We’re fortunate to have been visiting the Napa and Sonoma Wine Country for about ten years. In those years, we have visited Opus One multiple times. As fellow wine enthusiasts and seasoned travelers, we understand that anonymous reviews in public travel forums often give little insight into the wine experience (and you often can’t gauge the experience of the person writing the review!). As the price of wine tours and wine tastings increases, we aim to help our fellow experience seekers know what to expect! In this blog, we’ve put together our insights on the renowned Opus One winery.
Things to Consider Before Purchasing an Opus One Tasting
The Opus One tour is ideal for anyone interested in a luxury wine tasting experience. It’s perfect for the following types of travelers:
Wine enthusiasts who want to see and taste the fruits of the historical collaboration between Napa’s Robert Mondavi and Bordeaux’s Baron Philippe de Rothschild of Château Mouton Rothschild
Wine collectors who want to taste the current vintage of Opus One, one older vintage of Opus One, and/or the winery’s second label Overture
Fans of architect Scott Johnson of Johnson, Fain & Pereira
Fans of Bordeaux-style wines
Fans of cult Cabernet Sauvignon-based wine
This experience is not ideal for wine enthusiasts looking for a fast, boisterous, casual tasting. This experience is not for wine lovers seeking out white wines, sweet wines, or a range of different wines. Finally, this wine tasting experience is not for travelers seeking out small, independently owned wineries specializing in bespoke grape varieties.
Before purchasing the Opus One wine tasting or tour experience, you will need to consider the following:
How much do you want to spend on the experience?
How long do you want to visit and what do you want to see?
Do you want to taste the current release or three different wines?
What is Opus One?
Opus One started as a partnership between Robert Mondavi and Baron Philippe de Rothschild. The aim was to craft a wine combining winemaking approaches from both Napa, California and Bordeaux, France. They aspired to craft a wine that would become their “Opus.”
While the two met first in 1970, it was not until 1984 that the first vintages (1979 and 1980) were released. Opus One was not crafted in the present facility in Oakville until 1991. Prior to 1991, the wine was made at the nearby Robert Mondavi winery.
To learn more about this partnership and its significance in American Wine History, check out the House of Mondavi. It’s quite amazing (from both from an enology and from a marketing perspective) that a First Growth Bordeaux - Château Mouton Rothschild - would partner with a newer winery from ‘upstarts’ in Napa Valley.
Opus One wine (and the second label wine Overture) are Bordeaux-style blends comprised of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot, and Malbec. The grapes in Opus One originate from the estate’s approximately 100 acres of vineyards.
Here are the pros and cons of an Opus One tasting experience at the winery.
Pros
A serene and elegant tasting experience
No one under 21 allowed
Great views of Napa Valley
Unhurried tasting experience
Arrive early and avoid crowds
Cons
Tasting fee not waived with purchase
No picnics, no pets
Plan several days ahead for reservation during the peak travel season
Choosing Your Experience
Booking
Opus One makes it very easy to book your visit. The website outlines several types of winery visits depending on your budget, interest, and desired experience. When you purchase your ticket online, you quickly receive an email confirmation.
There are a few tasting and tour options available. However, Guided Tours and Library Tastings are not available until the end of 2019 as the winery is undergoing renovations. Opus One Tasting Appointment at the Pavilion is the only tasting currently available during the renovation.
We purchased our tickets three days in advance for a 10:00 am tasting on a Sunday. The weekends can be very busy, as well as weekdays during summer and harvest. To avoid crowds and get more 1:1 attention, we recommend choosing tasting times earlier in the day.
Arriving
The Opus One winery is located near Oakville, California at 7900 St Helena Hwy, Oakville, CA 94562. It is located 70 miles north of SFO airport in San Francisco and 13 miles north of Napa, California. Drive time from downtown Napa is about 20 minutes in the off season, but can be an hour or more during peak season as the road narrows from four lanes to two lanes north of Napa.
