Superb flavors and excellent ripening led to an earlier than expected harvest, which commenced on the 5th of September. Despite Mother Nature’s variability, favorable weather in August provided optimal conditions for fruit development and maturation. The summer, in turn, was warm and punctuated by occasional heat waves.
Increased soil moisture allowed for healthy vine growth and development. The abundant rainfall continued into March, causing a modest delay in budbreak, and pushing bloom back by two weeks. The winter of 2017 ended a five-year drought with January recording the most rainfall in over 20 years. A supremely age-worthy wine, it will delight now and for many years to come. The fine-grained, plush tannins evolve into a long, supple finish. The 2017 Opus One, bottled in July 2019, is a blend of 81 Cabernet Sauvignon, 8.5 Petit Verdot, 5 Cabernet Franc, 4.5 Merlot and 1 Malbec. This seductive wine shows flavors of black cassis, black cherry and a hint of cocoa powder. 95 Points, Lisa Perrotti-Brown, Wine Advocate: 'Opus One had picked 91 of their fruit before the fires started in 2017, and only two lots were eliminated from consideration. The juicy entry offers a round, silky mouthfeel with just enough acidity to complement the satin texture. The Opus One 2017 offers a harmonious aromatic balance of rich dark fruit, stems of roses, and earthy forest floor. Smoke taint? I certainly didn't pick up any in this Opus One sample, although Opus One had nearly finished harvest (90%) by the first night of the fires. Tannins generally aren't as plush and ripe as in previous vintages, but it's nothing that judicious extractions can't manage. Readers can generally expect elegant, refreshing, medium-bodied wines-like this 2017 Opus One-with pretty perfumes, red fruit signatures and subtle dried herbs in the background. After all is said and done, I only judge what's in the glass, and what I've tasted so far (admittedly from some of the very best wineries in the Valley) is not too shabby at all. It was a year that started with a deluge, got blasted with heat during Labor Day weekend and then suffered the most devastating wildfires this area has seen just at the tail end of harvest.
2017 OPUS ONE OAKVILLE BORDEAUX BLEND 750ML FULL
We were able to pick fairly regularly with an even flow in the cellar." The more 2016s I taste, the harder it is to fault this decadent, rich, blue and black-fruited vintage.Ģ017 was, of course, another vintage story altogether and one that I will cover comprehensively in my full Napa report at the end of October.
"We had plenty of rain in the early part of the year," commented Opus One winemaker Michael Silacci, "followed by an early budbreak.
The last of the "drought" years and a rather warm one at that, the resolute nature of these impeccably tended Oakville vines is apparent in the complex layers, beautiful freshness and rock-solid frame of this wine.Ģ016 is the vintage winemakers can't remember because it was so uneventful. Already previously reviewed as a barrel sample, the 2015 was a show-stopper from barrel and is equally impressive in bottle. Opus One knocks it out of the park with three excellent, if very different, takes on the the last string of vintages: 2015, 20.
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