The bottle shows the Janus-faced profile of the two founders. Opus One was created as a joint venture between two giants of the world wine scene. One was Baron Phillippe de Rothschild of Mouton-Rothschild, the other was Robert Mondavi, but both were internationally-known ambassadors for their respective home regions of Bordeaux and Napa. They first met in 1970, and within a few years moves were afoot to make a great Napa Bordeaux blend with the fusion of Bordelais expertise and top Napa terroir. The first vintage of their great project was 1979 (released 1984), and for a few years it was called Napamedoc, before the founders settled on the less literal Opus One. A decade later, Opus One had its own Oakville winery opposite the Robert Mondavi winery.

In 2004, family squabbles and financial disputes led to the sale of Robert Mondavi Winery and its 50 per cent share in Opus One to the conglomerate Constellation Brands. By now, Opus One was an iconic label, but the Rothschilds had been sidelined and there was a perception that amid their difficulties, Mondavi had lost focus. Constellation helped re-energise the project, drawing the Rothschilds back in and appointing Michael Silacci as winemaker. He in turn worked to reboot vineyard management, in particular focussing on pruning methods and reducing yields. More production was diverted to the second label, Overture. Opus One has flourished since.

The core of the Opus One holding is 35 hectares in the great To Kalon vineyard. Fruit also comes from two parcels adjacent to the winery, River and Ballestra, at the foot of the Mayacamas Mountains. As a left-bank Bordeaux style blend, Opus One is always dominated by Cabernet Sauvignon, but the vineyards also have rows of Cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot, Merlot and Malbec. (NT 01/09/25)