{"product_id":"opus-one-2023","title":"Opus One 2023","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eThe Land\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eOpus One is usually pictured as a single grand vineyard. It is actually four estate parcels on the western side of the Oakville AVA, and they do not share one soil. Two parcels, totaling 100 acres, sit inside the historic To Kalon Vineyard; the Ballestra and River parcels, 70 acres combined, surround the winery on Highway 29. Most blocks lie on gravelly alluvial fans washed down from the Mayacamas Mountains to the west. Closer to the Napa River the ground shifts to fluvial soils with more clay and silt and less gravel, laid down by centuries of flooding and better at holding water. The winery finds those eastern blocks give redder fruit and softer tannin, while the gravel delivers structure. The final blend is built from both, which is why this Napa Valley red blend reads as a portrait of Oakville rather than of one block.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eThe Wine\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe Opus One 2023 is 81 percent Cabernet Sauvignon, 7 percent Merlot, 6 percent Cabernet Franc, 5 percent Petit Verdot and 1 percent Malbec, aged 19 months in French oak, about 95 percent of it new. The vintage was one of the coolest and longest in recent Napa memory. A record wet winter delayed budbreak by roughly two weeks, June was the coolest since 1998, and summer passed without a serious heat spike. Opus One picked from September 14 to October 16, a slow harvest that kept acidity fresh and alcohol at 13.5 percent. Expect cassis, red plum, cherry blossom and violet, then graphite, tobacco and baking spice. Tannins are fine and silky, the finish long and mineral. Napa winemakers compare 2023 to 2001 and 2011.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eThe People\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBaron Philippe de Rothschild of Château Mouton Rothschild and Robert Mondavi first met in the early 1970s and agreed in 1978 to make one Bordeaux-style blend from Napa Valley grapes. The first vintage was 1979, made from To Kalon fruit and released in 1984 alongside the 1980. Their limestone winery opened in 1991. Michael Silacci joined in 2001 and has been the winemaker since 2003, leading vineyard replanting, cover crops, Napa River restoration and, beginning with this vintage, regenerative farming. He retires after the 2026 harvest. Meghan Zobeck, who trained under Philippe Melka, joined as director of winemaking in 2025, and Christopher Lynch is CEO. The winery is certified through the Napa Green program.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eFood Pairing\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eDecant for at least an hour and serve around 62 to 65 degrees. A dry-aged ribeye seared in cast iron and basted with butter and thyme is the obvious match, the fine tannin cutting through the fat. Braised short ribs over creamy polenta pick up the wine's cassis and spice. Rack of lamb with a Dijon and herb crust plays to the graphite and tobacco. Wild mushroom risotto with aged Parmigiano meets the mineral finish. Opus One 2023 is the bottle for an anniversary dinner at home, or for laying down to open on a birthday a decade from now.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Empire","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":67950244298975,"sku":null,"price":469.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0439\/7436\/1248\/files\/PA170567.jpg?v=1792285079","url":"https:\/\/danverwinemerchant.com\/products\/opus-one-2023","provider":"Denver Wine Merchant","version":"1.0","type":"link"}