USA

Opus One

The Top North American Releases This September


98 pts - Lisa Perrotti-Brown, Wine Advocate "Composed of 76% Cabernet Sauvignon, 9% Merlot, 7% Cabernet Franc, 5% Petit Verdot and 3% Malbec, the 2018 La Joie displays an opaque purple-black color, slowly unfurling to offer profound notes of crème de cassis, preserved plums and boysenberries, with hints of rare beef, pencil lead, black olives and lilacs, plus touches of fertile loam and crushed rocks. The medium-bodied palate has jaw-dropping elegance and poise, featuring a solid backbone of firm, very fine-grained tannins and bold freshness to support the intense mineral-laced black fruit layers, finishing long with loads of savory and floral sparks. Simply breathtaking!"

100 pts - Lisa Perrotti-Brown "A blend of 90% Merlot, 6% Cabernet Franc and 4% Malbec, the 2018 La Muse was matured 16 months in 100% new French oak barrels. Medium to deep garnet-purple in color, the nose delivers a powerful perfume of cherry pie, blackberry preserves and baked plums, followed by suggestions of red roses, cast-iron pan, underbrush and unsmoked cigars, plus wafts of licorice and oolong tea. Medium to full-bodied, the black fruit and exotic spice layers flow so gracefully over the palate, textured by plush tannins and lifted with seamless freshness, finishing epically long and achingly fragrant. The intensity and complexity of aromas and flavors—all waltzing in captivating harmony—cannot fail to make your head spin in the best possible way. Electrifying!"

97+ pts - Lisa Perrotti-Brown "Composed of 82% Cabernet Franc, 12% Merlot and 6% Malbec, the 2018 Le Désir was aged for 16 months in 100% new French oak. Deep garnet-purple in color, it is a little closed to begin, soon unfurling to offer glimpses at notes of kirsch, raspberry preserves and mulberry scents, plus hints of cedar chest, crushed rocks, bay leaves, Sichuan pepper and lavender with a waft of sandalwood. The medium to full-bodied palate has tons of freshness to support the melange of preserved red and black fruits, textured by grainy tannins, finishing with a lingering peppery kick. It may require just a little more time to come around than the La Joie and La Muse, and then I suspect this beauty is going to reward the patient."

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2018Proprietory Red, Quintessa6x75cl--£0CS(6)[Add to shopping basket]99 JS

99 pts - James Suckling "This is beautifully polished with firm, dusty tannins to the blue fruit, as well as chocolate and cedar character. Some much earthier character, too, from mushrooms to bark. Forest flowers. Perfumed. It’s full-bodied with round tannins and a soft, creamy finish. Some iron and iodine to this. So attractive at the finish. From biodynamically grown grapes. Better after 2023."

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2018Opus One, Mondavi & Rothschild6x75cl6-£1,580CS(6)[Add to shopping basket]98 LPB

98 pts - Lisa Perrotti-Brown, Wine Advocate "Very deep garnet-purple in color, the 2018 Opus One soars out of the glass with bright, bold boysenberries, warm cassis and ripe, juicy black plums notes, plus emerging nuances of lilacs, oolong tea, cinnamon stick, tilled soil and black truffles. Medium to full-bodied, the palate is packed with tightly wound layers of crunchy black fruits, supported by firm, grainy tannins and fantastic freshness, finishing with lifted fruitiness and on a lingering mineral note. Drink 2024-2058."

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0000Overture By Opus One, Mondavi & Rothschild (2021 Release)6x75cl--£585CS(6)[Add to shopping basket]93 JA
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2019Blancaneaux, Inglenook6x75cl--£216CS(6)[Add to shopping basket]92 JS

92 pts - James Suckling "Aromas of lemon curd, dried flowers, apricot and toast on the nose. It’s medium-to full-bodied with tangy acidity and a waxy texture. Almonds, waxed lemon and stones on the finish. Viognier, marsanne and roussanne. Drink Now."

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2018Cabernet Sauvignon, Inglenook6x75cl--£300CS(6)[Add to shopping basket]95 JS

93 pts - Antonio Galloni, Vinous "The 2018 Cabernet Sauvignon is all understatement. In this tasting, it is a bit quiet, with less exuberance than in some recent vintages. Dark red cherry, mocha, spice, cedar and licorice all open with a bit of time in the glass. Best of all, the 2018 will drink well pretty much upon release. Drink 2023-2033."

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2018Rubicon, Inglenook6x75cl--£726CS(6)[Add to shopping basket]97 JS

97 pts - James Suckling "Subtle and complex red with blackberry, black truffle, sweet tobacco and mahogany. Highlights of lavender and violets. Full-bodied and very tight with finesse and tension. Very polished, fine tannins. Long finish. Delicious already, but best after 2022."

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2018Cardinale Proprietary Red, Cardinale3x75cl--£710CS(3)[Add to shopping basket]98 LPB

98+ pts - Jen Dunnuck "The 2018 Cabernet Sauvignon is based on a blend of 90% Cabernet Sauvignon and 10% Merlot that spent 22 months in 81% new French oak. It’s a wonderfully complete, borderline perfect wine that shows the class of this estate as well as the vintage, revealing a seamless, full-bodied style that carries lots of blackcurrant, graphite, lead pencil, and tobacco aromatics, a deep, layered mid-palate, ultra-fine tannins, and flawless balance. As with most of Chris’s 2018s, it’s a wine that builds slowly with time in the glass, offering a layered, singular character. It’s a gorgeous 2018 that can be drunk today with ample pleasure, but it will ideally be given 4-6 years of bottle age, at which point it should evolve gracefully for 30-40 years."

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2019Cote A Cote, L'Aventure6x75cl--£375CS(6)[Add to shopping basket]96-99 JD

96-99 pts - Jen Dunnuck "The 2019 Cote a Cote might be the best yet, offering an incredible perfume of jammy blackberries, spice, and violets. The purity of fruit is stunning. It’s full-bodied, has a seamless, elegant texture, and is just a heavenly wine in the making. The blend is similar to the 2013 and 2014 and is one-third each of Syrah, Grenache, and Mourvèdre."

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2019Optimus, L'Aventure6x75cl--£215CS(6)[Add to shopping basket]96 JS

94-96 pts - Jen Dunnuck "The 2019 Optimus showed beautifully, displaying a soft, full-bodied, impressively textured style as well as the classic cassis and darker berry fruits along with the peppery notes this cuvée always shows."

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2019Estate Cuvee, L'Aventure6x75cl--£410CS(6)[Add to shopping basket]97-99 JD

97-99 pts - Jen Dunnuck "Lastly, the 2019 Estate Cuvee is 50% Syrah, 35% Cabernet Sauvignon, and the rest Petit Verdot, which is a classic blend for this cuvée. Not far from the style of the 2018, yet possibly slightly more approachable, it has a killer bouquet of jammy black and blue fruit as well as notes of smoked earth, crushed rock, and peppery herbs. Super-rich, full-bodied, and loaded with fruit, it nevertheless has purity, balance, and structure."