Tasting Note: Opus One 2013, Napa Valley is a beautifully rich, dark Bordeaux blend using all 5 Bordeaux varieties. Ideal conditions continued during the summer with moderate temperatures prevailing until harvest began after midnight on September 5th. Harvest was completed on October 8th. Flowering occurred under near-perfect conditions which led to excellent fruit set throughout their Oakville estate vineyards and ensured a bountiful harvest in 2013 – though smaller than in 2012. Skin contact 18 days and 17.5 months aging in new French oak.Ī very dry and unseasonably warm winter gave the vines an early start to the growing season. Varietals: Opus One 2013 ~ Cabernet Sauvignon 79% Cabernet Franc 7% Merlot 6% Petit Verdot 6% Malbec 2%. I did however recently attend an incredible Vina Chadwick Masterclass with their importer, Hatch Mansfield, and got to taste an amazing vertical of this fantastic wine back to 2000. So, whether or not you agree with James Suckling’s score pronouncements, we can surely agree that both are certainly fine wines of the highest order. After already accepting an invitation to attend a private tasting and dinner with Opus One at the 1 Michelin Star Harwood Arms, I then had to sadly pass on a fantastic, subsequent tasting and dinner invite with my good pal Eduardo Chadwick at 67 Pall Mall, celebrating the triumph of Vina Chadwick’s 100 point score from James Suckling, a first for a Chilean wine.įor those unaware, Opus One 2013 received a 100 point score from Suckling and was rated his No.1 Wine of 2016, with Vina Chadwick 2014 cracking Chile’s first 100 points and following Opus One 2013 as Suckling’s No.2 Wine of 2016. Like so many wines in this vintage, Opus One possesses striking depth of fruit and a level of intensity that nearly covers the tannins.This week seems to have been a week full of colliding wine stars, none more so than yesterday. Raw and intense to the core, the 2013 is going to require quite a bit of time to fully come into its own. A host of dark cherry, crème de cassis, licorice, smoke and dark spices infuse this decidedly masculine, potent Opus One. The 2013 Opus One is powerful, dense and super-concentrated, with heady aromatics, intense fruit and an unreal level of richness for this wine. The wine has an exquisite finish and can be drunk now or cellared for 25-30 years. Beautifully full-bodied and extraordinarily elegant and pure, this is certainly one of their great achievements over the last 37 years. Velvety textured, without a had edge to be found, notes of crème de cassis, blueberry, subtle wood and floral notes gently rise from the wine’s dense purple color. The 2013 Opus One, a blend of 79% Cabernet Sauvignon, 7% Cabernet Franc, 6% Merlot, and the rest Petit Verdot and Malbec, is a beauty. ![]() 79% cabernet sauvignon, 7% cabernet franc, 6% merlot, 6% petit verdot, 2% malbec. But will be even better in 2019 and beyond. Complex aftertaste of black fruits and citrus fruit. Full body, superb balance of ultra-fine tannins and vibrant acidity. ![]() Roses continue to exude opulence and class. Terrific aromas of crushed black currants, blueberries, and flowers with hints of sweet tobacco. 2% Malbec, 6% Petit Verdot completes the blend. Dark deep rosemary spice and black olive paste deepens the flavours through the mid-palate and you just have to hang on as this goes spiralling through, drawing the flavours out to a lengthy finish. I love the 2012, but honestly the 2013 just has the edge, because it is just as concentrated and full of fruit but acidity and floral nuance balances out the richness.
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