Opus One 2022 Napa Valley Bordeaux Blend 750ml

There are only a handful of wines in the world whose name requires no introduction in any language, in any market, at any level of wine knowledge. Opus One is one of them. The realized dream of Baron Philippe de Rothschild of Château Mouton Rothschild and Robert Mondavi of Napa Valley — two of the 20th century's most transformative figures in wine — Opus One launched its inaugural 1979 vintage as the first ultra-premium California wine to be sold in France, and has occupied the highest tier of Napa Valley Cabernet ever since. Its Oakville estate vineyards, including parcels in the legendary To Kalon Vineyard, are among the most intensively farmed and most precisely managed in California. Its winemaking, led by Michael Silacci, combines the Bordeaux-trained discipline of its French founders with the Napa Valley's natural intensity and warmth in a partnership that has produced some of the most celebrated red wines in American history.

The 2022 vintage arrived with a specific challenge: an early September heat event of unusual intensity that forced harvest decisions of unusual pressure. The Opus One team's response — picking straight through the heat, selecting the optimal moment for each parcel across the four estate vineyards — produced a wine that critics describe in the consistent language of intelligent crisis navigation: brightness, accessibility, poise. James Suckling awarded 96 Points, finding "generous, savory aromas of ripe blackcurrants and fresh black cherries with a gentle texture that shows a slight nip of tannin, graphite, cocoa, and espresso." Jane Anson awarded 96 Points, praising its "smoky, fragrant and powerful" character with "crushed rose petals and violet flowers" and "impressive delicacy to the aromatics despite the heat of this vintage — great stuff, once again showing how Opus knows when to take the foot off the pedal, how to swerve towards grace." Wine Advocate awarded 95 Points. Wine Spectator awarded 92 Points, noting a "lighter-bodied, fresher profile than most in this vintage." Vinous awarded 92 Points, describing the wine as "soft, relatively easygoing" with "terrific brightness throughout." 

The divergence in scores is itself informative: the higher-scoring critics found the 2022's accessibility and brightness compelling; the more cautious scorers found the vintage's heat events visible in the structure. Both assessments are honest, and together they describe a wine of genuine quality in a challenging year — more approachable in youth than the greatest Opus One vintages, more immediately drinkable, and built for a drinking window that opens sooner than most. The Wine Advocate notes a drinking window of 2026–2040. For customers who want Opus One now rather than a decade from now, the 2022 is the vintage to open. 

Origins & Craftsmanship

The partnership that created Opus One began in 1970 at a Napa Valley wine auction, when Robert Mondavi and Baron Philippe de Rothschild — two men whose ambitions for their respective wines had defined entire regions — recognized in each other an equal seriousness of purpose. Their collaboration, formalized in 1979 with the first vintage, was conceived as a single wine produced at the intersection of Bordeaux's structural tradition and Napa Valley's natural abundance — not simply a California Cabernet dressed in Bordeaux clothing, but a genuine synthesis of both philosophies.

Opus One's estate vineyards consist of four parcels totaling 170 acres in Oakville, in the heart of the Napa Valley floor. Two parcels — totaling 100 acres — are within the legendary To Kalon Vineyard, whose deep, well-drained alluvial gravels and loam soils, combined with afternoon shade from the Mayacamas Mountains to the west and consistent diurnal temperature swings, are widely regarded as among the finest Cabernet Sauvignon growing sites on earth. The Ballestra and River parcels — 70 acres surrounding the winery — complete the estate, each contributing distinct terroir character to the annual blend.

The 2022 blend is 80% Cabernet Sauvignon, 8% Petit Verdot, 6.5% Cabernet Franc, 5% Merlot, and 0.5% Malbec — a Cabernet-dominant Bordeaux blend whose Petit Verdot-heavy secondary composition reflects Winemaker Michael Silacci's preference for the variety's structural depth and violet aromatic contribution. Each variety is hand-harvested from its specific estate parcel at the optimal moment — in 2022, a process that required particular vigilance given the September heat event. Following harvest, grapes undergo 20 days of skin contact for tannin and color extraction before fermentation in stainless steel tanks. The wine then ages for 18 months in 100% new French oak barrels — the most intensive oak regime in the Opus One production program — before final assemblage and bottling. No fining, no shortcuts. 

Critics Reviews

James Suckling — 96 Points (2022) "Generous, with savory aromas of ripe blackcurrants and fresh black cherries and a gentle texture that shows a slight nip of tannin. Graphite, cocoa, and espresso. Full-bodied with spicy, toasty oak showing through now. Best from 2028."

