Winemaker Notes
A seemingly perfect growing season from bud break to the beginning of harvest, the 1979 vintage was challenged by rains in September. Early harvesting yielded clean, well-balanced fruit and a wine of resilience and finesse, described as having excellent balance, with a delicate but firm structure.
Blend: 80% Cabernet Sauvignon, 16% Cabernet Franc, 4% Merlot
Professional Ratings
-
Decanter
The inaugural vintage of Opus One, made from the same raw materials as the 1979 Mondavi Reserve, is still going strong, bursting with cedary black fruit, woodsmoke, asphalt and forest floor. On the palate the wine is mellow, layered and harmonious.
-
Wine Spectator
Fully mature and hanging on prettily, with tensile cedar, savory, dried orange peel and red currant notes. There’s a sanguine dash on the finish, along with a late twang of iron.
Undoubtedly proving its merit over and over, Napa Valley is a now a leading force in the world of prestigious red wine regions. Though Cabernet Sauvignon dominates Napa Valley, other red varieties certainly thrive here. Important but often overlooked include Merlot and other Bordeaux varieties well-regarded on their own as well as for their blending capacities. Very old vine Zinfandel represents an important historical stronghold for the region and Pinot noir is produced in the cooler southern parts, close to the San Pablo Bay.
Perfectly situated running north to south, the valley acts as a corridor, pulling cool, moist air up from the San Pablo Bay in the evenings during the hot days of the growing season, which leads to even and slow grape ripening. Furthermore the valley claims over 100 soil variations including layers of volcanic, gravel, sand and silt—a combination excellent for world-class red wine production.