x
  • Country ranking ?

    106
  • Producer ranking ?

    5
  • Decanting time

    3h
  • When to drink

    from 2025
  • Food Pairing

    roasted lamb

The Tb points given to this wine are the world’s most valid and most up-to-date evaluation of the quality of the wine. Tastingbook points are formed by the Tastingbook algorithm which takes into account the wine ratings of the world's best-known professional wine critics, wine ratings by thousands of tastingbook’s professionals and users, the generally recognised vintage quality and reputation of the vineyard and winery. Wine needs at least five professional ratings to get the Tb score. Tastingbook.com is the world's largest wine information service which is an unbiased, non-commercial and free for everyone.

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GORGEOUS’ OPUS ONE 2015 RELEASED

The wine has been released through La Place at €208 a bottle, an increase of 9.4% on the 2014, leading to a case price of some £2,700 per dozen.

Allocations are reportedly down 20% due to reduced production.

Although certain commentators such as Antonio Galloni have said 2015 in Napa Valley is excellent when at its very best, there are inconsistencies away from the top end.

Happily, being at the top end of the Napa wedge, Opus One’s 2015 has received good scores so far including 96 from Galloni who said it “captures the essence of the vintage”, while James Suckling, with a 98 score, called it “gorgeous” and added he preferred it to the 2014.

Despite the price increase, the 2015 is in fact the ‘cheapest’ vintage available in the market, which Liv-ex suggested might make it an “exciting opportunity for buyers”.

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The Story

Time is expressed in Opus One by the character of the vintage: sometimes with a personality that is highly defined and sometimes with a shade of difference quite subtle from other vintages.  Through the minds and hands of the vineyard workers we capture time and the essence of the season – coaxing concentration and tempering abundance.

Place is often defined as terroir and denotes the special characteristics that geography, geology and climate bestow upon a vineyard.  Place is best expressed in the mouthfeel of Opus One; it is the balance of power and finesse, structure and texture.

Complementing both time and place is the essential human element: the attitude, will and soulful attention embodied in the team of individuals who prune, harvest, cellar and embrace the vision of our founding partners.

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Wine Information

A very dry and unseasonably warm winter gave the vines an early start on the 2015 vintage. Flowering occurred under near-perfect conditions, which led to excellent fruit set throughout our Oakville estate vineyards and ensured a bountiful harvest Warm summer months led to advanced veraison, which was followed by perfect ripening conditions. Harvest began on September 1 with short pauses; heat spells and continued warmth allowed for the berries to be steadily picked at their ideal maturity. The harvest was completed on October 8.

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Tasting note

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Written Notes

Initial dark fruit, spice and baking aromas in the Opus One 2015 are interwoven with seductive notes of violet, black tea, and sage. The entry is vibrant with ripe dark fruit flavors of plum, blackberry and blueberry followed by hints of vanilla and cocoa. Silky, fine-grained tannins provide structure and a creamy texture. The wine finishes with fresh acidity and a rich, lingering finish that promises longevity in the cellar.

Marking the warmest year since 2008, the 2015 growing season set a record for early bloom. Drought conditions persisted, and rainfall was erratic, with most of the much-needed rain falling at the end of the previous year and supplemented by only a single storm in February, which was enough water to sustain the vines. Cooler conditions during flowering ultimately lead to a smaller number of berries on each cluster and lower than average yields. Warm summer months led to advanced veraison, which was followed by perfect ripening conditions. Harvest began on September 1 with short pauses; heat spells and continued warmth allowed for the berries to be steadily picked at their ideal maturity. The harvest was completed on October 8.

Purity and brilliance on the nose with so much currant and flower character. Roses, currant bush and fresh leaves, too. Brightness is the word that comes to mind. Full-bodied and broad-shouldered. Juicy and so gorgeous now. Balance is so wonderful here. All about harmonious fruit and tannin balance. I like it slightly better than the excellent 2014. 81% cabernet sauvignon, 4% petit verdot, 7% cabernet franc, 6% merlot and 2% malbec. Drink or hold.

  • 98p

The 2015 Opus One is rich, sensual and super-polished. That said, 2015 has really shut down since I tasted it last year, which is probably a very good sign for the future. All of the fruit intensity and ripeness of the vintage is evident, but the wine feels a bit more compact and less exuberant than it did at the outset. Sweet floral and spice notes add a gentler touch as the wine opens up just a bit with air.

  • 97p

Somehow Silacci and Co have managed to produce a wine that does not taste as though it's the produce of a drought and heatwave and needs the microscope required to read the alcohol level on most Napa Valley wines to discern that it is indeed 15% alcohol. Freshness is the overriding impression - thank you, Pacific Ocean and your nightly visits, presumably. There is little suggestion of anything super ripe or heady. The crimson is distinctly transparent and the nose, as well as transmitting freshness, is appetising and cedar. This is a fresh, direct wine that developed some spiciness in the glass. It is extraordinarily broachable already, although is certainly best drink with food thanks to its light charge of neat tannins. There is some sweetness but no obvious heaviness. This seems to nicely exemplify the new, fresher Napa Valley school. 17.5/20 (9/2018)

  • 91p
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Information

Origin

Oakville, Napa Valley

Inside Information

Initial dark fruit, spice and baking aromas in the Opus One 2015 are interwoven with seductive notes of violet, black tea, and sage. The entry is vibrant with ripe dark fruit flavors of plum, blackberry and blueberry followed by hints of vanilla and cocoa. Silky, fine-grained tannins provide structure and a creamy texture. The wine finishes with fresh acidity and a rich, lingering finish that promises longevity in the cellar.

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