OPUS ONE 2021

Their first harvest came in 1979, but Opus One didn't reach the market until 1984 — a signal of how seriously Mondavi and Rothschild took the project from day one. The estate's To Kalon and surrounding Oakville benchland blocks sit on well-drained gravel and loam soils that temper the valley's heat and push vines toward depth over volume. The 2021 blend is predominantly Cabernet Sauvignon, rounded out with Cabernet Franc, Merlot, Petit Verdot, and Malbec, aged 19½ months in new French oak. Cassis, black cherry, and violet lead, with dark chocolate and licorice on a finish anchored by fine-grained tannins.