California tasting, steel and oak — 8 months ago
Dark ruby in color with a wide reddish rim.
Very fruity on the nose and full bodied with medium minus acidity.
Dry to off dry on the palate with nice complexity.
Showing black currants, blackberries, cooked plums, oak, vanilla, dried fruits, licorice, chocolates, tobacco, herbs, spices, light herbs and peppercorn.
Short finish with soft tannins and tangy raspberries.
This 8 year old Pinot Noir from Santa Barbara County is still drinking very nicely, but will not get better from this point.
Complex and easy drinking. Fruit forward with a touch of RS. Rich and extracted with a mouth coating feel.
A nice sipping wine.
14.6% alcohol by volume.
91 points.
$50. — 9 months ago
Gratifying Oak Knoll #napavalley #merlot - medium plus body, calibrated acidity, some vanilla and toasty oak notes so it’s pretty young but well executed Merlot. My hot take - Merlot at the $50 retail mark will outperform Cabs at this price point. — a year ago
Ruby with complex fruit aromas, spice and oak. Blend of 90% Tempranillo & 10% Graciano, aged 48 months on American oak, 20% new. On the palate flavors of dark berry fruits with spice, oak and smoky earthy notes, slight vanilla nuances on ripe full soft silky tannins. Long finish, nice mouthfeel, ending with fruit, oak, cigar box spice and clean mineral earthy tones, a joy to Sip this Fine Wine!! Tasting great, has more aging potential! — 10 months ago
Saline, soft oak, lemon, and mineral. — 7 months ago
Medium lemon color, with Tropical and stone fruit aromas with complex spice and oak notes. On the palate flavors of ripe apple, melon and citrus, creamy, with toasty oak, fig and honey tones. Long finish ending with fruit, oak and spicy mineral character. A big wine! — 9 months ago
Opus One 2011
Napa Valley, California, USA 🇺🇸
Overview
A Bordeaux-style blend from one of Napa’s most iconic estates, co-founded by Robert Mondavi and Baron Philippe de Rothschild. The 2011 vintage was a challenging, cool year in Napa, producing wines of lower alcohol, more restraint, and higher acidity compared to the opulent, sun-soaked vintages before and after. Blend typically centers on Cabernet Sauvignon with Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot, and Malbec.
Aromas & Flavors
Opens with blackcurrant, cassis, and dried cherry layered with graphite, violets, tobacco leaf, and hints of cedar and espresso. As it evolves in the glass, notes of leather, savory herbs, and cocoa powder emerge.
Mouthfeel
Medium-bodied compared to more powerful Opus vintages, with fresh acidity and fine-grained tannins. Elegant and balanced, showing more finesse and structure than richness. The finish lingers with red and black fruits, spice, and a touch of earth.
Winemaking Notes
Aged in French oak for 18 months. The cooler season resulted in smaller yields, but a style closer to classic Bordeaux restraint rather than plush Napa ripeness.
Food Pairing
Beautiful with herb-crusted lamb, grilled duck breast, wild mushroom risotto, or aged cheeses like Comté.
Verdict
A vintage that divided critics due to its lighter profile, but for those who enjoy elegance and classical structure, the 2011 Opus One is a refreshing outlier. Drink now, though it still has a few years of graceful life ahead. Cheers!
— 9 months ago
Dark in color. Super fruity on the nose. Blackberry and plumb notes. Peppery, leathery, earthy finish. — a year ago
I beg to differ on my prior rating. With some airtime, this comes into its own. Places merlot on a different level. The cab franc gives this structure and presence. No rush to consume. Nice acidity and cherry compote on the mid palate. Finished luscious and moderately sweet. — a year ago
Happy Veterans Day! Thank you all who served. Cheers. — 6 months ago
I don‘t know. This has so much oak it overpowers everything. Might need another 10 years to be approachable. Cigar box, black berries. Deep, big and profound. I am not sure I would spend 70$ on this. It needs much much more time. Probably needs to be open for 2 days. Out of the machine at the Wine House in LA. — 7 months ago
Poured into a decanter directly before service and enjoyed over the course of an hour. The 2012 Estate Cuvée pours a deep garnet color with a translucent core; medium+ viscosity with moderate staining of the tears. On the nose, the wine is vinous with notes of mostly ripe, and some desiccated, red and black fruit: blackberry, black plum, crème de cassis, dried red and purple flowers, pipe tobacco, leather, varnish, a mix of organic and inorganic earth and some soft baking spices. On the palate, the wine is dry with medium tannin (integrated) and medium+ acid. Confirming the notes from the nose. The finish is long. Drink now through 2032. — 9 months ago
So good! Really worth the treat. Perfect in every way. — 10 months ago
Primarily Cabernet Sauvignon with small amounts of Merlot, Malbec and Petite Verdot blended in. Dark ruby color with purple highlights. Aromas of black berry/currant/cherry with additional notes of dried figs and tobacco. Dark fruit also on the palate with hints of dark chocolate, plums, roasted nuts, sweet spices and earth. Lovely hint of graphite on the long finish. Full bodied but so savory well balanced. Velvety tannins. Thanks for sharing this one during Super Bowl LIX, Mark S! — a year ago
Mark S.
Rich US Chardonnay. Oak vanilla, chalk and mineral. Rich. Well balanced. Its producer is the former 1976 Montelena’s. Grinch Hills Estate Chardonnay Estate Grown Napa Valley 22 @, Calist, 250920,91
Grinch Hills Estate Chardonnay Estate Grown Napa Valley 22 @, Calist, 250928 — 8 months ago