If you are approaching the winery from the south on Highway 29, look for Oakville Grocery on your right. The entrance to Opus One is the next driveway on the right. If you approach the winery from Oakville Cross Road from the east, there is a service entrance that is sometimes open if you want to avoid Highway 29. If you approach the winery from the north on Highway 29, you will need to take a left turn across northbound traffic (which is not a pleasant experience on the busy weekend or on a rainy day!).
The gates to Opus One are closed outside business hours. However, there is enough room off of Highway 29 to pull off onto the driveway to get out of the flow of traffic.
As you approach the winery from the main driveway, you will see its distinct architecture, which say is reminiscent of a spaceship. There is ample parking on the north and south sides of the winery.
As you walk to the main entrance, you are greeted by creme colored limestone columns, olive trees, grassy lawn and the large wooden doors.
It is behind these doors where you find the concierge who will direct you to your tasting. During renovations, a temporary tasting pavilion will be set up near the winery.
Our Tasting Experience
On our most recent visit, we chose the Opus One Tasting Appointment as this was the only tasting currently available during the renovation. This tasting consists of one 2 oz. pour of 2013 Opus One, 2015 Opus One, and Overture for $75. Wines by the glass were also available for purchase.
The concierge checked us in and walked with us to the tasting salon called the Partners’ Room. The check-in process was much like a visit to a high-end department store like Saks or Bergdorf’s.
In the Partners’ Room (or Pavillion, during renovation) you can select wine by the glass or by the tasting flight.
Seating is available in the Partners’ Room as well as outside the tasting room. Alternatively, you can climb the stairs and take in the views of the Vaca and Mayacamas Mountains as well as a good portion of the Napa Valley.
We planned for 90 minutes to enjoy the wines and walk the grounds. Water and crackers are available upon request at no additional cost. Feel free to ask the host questions about the wine and winery - if the room is not crowded, most are happy to visit with you for several minutes to answer any questions. The staff has always been helpful in recommending additional tasting rooms, dining options, and lodging recommendations in the area.
When you return your glasses to the tasting salon, you have the option to purchase bottles of the wines you tasted. Opus One is distributed throughout the United States and the world, so check with the hostess in the Partners’ Room or Pavilion to find out if the wines are available in your state or hometown.
If you do purchase one or more bottles at Opus One, check out our article on getting your wines home safely.
Social Proof
Throughout the years, we’ve been sending friends and colleagues to this winery. Most enjoy the experience, as do many online reviewers. Like us, the positive reviews highlight a serene tasting environment, knowledgeable staff, a relaxed pace, great views, and attentive but not pushy service.
Most negative reviews of Opus One are on the topic of price and the winery not accommodating children and pets. Also, some visitors prefer ‘warm’ country-cozy ambiance or the rustic elegance they experience at some other wineries. This winery’s ambiance is much more ‘cool’ and Neo Classical, true to the intention of combining European traditions with California wine. There is only one style of wine to taste here, and some are disappointed in that as well.
Alternatives
We’ve visited 100 wineries in Napa Valley in the past 10 years, and as such, we’re able to provide recommendations for other wineries in the area should you find the price too high or you are simply not able to get in for a tasting.
Wineries that allow children
Robert Mondavi (30 minute tour that allows children)
Wineries that specialize in Bordeaux-style blends:
Other Cult Cabs:
Conclusions on Opus One Winery
If you like serene tastings and savoring one wine for 30 minutes or more, go here - you won’t regret it. Also go if you just want to see what all the fuss is about. We do recommend going during the off-season or in the morning hours before the crowds descend. We’ve never felt pressured to purchase wines after the tastings.
If you are looking for a boisterous experience that never gets too serious about wine, don’t go here. Don’t go here if you are looking for a glass of "cheap" wine or a bar-like experience.
If you are wanting to partake in a library tasting or a cellar tour, contact the winery and check when these tastings will be available again following construction.
Cheers!