime, they ARE a lot less expensive! It’s a great way to try big name Bordeaux or other famous wines without the big time price tag. Usually made by the same winemaker in pretty much the same way as the winery’s famous wine, the big difference is that the juice for the second wine is often from younger vines or the second press. What do they do with the remaining juice? Many of them make a second wine. Top wineries and chateaux blend together their best grapes’ juice to produce their best possible wine for the Grand Cru or “first wines”.
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