Opus One Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon Blend 1998

Ratings on Delectable

Justin Timsit, MS Delectable Pro

Wine Director, The Rittenhouse

Still ripe and fresh showing pencil lead, currant, cassis, mint and pipe tobacco

Still ripe and fresh showing pencil lead, currant, cassis, mint and pipe tobacco

9.2

Tia Butts Delectable Pro

Amazing blackberry, tobacco, cassis. Still youthful with moderate acidity and smooth, soft tannins. A beautiful bottle. Ready for prime rib. #christmas2014

Amazing blackberry, tobacco, cassis. Still youthful with moderate acidity and smooth, soft tannins. A beautiful bottle. Ready for prime rib. #christmas2014

9.8

Yoon Ha Delectable Pro

Master Sommelier/Wine Director Benu

A stunning example from a vintage panned by the critics. I've always loved the '98s, they just needed some time. Still fresh, lively and poised. Easily another decade.

A stunning example from a vintage panned by the critics. I've always loved the '98s, they just needed some time. Still fresh, lively and poised. Easily another decade.

9.3

Arden Barnett

Never have been a giant fan of Opus but this was wonderful. Concentrated black fruit, cocoa powder, Cassis, faint taste of oak. Very very nice.

Never have been a giant fan of Opus but this was wonderful. Concentrated black fruit, cocoa powder, Cassis, faint taste of oak. Very very nice.

9.5

John Van Trijp

Pretty good for 98

Pretty good for 98

9.4

Tom AlfaroZierten

Aged well! The acid and tannins were still prevalent. Lovely light blueberry, plum and mint.

Aged well! The acid and tannins were still prevalent. Lovely light blueberry, plum and mint.

9.5

Thomas Brenner Delectable Pro

Drinking the 2 decade old product of the masterful collaboration of the new world (order's) master, Robert Mondavi, and the old world's (puppet) master, Baron Philippe Rothschild was a dream cum. True, I may be biased, but after recently tasting the 1996 and 1997 vintages of Robert Mondavi's Napa Can, I can see how much RM benefitted from Rothschild's involvement in the 1998 Opus One. He must have felt like the Cleveland Orchestra in Michael Jackson's Will You Be There (Free Willy Song). Really good, aged, mellow cherry juice. This one has quite a few years of life left in it. Mmmmmm.

Drinking the 2 decade old product of the masterful collaboration of the new world (order's) master, Robert Mondavi, and the old world's (puppet) master, Baron Philippe Rothschild was a dream cum. True, I may be biased, but after recently tasting the 1996 and 1997 vintages of Robert Mondavi's Napa Can, I can see how much RM benefitted from Rothschild's involvement in the 1998 Opus One. He must have felt like the Cleveland Orchestra in Michael Jackson's Will You Be There (Free Willy Song). Really good, aged, mellow cherry juice. This one has quite a few years of life left in it. Mmmmmm.

9.3

Anthony Cammarata Jr.

A classic!

A classic!

9.6

Nancy Levine

Awesome.

Awesome.

9.8

Dan Hess Delectable Pro

Okay here we go -- my Christmas wine. Had it with medium rare filet mignon and grilled lobster tail. Had the same bottle a few years back and it was missing something. Maybe it wasn't decanted long enough? (Although I had the resto at the time decant as soon as I entered) either way, I decanted this bad boy for over an hour and boy did it open up -- It starts off nice and round but shows off its depth with layers of flavors and structure with each second it lingers in your mouth. Dark fruits but not overbearing or jammy. Luscious tannins that balance out with a nice bit of minerality. Okay enough is enough - this wine was the fucking bomb. Turns out #OpusOne knows what it's doing. :-) (Holidays 2015 - wine #4)

Okay here we go -- my Christmas wine. Had it with medium rare filet mignon and grilled lobster tail. Had the same bottle a few years back and it was missing something. Maybe it wasn't decanted long enough? (Although I had the resto at the time decant as soon as I entered) either way, I decanted this bad boy for over an hour and boy did it open up -- It starts off nice and round but shows off its depth with layers of flavors and structure with each second it lingers in your mouth. Dark fruits but not overbearing or jammy. Luscious tannins that balance out with a nice bit of minerality. Okay enough is enough - this wine was the fucking bomb. Turns out #OpusOne knows what it's doing. :-) (Holidays 2015 - wine #4)

9.8

WARNING: DRINKING DISTILLED SPIRITS, BEER, COOLERS, WINE AND OTHER ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGES MAY INCREASE CANCER RISK, AND, DURING PREGNANCY, CAN CAUSE BIRTH DEFECTS.