Opus One 1980

99 points Decanter
This is the second ever vintage of Opus One, tasted with Steven Spurrier at the Opus One offices in Bordeaux. Maybe that made the tasting even more special, but the wine absolutely sang. The director of the office, Laurent Delassus, spoke about how Opus owes a debt to Spurrier's Judgement of Paris for the creation of the estate, as it gave Baron Philippe de Rothschild the confidence to go into partnership with Robert Mondavi: 'The smart French winemakers weren't angry but became interested after the tasting in the potential of California'. It was a cool growing season for Napa, and that freshness has clearly helped this age. Still so young, it has warmth and generosity in the fruits but remains balanced and nuanced - a knockout wine. It's the kind of wine that, even before the first glass is halfway down, you are thinking 'I hope there's more of this'. (JA) (5/2018)

95 points Vinous
Black cherries, plums, tobacco, incense, new leather, licorice and savory herbs take shape in the 1980 Opus One. A wine of extraordinary richness and pure power, the 1980 impresses for its depth and size. Absolutely nothing is out of place in this impeccably refined, layered wine. Cinnamon, cloves, menthol, hard candy, tar and licorice all flesh out on the rich, resonant finish. Today, the 1980 is firing on all cylinders. It remains a monument to the greatness of California wine. The growing season was long and cool. A late season heat spike pushed the fruit to ripeness, and the winery struggled to pick everything during what turned out to be a fairly narrow window. Tim Mondavi told me that, today, under similar conditions, the fruit would be picked much later. Back then, the custom was to pick only on sugar ripeness. The 1980 is 96% Cabernet Sauvignon and 4% Cabernet Franc. (AG) (6/2013)