In 1978, two wine pioneers embarked on their California adventure: French Baron Philippe de Rothschild (1902-1988) and American Robert Mondavi (1913-2008), together they founded a new winery called Napamedoc. The idea was to create a link between the old (Bordeaux) and the new wine world (California).
Shortly after the first vintage was launched in 1979, the winery’s name was changed to Opus One with the 1982 vintage. The red wine Opus One has been a blend of five Bordeaux flavors from the beginning, consisting of Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Merlot, Malbec and Petit Verdot.
That’s how much a bottle of Opus One 2000 is worth
Unfortunately the year 2000 is not one of the largest vineyards in Napa Valley. A heat wave in early June caused water stress on many vines, reducing yields. A fairly cool summer slowed the ripening of the grapes, before a cold, wet October forced the grapes further.
Some top California wineries even decided to bottle a wine in 2000 because they were not satisfied with the quality. Opus One nevertheless decided to put a wine in the bottle. Ratings from leading wine critics were quite mixed, with Robert Parker giving the wine 84/100 and writing that he found the wine expensive.
However, Opus One 2000 is considered a collector’s wine and is sold in specialist shops at around 350 francs per bottle. Given the quality in question, selling the bottle may therefore make a lot of sense. Additionally, wine is unlikely to benefit from storing more bottles.