
From back when Mouton was still a Second Growth. Decanted prior to service; enjoyed over the course of several hours. This bottle of the 1966 pours a garnet color with significant rim variation; medium viscosity with light staining and signs of sediment. On the nose, the wine is vinous with notes of ripe and desiccated red and black fruits: cassis, blackberries, green pepper, tobacco, leather, old wood, organic earth and warm spices. On the palate, the wine is dry with medium tannin and medium acid. Confirming the notes from the nose. The finish is medium. This was a good showing for the ‘66 and certainly has life left in it however, there’s no need to hold out. Drink now. — a year ago
Very smooth flavorful Pinot noir. Good vanilla notes. Great inexpensive table wine. — 4 years ago
Toward the end of its life, light on flavor, but still phenomenal — 5 years ago
Amazing wine. Still got life in it. — 7 years ago
Started in 1972 with a simple philosophy - to focus production on only one varietal, Cabernet Sauvignon. A blend of 76% Cabernet Sauvignon, 14.5% Merlot, 5% Cabernet Franc, 4% Petit Verdot & 0.5% Malbec. Dark opaque Ruby with aromas of red fruits, oak, sweet herbs and spice. On the palate raspberry and blackberry flavors with notes of cacao and espresso. Fine dusty tannins, satisfying acidity on lingering smooth finish ending with sweet oak tones. Nice! — 8 years 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
Rich, full bodied, and very long on the palette after an hours decant. Dark fruit abounds; tannins we’re fine and we’ll integrated. Still quite young in presentation with decades of life remaining i. This vintage! — 3 years ago
Decanted for around an hour, the recently released 2013 Grand Vin from Chateau Musar is an enormous wine at present in its youth. Gradually, it opened into a gorgeous, exotic and utterly unique product of this unlikely corner of the wine world. There’s plenty of Bordeaux-like character in the form of dark fruit and cigar box, but there are notes too of cranberry, liquorice, clove, mandarin and five spice. The mouthfeel, as a whole, has a quasi Brunello quality to it, with its bright cherry fruit and mouthwatering acidity. But woe is anyone to compare this wine to any other, for it is incomparable. One of Serge Hochar’s last vintages before his passing in 2014, and one that will doubtless have a long life. — 5 years ago
Top shoulder. Got the cork out in one piece. Absolutely perfect bottle with a lot left to give. Thick balsamic fruit, soft tannins, integrated oak, fresh acidity, everything in absolute balance. In a way almost perfect on the verge of lacking a bit of personality, but only almost. This has 10 years of life ahead of it but No reason to wait. — 6 years ago
Great value wine. Simple, approachable, and versatile. — 8 years ago
Needed some time to open up, but once it did, this old boy still had some life in it. — 9 years ago
The sleeper vintage, one at this time I bet to be even more showy than the illustrious 2000. It’s simply just ready to go after a short decant wafting from the glass with layers of cassis, black truffle, violets and licorice. This is a wine of texture and elegance, as Margaux should be—It’s liquid cashmere in the mouth with melting tannins and a black truffle and mineral inflicted finale that keeps on going. Superb showing tonight, with still a long life ahead. — 9 months ago
From 375ml.
A very good Rhone producer visited in 2015.
At pop & pour, the fruits almost had a mid berry bubble gum character. That toned down almost immediately. Fruits are ripe; blackberries, black raspberries, baked plums, raspberries, dark cherries, juicy strawberries, chocolate bar to fudge, grilled, smoked meats, black pepper, dark spice, nutmeg, clove, iron pan, black tea, a touch of rubber toy, slight tarriness, dry herbs, roasted chestnuts, tobacco leaf, dry crushed rocks, dry top soil, hints of mint, dark, red flowers, violet’s, nice acidity with a well balanced-structured, stiffly tensioned with a lush finish that lasts 90 seconds and lands on earthiness & spice.
Plenty of life left in this 2012, even in 375ml. — 10 months ago
Beautiful Cab Sauv from a stellar year in Napa! Can’t beat Montelena for structure, balance and a long shelf life. The only comparable wine (I’ve tasted) from this vintage is Shafer Hillside Select. This wine was fruit forward, mid pallet of aged leather, tobacco, nice tan is and a finish that lasted until the next sip!! Drink now, but would still be a very nice wine 10+ years from now!! — 3 years ago
Bought in 2005 at the bargain price of $22. I’d been saving it. Worth the wait. It was absolutely delicious, old school, refined, Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon at its peak. If I could only drink one wine for the rest of my life, this would be it (assuming availability). — 5 years ago
Best wine of my life thus far — 8 years ago
Very young. Bright, zesty and intense. A bit of sweetness. Great acid, body and balance. A long life ahead. — 9 years ago
Scott@Mister A’s-San Diego
2005 vintage. Decanted and tasted immediately and over the course of 4 hours. Medium body with a continually morphing nose. Super-impressive bouquet throughout the night. Overt fruit fallen off the framework and replaced with secondary attributes/complexities. @Bill Bender remarked twice about a lack of “heat”since the usual CDP ABV range seemed underwhelming One might think that would present issues but, rest assured, it did not. Great wine possibly at its’ zenith/top of the bell curve and living its’ best life now. Backed up the hype and then some. Tied for WOTN along with the 2006 Krug Clos du Mesnil Champagne (missed a picture for that one) for both myself and @Shay A 09.21.25. — 8 months ago