Opus One (3 Liter) 1980 Front Label
Opus One (3 Liter) 1980 Front Label

Winemaker Notes

The 1980 season was one of the coolest on record. A two-week warm spell just before harvest increased grape sugars to hasten ripeness, resulting in rich, tannic, higher-acid wines.

The winemaking team of Tim Mondavi, of Robert Mondavi Winery, and Lucien Sionneau, the winemaker of Chateau Mouton Rothschild, would describe the vintage as spicy with cigarbox aromas and flavors, very ripe, full and rich.

Blend: 96% Cabernet Sauvignon, 4% Cabernet Franc

Professional Ratings

  • 91

    Softer-edged, with a caressing hint, this shows more burnished cedar, along with gently mulled red currant fruit. Savory and sanguine hints peek through on the finish, along with a subtle echo of menthol.

Opus One

Opus One

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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.

BMT427935_1980 Item# 427935