Elite Traveler September-October 2015

GERARD BASSET ON CALIFORNIA WINE

The story of California wine is a colorful one. The region was starting to have a vibrant wine industry by the end of the 19th century, in spite of some economic glitches. But it was dealt a blow by the spread of the minuscule insect, phylloxera, which virulently attacks vine roots. Then, in 1920, it received a knockout punch due to Prohibition. Commercialization of wine quickly returned once Prohibition ended in 1933, but by then the production of fine wine in California was rare, aside from a few exceptions and it remained so for a number of years. But the turning point came when Robert Mondavi opened his winery in the Napa Valley in 1966. Mondavi was determined to make his vision of a world-class wine a reality. It helped that he was also a great marketer, traveling widely to promote his wines. On a trip to Hawaii in 1970, Mondavi met the Baron Philippe de Rothschild, who owned the Bordeaux first growth Château Mouton Rothschild. The two men struck up a friendship that eventually led to a joint venture between their wineries. It took a few years before their partnership was fully cemented. What clinched it was perhaps the famous blind Paris tasting of 1976, dubbed “The Judgment of Paris”, in which two California wines won the top prize in their category against some prestigious French wines. Only then did Rothschild realize that California wines could be taken seriously. When the two men met again in 1978, this time in the beautiful surroundings of Mouton Rothschild, they settled on the details of their joint venture and how it would work. They decided it would be a red wine from the Napa Valley, made with a large proportion of Cabernet Sauvignon, owned equally by both wineries and produced with the expertise of technicians from both sides. It would be called Opus One – opus being the Latin word for work with a musical connotation

– together with the word, One. The design for the Opus One label – with the profiles of Mondavi and Rothschild blended together – has since become one of the most iconic wine labels of all time. The joint venture was announced in 1980 and released in 1984, when both the 1979 and 1980 vintages of Opus One were put on the market. Those early vintages were made at the Robert Mondavi winery using grapes belonging to, or purchased by, the winery, but further vineyards in Napa Valley were soon acquired by the joint venture, including part of the prestigious To Kalon Vineyard, and plans for an independent winery were put in progress. Finally, in 1991, more or less across the road from the Robert Mondavi winery, the Opus winery was completed. It is an impressive building with a very different look from your standard winery, feeling more like one of those modernistic and secretive constructions straight out of a James Bond movie. Sadly, Rothschild died in 1988 and never witnessed its completion, but the partnership lives on, even though the Robert Mondavi Corporation and 50 percent of Opus One was acquired in 2004 by Constellation Brands. Today many more fine California wines are enjoy critical acclaim and Opus One cannot claim to be the sole jewel of the region’s wine industry. But it definitely has a unique place, being the brainchild of two true legends of the wine world. Since its launch, there have been several other winery joint ventures in many parts of the world. Most of them have produced wines of little consequence, while a few have delivered really excellent wines. However, there will only ever be one Opus One.

TASTING NOTES

Opus One 2011 Deep ruby with a purple rim, powerful aromas of cassis, Havana cigar and mocha Forthright on the palate with excellent array of flavors It is not ready to drink yet but it is well balanced with a delicious chocolate finish 91/100pts Opus One 2009 Medium deep ruby color with a purple rim, elegant nose with superb aromas of black fruit, nuances of praline and some light touches of cured meat Well balanced on the palate with firm but ripe tannins and a long spicy finish It is elegant and has potential 93/100pts Opus One 2007 Medium deep ruby color with a pinkish rim Exuberant on the nose with notes of blackberry and some floral touches and sweet spices Wonderful structure with velvety tannins, overall great harmony and a licorice finish 96/100pts

Gerard Basset OBE is co-founder of the Hotel du Vin Group and a former world champion sommelier