2022 Opus One Red Wine Napa Valley 750 ml

In 1978, in what’s known as the Bedroom Summit, Robert Mondavi and Baron Philippe de Rothschild cemented their plan for Opus One. The idea had been cooking since the men first met eight years earlier, and now—as we offer you the 42nd vintage—Opus One stands as one of the great wines of the world. And as the 2022 vintage shows, winemaker Michael Silacci is pushing the standard even higher.

“We’re always pursuing nuances,” Silacci told us a few summers ago. “We never really make huge changes. It’s the sum of all nuances that make a difference, so we’re constantly fine-tuning what we do, whether that’s in the vineyard or the cellar.” Considering that 15 of Wine Advocate’s top 16 vintages of Opus One have come on his watch, the effort has been a success. 

Opus One’s goal is to make a wine that is true to its terroir. They mean what they say, going as far as isolating 50 different yeast strains from the vineyard and narrowing them down to their six favorites. Great pains are taken in the cellar to monitor the yeasts’ health so they can complete fermentations without any reductive aromas. The 2022 shows this diligent attention to detail, transmitting the voice of its Oakville soils with impeccable clarity.

Even in light of sustained acclaim, Silacci remains humble. He takes occasional wine classes at Napa Valley College (and makes the instructor swear not to reveal his identity). He also once gave an impromptu hour-long tour of Opus One to two visitors who seemed lost. Only at the very end—when one guest complimented him on his vast knowledge of the operation—did he mention he was the winemaker. 

Opus One grows on four unique vineyard plots in the choicest section of Oakville: the Ballestra and River Parcels, which flank the winery itself, and To Kalon North and South, located across Highway 29. At harvest, the fruit goes directly into the immaculate winery, where 170 acres’ worth of grapes are judged, one by one, as worthy or unworthy of Opus One. From vineyard to tank, the journey rarely takes over twelve hours. 

The 2022 vintage, dominated by 80% Cabernet Sauvignon, is one of the standout editions the winery has produced in the 40+ years since the Bedroom Summit.