Yes, as far as I know Michael Silacci is still making the wine, as he has for quite some time. To my knowledge Opus has relative autonomy from both Constellation and Mouton, although representatives from both partners sit on the management committee. I can’t recall if Opus’s access to fruit changed at all when the Mondavi sale took place.
I recently had he 2006. It was on the thin side by big ripe Napa cab standards but super well balanced and exceptionally well made which I appreciate and enjoy a lot more. That said I definitely would not buy that wine/vintage for the price given the alternatives.
Yikes. Last bottle I purchased was the 1990 from the Costco in Richmond (Ca.) for $45. Must have been…1993? 1994? At the time the Mondavi Reserve was around $15 (also at Costco.) I just remember that as a college student it was cost prohibitive to taste at Opus- especially when you could swing by a place like Caymus without an appointment and for $2 taste their wines and walk out with a glass. I think tastings were something like $10-15. Ah, the “good old days,” when a trip to Napa was a cheap date, and a $10 for a tasting was highway robbery!
Count me as a fan, and I am pretty high on the AFWE scale. I do not drink Opus One very often, but for me it is a very useful and appropriate choice in a number of circumstances. It is balanced, complex, well made and a rare example of a high end and complex wine that is also pretty approachable its entire life. My most recent encounter was a small glass of the 1984 at a group tasting last year and it was wonderful- as well as being almost exactly as I remembered it being in the late 90s. Sure, it had developed more tertiary flavors and aromatics here and there- but was still a largely fresh and beaming wine.
It is the perfect choice when you are having a steak dinner and need something that will impress- both for the label and the contents of the bottle- that you can rely on being approachable and enjoyable whether it is 5 or 25 years old. And within that realm, I think Opus is qualitatively at the top. I always keep some on hand for that moment when I need something really good that is also not going to be complicated to deal with in terms of decanting, predicting which vintage to open etc.
If you are fan of Mondavi Reserve, I think you will like Opus One. Very different wines, but both very high quality and showy in their ways.
I would recommend the 2018, which Cameron Hughes is offering next week at $9.75 per bottle.
You mean de Negoce?