Jane Anson — 96 Points (2022) "Smoky, fragrant and powerful, this has clear intensity with tightly-grained tannins. With coaxing, the body of the wine softens to show chalky tannins, crushed rose petals and violet flowers, impressive delicacy to the aromatics despite the heat of this vintage. Great stuff, once again showing how Opus knows when to take the foot off the pedal, how to swerve towards grace."

Wine Advocate (Joe Czerwinski) — 95 Points (2022) "Picked before, during and after the year's early September heat, the 2022 Opus One admirably reflects the vintage, boasting a ripe, extroverted personality but also a slightly open-knit, coarser mouthfeel than either the 2021 or 2023. Rosemary and sandalwood notes accent cherries on the nose, while the medium- to full-bodied palate is expansive and plush, finishing with ample length and soft tannins." Drinking window: 2026–2040.

Wine Spectator — 92 Points (2022) "Shows a lighter-bodied, fresher profile than most in this vintage, with a mix of red currant, damson plum and cherry coulis notes stitched with savory, tobacco and rose petal accents. Takes a modest approach to escape most of the pitfalls of this extreme vintage."

Vinous — 92+ Points (2022) "A soft, relatively easygoing wine from an extremely challenging vintage in which the estate decided to pick straight through the heat. The 2022 offers terrific brightness throughout."

Tasting Profile

Nose Opens slowly and then delivers with impressive complexity — the 18 months in new French oak and the estate's four-parcel Oakville terroir both evident from the first approach. Blackcurrant and graphite arrive together — the familiar Opus One one-two that is as instantly recognizable as a house signature as any in California wine. Ripe black cherries and kirsch deepen the dark fruit register alongside cassis and dried rose petals. Rosemary and sandalwood add a savory, slightly herbal dimension that distinguishes the 2022's aromatic character — echoing the harvest decisions made in the heat of early September. Violet and crushed rose petals provide the floral lift. Dark chocolate, cigar box, and cedar add secondary complexity, while a haunting floral character and a subtle suggestion of olive thread beneath the whole. Deep garnet-purple in color with youthful purple hues signaling the vintage's vibrancy.

Palate Medium to full-bodied, expansive, and notably more accessible in youth than the greatest Opus One vintages — the 2022's defining characteristic, confirmed by multiple critics independently. Bright red fruit leads the entry: red currant, damson plum, and cherry coulis arriving with a freshness and energy that is the vintage's silver lining. Fine-grained, silky tannins provide structure and framework without the severity that a more traditionally structured vintage produces — already beautifully integrated, opening sooner and more graciously than a 2021 or 2019. Ripe blackberry and cassis deepen the mid-palate alongside cocoa powder, spicy toasty oak, and a savory tobacco and rose petal interplay that is unmistakably Opus One in character. Fresh orange peel adds a vivid, slightly lifted dimension. A lifted mineral core threads through the whole. The 2022's slight open-knit quality — noted by Wine Advocate — is not a flaw but an invitation: this is Opus One for drinking sooner rather than waiting a decade.

Finish Long, elegant, and gracefully resolved — Jane Anson's description of the house "swerving towards grace" is most fully realized in the finish. Wet stone, vanilla, and a hint of coffee lead the close alongside savory spice and a subtle cedar shading that is the new French oak's most persistent contribution. A flicker of iron at the very end adds a mineral tension that confirms the Oakville terroir's presence throughout. Soft tannins frame the extended close without gripping. The finish is both accessible now and promising of further development — delivering on the drinking window of 2026–2040 from the first sip.

Quick Overview

Serving & Occasion

Serve at 62–65°F in a large Bordeaux bowl. Decanting 45–60 minutes is strongly recommended — the 2022's tightly grained tannins and new French oak benefit considerably from air, and the aromatic complexity reveals itself fully after opening. The 2022's more accessible structure means it rewards opening sooner than many Opus One vintages — drinking well from 2026 through 2040, with peak complexity likely between 2028 and 2035. Outstanding alongside prime rib, roasted rack of lamb, dry-aged ribeye, braised short ribs, wild mushroom preparations, and aged hard cheeses. The ultimate gifting wine for every significant occasion — the Opus One name communicates the full weight of the gesture before the bottle is opened, and the 2022's accessible, immediately rewarding structure means recipients who open it now will not be disappointed.