Opus One plants its vines densely resulting in smaller berries which the team believes heightens the intensity of aromas and flavours. This first vintage was released at the same time as the 1980 vintage and still ranks as one of the most highly prized Californian fine wine. The launch of Opus One, located close to the Robert Mondavi Winery, was a very significant development for the Californian fine wine industry and the first of a few landmark strategic alliances between top Bordeaux chateaux owners and a Napa Valley estate.Ĭhateau Mouton Rothschild’s esteemed winemaker, Lucien Sionneau, worked with Mondavi’s son, Timothy to create the first 1979 vintage with a blend of 95% Cabernet Sauvignon and 5% Merlot. Following years of planning, they formed a joint venture in 1980, to which Mondavi sold 35 acres from his famous To Kalon vineyard in Oakville, Napa.
It all started in Hawaii at the Mauna Kea Beach Hotel in 1970, where Baron Philippe de Rothschild and Robert Mondavi met for the first time. They originally established Opus One to combine the best of Old and New World wine making expertise in one of the most sought after plots in the Napa Valley. Sadly no longer with us, they have both been responsible for great innovation which will continue to shape the fine wine industry for the foreseeable future. The Opus One index is up 33% in the last 5 yearsĬalifornia’s famous Opus One is the product of the shared vision of two of the most influential winemakers of all time, Chateau Mouton Rothschild’s Baron Philippe de Rothschild and Napa Valley’s Robert Mondavi.UK remains the largest overseas market for Californian investment wines.Californian investment wines account for 7% of trade share on Liv-ex in 2021.The Liv-ex California 50 index hit an all-time high in August 2021.We look at one of the region’s iconic ‘cult wines’ – the product of a marriage between Bordeaux aristocracy and New World talent – Opus One. California’s investment wines are enjoying a golden era and the US West Coast is now home to the second most expensive fine wines in the world after Burgundy.
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