Opus One: A Deep Dive
Opus One is the joint venture between Robert Mondavi (the late patriarch of California fine wine) and Baron Philippe de Rothschild of Château Mouton Rothschild, founded in 1979 and producing a single wine: a Bordeaux-style blend, predominantly Cabernet Sauvignon, made in Oakville, Napa Valley. The estate was the first of its kind — a transatlantic 50-50 partnership between an American and a French First Growth — and helped legitimise Napa as a peer of Bordeaux for serious collectors.
The partnership and origins
Mondavi and Rothschild met at the 1970 Hawaii wine tasting and discussed a collaboration. In 1979 they made the first vintage jointly; a year later, the partnership was formalised and named Opus One — the Latin musical term for "first work", an appropriately ambitious title. The Mondavi family sold its stake to Constellation Brands in 2004; the Rothschild family retains its 50% share.
The vineyards
Opus One owns 170 acres in three vineyards: the To-Kalon vineyard section in Oakville (the most celebrated parcel, shared with Robert Mondavi Winery), the Q-Block, and the BV-Q. The blend is dominated by Cabernet Sauvignon (typically 80%+) with smaller percentages of Petit Verdot, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, and Malbec — the classic five Bordeaux red varieties.
The winemaking
The Opus One winery, completed in 1991 and designed by architects Johnson Fain, is a stark, half-buried semicircular structure that has become one of the most recognisable winery buildings in California. Inside, fermentation takes place in small stainless steel tanks, allowing parcel-by-parcel vinification; the wine is then aged for 18 months in 100% new French oak. The barrel cellar is a vaulted, columned space deliberately reminiscent of a Bordeaux first-growth chai.
The wine
Opus One is consistently among the most expensive single Napa wines, with current-release pricing of $400-500 per bottle. The style sits between Bordeaux and California: more structured and restrained than the typical Napa Cabernet of the 2000s and 2010s, with the polish and oak signature of fine Bordeaux. Recent vintages have benefitted from a stylistic move toward greater freshness; older bottles (1980s-1990s) show a slightly more Bordeaux-style austerity.
Second wine: Overture
Opus One also produces a second wine, Overture, which sources from the same vineyards and uses the same winemaking but with grapes deemed not quite suited to the grand vin. Overture is not produced in every vintage; it is bottled when sufficient quality material is available.
The cultural significance
Opus One arrived at a critical moment in the international wine market. The Judgment of Paris (1976) had shown that California could match Bordeaux in blind tasting; Opus One in 1979 brought a Bordeaux first-growth proprietor to Napa permanently. Within a decade, multiple other French-American partnerships followed (Dominus by Christian Moueix, who managed Cheval Blanc; Bryant Family etc.).
Ageing potential
Top Opus One vintages develop over 20 to 30 years. The 1991 and 2002 bottlings have a strong following; the 2015 and 2018 recent vintages have been well-rated. Older bottles benefit from careful storage and reach their peak between 15 and 25 years from release.
Visiting
Opus One offers visitors a "Premiere" tasting by appointment. The visit includes the rooftop terrace overlooking the Mayacamas range and a tasting of the current vintage and one library selection. The building is one of the most architecturally significant winery visits in California.
Plan your next trip
Find Opus One on the interactive map. Filter to Oakville; the neighbouring Mondavi, Far Niente, and Harlan Estate vineyards sit within a few hundred metres of one another along Highway 29.