2014 Opus One, Napa Valley, USA (1.5L MAGNUM)

WINEMAKER'S NOTES: 

The 2014 Opus One exudes subtle aromas of fragrant florals, fresh garden herbs and forest floor that give way to a concentrated blend of red cherry, blackberry and black currant. Fine-grained tannins offer a velvety texture and complex structure that builds to a long, vibrantly fresh finish with a touch of mocha. Enjoyable now, the wine will delight for years to come.

Blend: 80% Cabernet Sauvignon, 7% Petit Verdot, 6% Cabernet Franc, 5% Merlot, 2% Malbec

TASTING NOTES: 

Mesmerizing aromas of flowers, bark, currants and blackberries. So perfumed. You just want to smell it. Exquisite tension and finesse with an almost Burgundian texture, yet it’s Napa in its soul with ripe fruit, stones, spices and Chinese tea leaf flavors. Savory and delicious. Drinkable but better in 2020.

- James Suckling, 97 pts. 

Deep garnet colored, the 2014 Opus One opens with youthful notes of warm blackberries, chocolate-covered cherries, redcurrant jelly and blackcurrant pastilles with hints of bay leaves, tobacco leaf and underbrush. Medium to full-bodied, firm and grainy with a lively backbone and tightly wound black and red berry layers, it finishes with a compelling herbal lift.

- Robert Parker's Wine Advocate, 96 pts. 

The 2014 Opus One has arrived at its tenth birthday in style. Crushed flowers, red berry fruit, blood orange, mint and white pepper give the 2014 a striking top register of aromatics to play off its mid-weight structure. The 2014 remains quite youthful and vibrant. Its construction and overall feel are decidedly on the more linear, mid-weight side of things.

- Vinous, 96 pts. 

So expressive, this lets sage, savory, thyme, violet and rose petal notes spill forth, backed up with a bountiful core of fleshy, gently mulled blackberry and black currant fruit. The structure is a shade less polished than 2013 and 2015 but harmonizes easily with the savory and fruit notes through the long finish of smoldering earth. An overlooked year. Cabernet Sauvignon, Petit Verdot, Cabernet Franc, Merlot and Malbec.

- Wine Spectator, 95 pts. 

A cool bouquet of fruit compote and wild plum mingles with notes of clove, incense and lilac. On the palate the wine is youthfully taut, with a good line of acidity and fine but assertive tannins. It's quite a serious, savoury Opus which will need a few years in the cellar to unwind.

- Decanter, 93 pts. 

*Disclaimer*

This bottle was sourced from a private cellar and its provenance is unknown. Due to its age, the bottle may show signs of storage, including minimal label staining. The wine is sold as-is.