Opus One Vintage 2015

When Baron Philippe de Rothschild and Robert Mondavi shook hands in 1979, their explicit brief was to build a Pauillac in Oakville — a directive that still governs every decision at the estate. The 2015 vintage was grown on four estate parcels anchored by the historic To Kalon Q Block, a 35-acre alluvial fan of gravelly clay loam washed down from the Mayacamas Mountains, sitting above geothermal-warmed soils with afternoon air drawn in from San Pablo Bay creating the diurnal shift that locks in acidity. Each parcel was vinified separately in its own dedicated stainless-steel tank — one of approximately 50 vats — using native yeasts isolated from each vineyard site, with all fruit, must, and wine moved exclusively by gravity through the slope-built winery. The wine aged 18–20 months in 100% new French oak in the semi-circular underground Grand Chai, then received an additional 18 months of bottle age before release, totalling roughly three years from harvest to market. Fining was carried out with fresh egg whites after final racking. What sets Opus One apart from every Oakville peer is its deliberate early-picking window, targeting Bordeaux Left Bank structure over Napa ripeness — graphite and cedar architecture over extracted fruit weight. The 2015 vintage, drawn from a warm, even-ripening California season, delivers concentrated dark fruit framed by fine-grained tannins; drink now through 2035+.