OPUS ONE 2017

A Bordeaux-style blend is the expected move in Napa, but the 2017 Opus One holds its shape despite a vintage defined by October wildfires — 91% of the fruit was already picked before smoke became a factor. The blend runs 81% Cabernet Sauvignon alongside Petit Verdot, Cabernet Franc, Merlot, and Malbec, drawn from Oakville's benchland clay and gravel soils. Bottled in July 2019, it shows black cherry, mulberry, and cassis on the nose, with tapenade, licorice, and wild sage underneath, then plush, ripe tannins and a long finish.