This is the vineyard founded by Baron Philippe Rothschild of Ch Mouton Rothschild and Robert Mondavi in 1979. The name Opus One was chosen by Baron Philippe – Opus, a musical analogy denoting the first masterpiece of a composer. Hence it is the masterpiece of two wine genius from the old world and the new world.
The winery has a very contemporary design. From a distance, it looks like a spaceship. At least that was my impression when I visited the vineyard two years ago.
Opus One - The Vinyard
The waiting room had a strong European flair; there were many original pieces of art work and antique furniture in the sitting room. Apparently, they were from the private collection of the owners. When we strolled through the property on the wine tour, there was always classical music playing at the background. The name was chosen for an obvious reason – a music lover as well as a wine lover!
When we walked into the wine cellar with all the new French oak, the smell was remarkable. That was my first encounter with new French oak barrel. Even now, I could still remember the room and the smell of the oak; it is imprinted in my brain forever!
I could not found my tasting notes on the 2004 vintage we tasted at the end of the tour. It was the current vintage and was still very young. From memory, the color of the wine was deep ruby; on the nose were blackcurrant, leather and grass. On the palate, it was quite tannic with black fruit, and definitely still needs time to age.
Opus One is not a wine that you can find easily in wine shops or restaurants in Hong Kong. A bottle of the 2004 Opus One was selling at US$180 at the vineyard, it is expensive but is still on many wine collectors’ wish list!
Note: Virtual Tour of Opus One http://www.bpdr.com/gb/html/visit/opus/opus_courtyard.htm
Grape Wine Journey 
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