Eric Urbani

9.0

100% gewurztraminer for Oktoberfest! Half of the grapes were immediately pressed and cold fermented in stainless steel, the other half foot stomped left on skins overnight then pressed and fermented cold. Results in a wine with depth of texture and aromatic complexity that Larry Schafer considers his best to date. aBV 13.5%. Santa Barbara county fruit. — 8 days ago

Jennifer Memmolo

9.5

carmelized lemon — 3 years ago

Turd Ferguson

9.0

Soft, fruity, balanced, has a bit of dustiness. Bordeaux meets Napa. If I drank this in a Parisian bistro with a 3-foot long piece of red meat I’d be saying hooo boy golly — 4 years ago

Joe Hakim

9.5

Absolute stunner. Bright, tart, fruity. — 5 years ago

Ted

8.9

Dry with citrus notes. — 2 months ago

Jay Kline

9.3

Opened about four hours prior to service and allowed to breath. Two bottles were opened tonight from the same cellar and one of the corks showed some small signs of seepage but both wines showed equally. No formal notes. The 1997 Opus One pours a fairly youthful looking deep ruby color with moderate signs of sediment and a near opaque core. The nose exhibited powerful aromas of dark fruits, organic earth, tobacco, leather, horse blanket (brettanomyces?!), and fine baking spices. On the palate, the wine is dry and the structure remains quite firm but the texture is plush and almost chewy. The notes on the nose are confirmed and the finish is long and satisfying.

But the tasting notes only tell half the story here. This was consumed alongside a 1990 Chateau Mouton Rothschild. Had these been served together double-blind, I would have absolutely understood if someone called both as left-bank Bordeaux. Yes, the texture was plush and yes, the color was dark(er), but only just. It was just waaaay more Old World leaning to me with the earth and presence of brett. Which makes me wonder, why hasn’t brett been noted very often in other TN’s for this wine? Only (Charlie Carnes and OneFive) really address it directly and maybe this is what most are getting at when they mention “Bordeaux-like” and all the Pauillac vibes. What I can confirm is that these notes were consistent between two bottles from the same case, still in their tissue paper, so I’m reasonably confident that this is characteristic of the 1997 Opus One. I digress; I liked the wine. There, I said it. It was a bit of a one foot in Old School Napa, one foot in New School Napa, handled with an Old World touch. I liked it even better side-by-side with the ’90 Mouton, especially considering the relationship between the two. That being said, folks that can’t get down with a little brett will be turned off by this vintage of Opus. In my case, I would enjoy another opportunity to drink the 1997 some time. Great now with some air to stretch its legs and should be enjoyable through the next decade.
— 2 years ago

Karyn Fricke

9.0

Classic Riesling, tangy lime acidity clean crisp finish and holding up exceptionally. — 2 years ago

Andy B

9.1

Delicious and bright. — 2 years ago

John Jaye

9.0

Lots of body and minerality. Excellent summer drink — 3 years ago

Randall Brater

8.9

Beautiful aromas. Good funk, spice and medium fruit. A little lacking on the finish. — 5 years ago

with Jason and Sean