Opus One

In 1978 Baron Phillip de Rothschild began searching for land capable of producing grapes that would be used in his Château Mouton Rothschild wines from Bordeaux, France. After visiting California he settled on Oakville Ranch which is located just outside Rutherford among some very prestigious vineyards owned by other successful wine producers at the time such as Robert Mondavi and Château Montelena. The Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Petit Verdot vines at Opus one are planted to ensure perfect exposure towards the sun throughout all stages of their growth cycle ensuring maximum flavour development during maturity with less water being required due to the high altitude location above sea level created as part of the partnership between de Rothschild Mondavi, the first vintage of Opus One was produced in 1979. During this time, it generated a lot of excitement and critics were quick to praise its quality. For a time, Opus One was the most expensive California wine, typically retailing at around $325 a bottle. In 1983, President Ronald Reagan visited the winery for dinner with French president François Mitterrand as part of their official visit – both presidents enjoyed an Opus One wine pairing menu specifically prepared by Chef Wolfgang Puck. The 2006 vintage of the Opus One is an intense and complex wine, with rich aromas of dark fruit that include blackberry and currants smothered in cedar and vanilla undertones – all topped off with spicy hints of clove and nutmeg. Today, Opus One Winery is still going strong – producing handcrafted wines made from grapes grown exclusively in Oakville District AVA. They are best known for their flagship red blend which has been ranked by Wine Spectator Magazine as one of America’s top ten wines every year since 1992.