A harvest lasting 30 days offered structure and tannins, deep and complex fruit with earthy nuances, still bursting with energy. (SS)

The 2010 Opus One is an absolutely sensational wine. It brings intoxicating aromas of ripe blackberries and dark currant fruit followed by Asian spices, herbs and graphite which weave their way through the wine. It has a wonderful silky texture that is well structured, demonstrating remarkable depth and balance. Everything is wrapped up with a long lingering finish that leaves behind flavors of graphite and dark fruits. It is composed of Cabernet Sauvignon 84%, Cabernet Franc 5.5%, Merlot 5.5%, Petit Verdot 4% and Malbec 1%. Winemaker Michael Silacci did a phenomenal job with this 2010, this is the best Opus in the last decade and is a clear demonstration of what Opus One is all about, the vision of Robert Mondavi and Baron Philippe de Rothschild to bring together the styles of Bordeaux and California. *Top 100 Wines of 2013* (JD)

Bright dark ruby. Initially reticent nose opened in the glass to reveal wonderfully complex scents of black- and redcurrant, blackberry, minerals, licorice, loam and tobacco leaf, plus a whiff of leather. Seamless, savory and classy on entry if a bit subdued, then delivers lovely restrained sweetness and a complicating wildness in the middle palate that still calls for more bottle aging. Old World in its classic dryness, this highly concentrated Opus One really shines on its vibrant, slowly building back end, where the broad, dusty tannins caress and saturate the palate and allow the fruits and minerals to build. A wine of outstanding depth, clarity, finesse of grain and class; it's hard to imagine that this site could give more. Long-time winemaking director Michael Silacci noted that the estate did not strip leaves prior to the brutal August heat spike. (ST)