It hasn`t always been plain sailing for Opus One. From its inception in 1978 the path to glory hasn`t always been a smooth or straight progression. Consistently on our shelves for many years, we finally paused in our relationship as quality dipped and the Mondavi family appeared to lose focus, while Philippine de Rothschild was kept at arm`s length and winemaking was done by committee. Things began to improve with the 2001 vintage, but of all the milestones in Opus One`s history the most significant must be Constellation Brands Inc`s purchase of Mondavi in 2004. They took one look at the iconic Opus One and its status as house wine in upmarket Japanese strip clubs and asked Philippine to sort it. She appointed Michael Silacci who, amongst other things, gave all the winery workers their first taste of the wine they make. He is training them to look after their vines as individuals, especially at pruning. And he is making all the decisions, producing less wine every year and making more use of the rare second bottling, Overture. Progress has been fantastic and we are convinced that Opus One is, once more, a wine to be taken seriously. (CW 02/09/2009)