Wine Lovers -- Is this a good wine?

[Bob Slydell]

I'm not a big wine aficionado -- I like a glass every now and then, but I'm in no way an "expert".

So, anyways, a couple days ago a box shows up at our door. As thanks for some long hours DW put in the past couple months (e.g. 100+ hour weeks), the managing partner of her firm sent her some wine. 2 bottles of 2002 Opus One, to be specific. I think I've heard of it before, but I've never had it. Is it a good wine?

 

[TEENEE]

In my opinion any wine that you like the taste of is a good wine. I don't know anything about the wine you mentioned.

 

[Crankyshank]

Opus One is pretty highly rated. It's a bit beyond my price range but my Uncle loves it.

 

[lillygator]

yep - a good wine, well we like it!

 

[liamsaunt]

Opus One? Yes, indeed. You are lucky! Enjoy it.

PS: the retail on that wine is around $150/bottle.

 

[Bob Slydell]

Opus One? Yes, indeed. You are lucky! Enjoy it.

PS: the retail on that wine is around $150/bottle.

So cracking it open with pizza one night probably not a good idea?

Thanks guys -- we'll have to think of some good occasions to enjoy it.

 

[ducklite]

VERY nice wine! Opus One is the brainchild/joint-venture of Robert Mondavi and Baron Rothschild. It's a bordeaux alternative with mostly cabernet sauvignon grapes, and a blend of merlot and a few others added for a very rich, full bodied taste and texture.

2002 is probably the most recent year on the shelves right now, it was an excellent year for almost all wines. Although it's drinkable now, I'd probably allow it to age for a few years.

I'm going to guess that it's going to run in the $175/bottle range, but that's just a guess based on what other vintages have run and that 2002 was a very fine year for California wineries.

Anne

 

[RUDisney]

VERY nice wine! Opus One is the brainchild/joint-venture of Robert Mondavi and Baron Rothschild. It's a bordeaux alternative with mostly cabernet sauvignon grapes, and a blend of merlot and a few others added for a very rich, full bodied taste and texture.

2002 is probably the most recent year on the shelves right now, it was an excellent year for almost all wines. Although it's drinkable now, I'd probably allow it to age for a few years.

I'm going to guess that it's going to run in the $175/bottle range, but that's just a guess based on what other vintages have run and that 2002 was a very fine year for California wineries.

Anne

Just to add something to Anne's comments. DON'T store this in your kitchen wine rack. If you are going to store it, pick the darkest and coolest part of your cellar and keep it on its side so the cork stays moist.

This type of wine is called a meritage. It is pronounced like heritage. Basically, it means that it is a blended wine.

Opus One is an excellent wine. When you are going out to a wonderul dinner, you can take it with you and pay the corking fee to the restaurant even if it is not a BYOB establishment. This wine will be better than most on the restaurant's list and if it is on the wine list, it will be priced at $300+. Worth taking your own bottle, for sure. And, contrary to what my DH thinks... it's not insulting to take a special bottle of wine to a restaurant.

 

[mickeyboat]

I bought a bottle for a friend's wedding. I paid $150, and I think it was 2001. As luck would have it, she shared . It was yummy! But there are other wines on the market that I like just as much.

Save it for a special occasion, and enjoy it! Congrats to your wife for a job well done.

Denae

 

[diznygirl]

Opus! I am soooooooooo VERY jealous!!

Yes, it is a very good wine. Enjoy!

 

[Cosmic_Charlie]

Do yourself a favor and take a few wine tasting classes or at least attend some wine tastings. You can learn about different wines and educate your pallete while your Opus ages. You will get so much more out of the opus if you season your pallete a bit. If not you may as well be drinking a 5 dollar bottle.

 

[diznygirl]

Do yourself a favor and take a few wine tasting classes or at least attend some wine tastings. You can learn about different wines and educate your pallete while your Opus ages. You will get so much more out of the opus if you season your pallete a bit. If not you may as well be drinking a 5 dollar bottle.

That's a good point. We tried Opus during a weekend of wine tasting in Napa. We could definitely tell the difference between the quality of the wines by the time we got to Opus. We learned that they use gravity to sort their grapes, instead of machines, so as not to damage the grape. Less skin in the wine = less tannins = equals a less bitter taste. Boy, were they right!

 

[PolyAnna]

Well now I want some. Care to share with a new poster?

 

[Brutie]

I'm not a wine expert either but my hubby collects it and has around 4-5000 bottles of it. He does have several bottles of Opus One and they are quite spendy indeed.
When we go to Napa we usually go to Opus because their grounds are really pretty to visit and walk around but they charge (at our last visit) $25.00 to taste and you get the same little bit there that you do at other wineries.
As for storing it, all wines should be stored laying down where the wine will keep the cork moist and around 55 is the best temp if you can control it. I only know that cause thats what we keep the temp around in the wine vaults.

 

[Poohnatic]

Do yourself a favor and take a few wine tasting classes or at least attend some wine tastings. You can learn about different wines and educate your pallete while your Opus ages. You will get so much more out of the opus if you season your pallete a bit. If not you may as well be drinking a 5 dollar bottle.

ITA. DH and I started buying wine by the case from a direct wine merchant last year. We're amazed, in ONE year, how much our palates have refined and gone to drier wines (we drink more red than white now). If you take classes or attend tastings on a regular basis, you'll appreciate that bottle now.

Heck, we went from Beringer (3.77 a bottle) to some wines that are 25.00 a bottle and think THAT'S splurging, lol.

Hope your wife gets some R&R soon after all those tax season 100 hour weeks!

Suzanne

 

[diznygirl]

I'm not a wine expert either but my hubby collects it and has around 4-5000 bottles of it. He does have several bottles of Opus One and they are quite spendy indeed.
When we go to Napa we usually go to Opus because their grounds are really pretty to visit and walk around but they charge (at our last visit) $25.00 to taste and you get the same little bit there that you do at other wineries.
As for storing it, all wines should be stored laying down where the wine will keep the cork moist and around 55 is the best temp if you can control it. I only know that cause thats what we keep the temp around in the wine vaults.

The winery tour is free, but is by appt only. And it has to be set up by a wine merchant. My aunt and uncle were wine-buyers, and their local store set it up for them. The cool thing is - a free glass of Opus at the end of the tour!

I should say - this is how it was when we went. Time flies, and that was about 6 years ago.