Opus One

History of Domaine Opus One

The Opus One story began in 1970 with a meeting that has since become legendary at the Mauna Kea Beach Hotel on the island of Hawaii. Robert Mondavi, a leading figure in California winemaking, and Baron Philippe de Rothschild, owner of the renowned Château Mouton Rothschild in Pauillac, shared a vision: to create a fine wine together that could rival the Médoc’s first growths, but from the exceptional terroir of Napa Valley. After a decade of discussions and preparations, the project was officially announced in 1980. Its first vintage, 1979, was made from grapes grown in the legendary To Kalon vineyard that Mondavi owned in the Oakville AVA.

Initially called Napamédoc, the wine received its definitive name, Opus One, in 1982. The name evokes a composer’s opus, emphasizing the unique, fully realized character of this first joint work. The inaugural vintage was unveiled to the public in 1984, marking a historic milestone for American winemaking. Between 1989 and 1991, the estate built its iconic Texas limestone winery, combining a neoclassical colonnade with a steel rotunda—an architectural symbol of the dialogue between the Old and New Worlds. Today, under winemaker Michael Silacci, Opus One remains true to its founders’ original vision: to produce a single fine wine of timeless quality, now joined by its second wine, Overture.

Terroirs and Vineyards of Domaine Opus One

Opus One’s vineyards cover approximately 170 acres (nearly 70 hectares) in the western part of the Oakville appellation, considered one of Napa Valley’s most prestigious terroirs. The estate comprises four distinct parcels, including two within the legendary To Kalon vineyard that together total approximately 100 acres, plus the Ballestra and River parcels surrounding the winery. This mosaic of well-drained alluvial soils, left by the Napa River’s ancient channels, provides geological diversity that contributes to the wines’ complexity.

Oakville’s Mediterranean climate, with warm, sunny days and nights cooled by sea breezes from San Pablo Bay, ensures slow, even ripening of the grapes. The grape varieties reflect the estate’s Bordeaux heritage: predominantly Cabernet Sauvignon, complemented by Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot and Malbec. The vineyards are farmed according to rigorous organic principles, with careful canopy management, controlled yields and hand-harvesting parcel by parcel, with the utmost respect for the terroir.

Winemaking at Domaine Opus One

Winemaking at Opus One combines Bordeaux expertise with California innovation in a gravity-flow winery designed to preserve the integrity of the fruit. Each parcel, and even each row of vines, is vinified separately to capture the distinctive character of every micro-terroir. The grapes are sorted by hand, gently destemmed, then moved by gravity into stainless steel tanks of various sizes, where alcoholic fermentation takes place with selected yeasts. Extended maceration over several weeks allows for gentle extraction of tannins and aromas.

After malolactic fermentation, the wines are aged for approximately 18 months in new French oak barrels from several partner cooperages. The final blends are determined through meticulous tasting, with only lots worthy of the Opus One fine wine selected; the others go into Overture. This exacting approach, together with regular racking and gentle clarification, produces wines of great aromatic purity, silky tannic structure and remarkable aging potential, capable of developing in the cellar for two to three decades.

The Wines of Domaine Opus One

Opus One, the estate’s namesake fine wine, is a skillful blend of five Bordeaux grape varieties. Cabernet Sauvignon predominates, generally accounting for 80 to 95% depending on the vintage, complemented by Cabernet Franc, Merlot, Petit Verdot and Malbec. This exceptional red wine has a deep color and a complex nose of blackcurrant, blackberry, violet, graphite, cedar and tobacco, with subtle notes of cocoa and sweet spice from aging in new French oak barrels. On the palate, it offers a dense, velvety texture, fine, silky tannins, remarkable freshness and a long, persistent mineral finish. Considered one of Napa Valley’s greatest wines, Opus One can age for 20 to 30 years, or even longer in the finest vintages.

Created in 1993 in the tradition of the second wines of Bordeaux’s great châteaux, Overture is the estate’s second wine. Made from the same parcels as the fine wine and with the same exceptional care in vinification, it draws on lots selected for their slightly different aromatic profile, with more pronounced red fruit and herbal notes and a creamy texture with softer tannins. Long sold without a vintage designation, Overture became a vintage wine beginning with the 2021 vintage, highlighting the importance of each year’s character. It reveals aromas of cherry, plum, blackcurrant, rose petal, cocoa, cedar and vanilla, with a generous, fresh and approachable palate. Aged for approximately 19 months in French oak barrels, Overture is an inviting, elegant wine that can be enjoyed sooner than Opus One while offering excellent aging potential of 10 to 15 years.