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Opus one is one of the most prestigious winery in California, very popular in Italy too. I could not miss this tour which has been warm, elegant and very interesting.

Opus One is 50% Robert Mondavi and 50% Rothschild, they get together to make “one opus”, a unique wine. And they have been successful! An imposing structure and a long tour have given me the chance to access for a day the charm of such a winery. As soon as I get there I told the winemaker I felt the elegance of the place and he immediately wanted to show me also the romantic side of it. He told me that they have a small production of olive oil, they do not sell it, they distribute it among the employers and not only. The labels of the olive oil are hand-made! Realized by the children of their employers (see pic)!

opus one bottle wine labels

opus one bottle wine labels

Their own laboratory, great attention to the human resources, silence and style are the main features of this place. It is also interesting the team building: experiment the winemaker has introduced: the people involved in the winemaking have been divided into 2 teams, each year they have to produce their own wine and each year they compete to win the competition! This way they can learn more about their job and feel really part of a team! Very nice the tour in the “cave” (see the video available on their website here).

The wine is very good! I tried the 2007 and the 2010 vintages to make a comparison between a new one and a little bit older one. The 2007 vintage offer aroma di ciliegia e anche cioccolato, a good complexity maybe a little bit astringent but long. The 2010 has red fruits aromas, an hard vintage but successful at the end.

Opus one is a blend of 4 grapes: Cab Sauvignon (the highest percentage), Merlot, Cab Franc, Petit Verdot, Malbec and the percentage depends on the vintages of course.

After the tasting I have had the chance to interview the PR Director: Christofer Barefoot (see pic).

opus one - christofer barefoot

opus one – christofer barefoot

They export the 50% of their production mostly in Japan and then In Europe, this is one of the most expensive wine from Napa. They are trying to approach the Chinese market better too. When we start to talk about the mktg&communication style I immediately realize I was facing a completely different approach this time: Christofer told me that of course they do not need to push the wine, it is sold as soon as they bottle it so thei communication approach aims at educating and selecting the customers! Their approach is conservative but they are investing a lot in the social media too to reach the younger generations. It is all about PR, and I agree so much with that!

 

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