“You get the Napa richness in the fruit concentration but it’s so well defined and still with a graceful power.” - Decanter

Opus One ‘Overture is NOW A SINGLE VINTAGE! Long time Operative will remember the phenomenal prior release that had both the 2018 and the 2019 harvest represented. Originally conceived as a “an expression of place across time,” Overture was traditionally made as a multi-vintage blend. It was also a bit of an insider’s secret, primarily sold at the winery. But NO LONGER!

Starting with the 2021 vintage, Opus One decided to bottle Overture as a single-vintage wine in keeping with their desire to fully embrace the growing season as a lens for their terroir. Decanter explains the history, “a fine, fruity and extremely likable second wine from Opus… Overture comprises roughly 10-15% of the total Opus production. First released in 1993 and was, until 2014, primarily sold via cellar door. More than 50 lots are vinified separately then blended and aged…”

So, what you get is a baby 2022 Opus less than half the big one’s price. Anyone remotely serious about wine has had Opus One, most of us stash a few away and try to keep our paws off them. Well, here is the solution! A case or two of Overture around will give your Opus One a chance to age…

In Decanter’s review of this new release, they complement the wine for being, “Full and expressive, warming tones but great acidity that gives such lift. Lovely purity and drive, this has a great sense of confidence - nothing overdone, really pristine and finessed.”

While softer and readier than the big Opus, which is a plus in the book of the impatient, it still offers that unmistakable “Opusness,” the Opus magic, or Opus Pocus if you will. With the 2022 Opus One commanding an esteemed slot in one’s cellar, this one sure delivers the goods as a true second wine to enjoy now (and it makes Le Petit Mouton look bad at $300 a bottle).

Hurry, though – Just 5 six packs was all we were allocated, while it lasts.

94 Points – Decanter “Gorgeous Cabernet aromas, clear and crystalline, some herbal notes with a cool blueberry and chalky element. Rose scents, dark cherries and cinnamon bark. Full and expressive, warming tones but great acidity that gives such lift. Lovely purity and drive, this has a great sense of confidence - nothing overdone, really pristine and finessed. If anything it’s not super heavy, but it’s the better for it. You get the Napa richness in the fruit concentration but it’s so well defined and still with a graceful power. Yum. 0.5% Petit Verdot completes the blend. Drink 2026 – 2038”