2001 Opus One

I wasn't sure what to expect as I walked into the massive Opus One winery a few weeks ago. The opportunity to survey an estate's entire production is not something that happens every day. At this level, wines can express so much; the spirit of the people involved, the characteristics of where they are from, and the personality of a vintage. Opus One is among the most famous wines in Napa Valley, but quality has been up and down over the years. How would the wines show? Well, that was answered loud and clear a few hours later. I found the best wines from the early days still in great shape, with a handful that remain truly outstanding. With the last few vintages, Opus One seems to have entered a newfound period of brilliance. There are some disappointments as well, hardly surprising given that production has grown by more than five times since 1979. Along the way there have been changes and bumps in the road, again quite natural, in wine as in life, when enough years are put together. It's hard to imagine just how revolutionary it must have seemed when Robert Mondavi and Baron Philippe de Rothschild decided to make wine together in Napa Valley. The Mondavis were a hardworking, up and coming family with roots in central Italy, while the Rothschilds were among Europe's elite. Their partnership would go on to bring an unprecedented amount of visibility and attention to Napa Valley. Opus One was initially conceived as a selection of the best lots at Robert Mondavi Winery. The early vintages were made by Robert Mondavi's son, Tim, and Mouton Rothschild's winemaker Lucien Sionneau. Although Tim Mondavi had grown up among the redwood tanks and used brandy barrels at his family's Charles Krug winery, he was still a young man at the beginning of the joint venture. Sionneau, on the other hand, was a veteran winemaker. The new project had access to all of Robert Mondavi lots in the cellar, capped at 50% of any specific lot in order to ensure the Robert Mondavi wines could maintain their qualitative standard. Tim Mondavi describes his personal style as one geared towards slightly richer, rounder wines, while Sionneau preferred a more structured, austere style. Mondavi also adds that his family was open to risk taking, while Mouton tended to be on the conservative side of things. As a result, Opus One was always filtered, a la Mouton, while the Robert Mondavi wines were not. Sionneau retired in 1984, and was replaced by Patrick Léon, who made Opus One with Tim Mondavi from 1985 to 2000. Genevieve Janssens, Robert Mondavi Winery's current Director of Winemaking, arrived in 1989. She spent her first two years working the harvest at Mouton before becoming more actively involved at Opus One, where she worked with Tim Mondavi and Patrick Léon from 1991 to 1997. Initially, Opus One was made at Robert Mondavi Winery. In 1991, Opus One moved all winemaking to its present day facility in Oakville. At the same time, a set of historic blocks that had been the backbone of Opus One were formally allocated to the winery to complement the vineyards that surrounded the new building. Opus One continued to have access to other blocks at Robert Mondavi as well. The vintage also signaled the end of a five-year drought period. Stylistically, the wines became richer. Skin contact increased, reaching 33 days in 1991, the longest ever at the time, although subsequent vintages saw even lengthier fermentations. Even today, the Opus One property looks modern, so it is hard to imagine the impression it must have made back then, well before Napa Valley became the super-wealthy region it is today. In 2000 Opus One hired Michael Silacci, formerly of Stag's Leap Wine Cellars and Beaulieu Vineyard to take over winemaking. Tim Mondavi's day-to-day involvement gradually receded, while Mouton Rothschild's new winemaker Philippe Dhalluin joined the team. Silacci is focused on moving the vineyards towards dry farming and increasing clonal diversity. Vineyards are now replanted with as many as four or five different clones that are interspersed within the rows, which Silacci believes increases complexity and nuance in the wines. In 2005, Robert Mondavi Winery was sold to Constellation Brands, along with its 50% interest in Opus One. As part of the transaction, Opus One gained a new parcel known as To-Kalon South, which now augments the existing core holdings in To-Kalon North as well as the sites that surround the winery itself. The most recent releases suggest quality has finally reached a level of consistency that is finally worthy of Opus One's image and price.