Opus One 2016

Opus One 2016 is a Bordeaux-style red blend from Oakville, Napa Valley, bottled at 14.2% ABV in a 750ml format. Awarded 99 points by James Suckling and 98 points from both Robert Parker's Wine Advocate and Decanter, the 2016 vintage stands among the most critically lauded releases in the estate's history.

Quick Facts: ABV: 14.2%  |  Origin: Oakville AVA, Napa Valley, California  |  Vintage: 2016  |  Producer: Opus One Winery

Production & Heritage

Opus One Winery was founded in 1979 as a joint venture between Robert Mondavi and Baron Philippe de Rothschild of Château Mouton Rothschild, uniting Napa Valley ambition with Bordeaux pedigree. The 2016 vintage is composed of 77% Cabernet Sauvignon, 8% Petit Verdot, 8% Merlot, 5% Cabernet Franc, and 2% Malbec — all hand-harvested from estate vineyards in the Oakville AVA. Grapes are gravity-fed into stainless steel fermentation tanks, each dedicated to a single lot and used only once per harvest, allowing fermentation and maceration to proceed at an unhurried pace tailored to the character of each vineyard block.

Tasting Notes

Aroma: The wine opens with a deep purple hue and an expressive bouquet of fresh black cherry, crème de cassis, and blueberry. Layers of baking spice, vanilla, and cedary oak give way to more delicate notes of spring florals, sage, rosemary, and black olive.

Taste: The palate entry is generous and juicy, with black cherry, blackberry, and cassis flooding the mid-palate in concentrated waves. Full-bodied yet remarkably pure, the wine carries no hard edges — ripe, fine-grained tannins support an elegant architecture underscored by graphite-like mineral tension. A sense of harmony and liveliness runs through every layer.

Finish: Long, graceful, and deeply satisfying, with lingering impressions of dark chocolate and espresso. The tannins maintain their velvety texture through a finish that sustains its poise and slowly fades without any harsh or drying note.

How to Drink Opus One 2016

This wine is at its best served neat in a large-bowled Bordeaux glass at around 60–65°F, with a 30- to 60-minute decant to let the aromatic complexity fully unfold. Its structured tannins and concentrated fruit also reward patient cellaring through at least the late 2030s. Given the wine's stature and layered personality, cocktail applications are not recommended — it is built for contemplative drinking.

Best For

• Marking a milestone anniversary, birthday, or retirement celebration
• Gifting a serious wine collector with a benchmark Napa Valley vintage
• Pairing with an elaborate multi-course dinner centered on red meat
• Adding a 99-point vintage to a long-term cellar collection

Frequently Asked Questions

What does Opus One 2016 taste like? The dominant profile centers on concentrated black cherry, blackberry, and cassis, framed by velvety tannins and accented by dark chocolate, espresso, and graphite minerality. It is full-bodied with remarkable purity and an exceptionally long, graceful finish.

How does Opus One 2016 compare to Dominus 2016? Both are Bordeaux-style blends from Napa Valley's most acclaimed appellations — Opus One from Oakville and Dominus from Yountville — and both scored in the high 90s from major critics in the 2016 vintage. Opus One tends toward a more polished, harmonious expression with pronounced cassis and floral aromatics, while Dominus often leans into earthier, more savory territory.

Is Opus One 2016 good for cellaring? The wine's fine-grained tannin structure, concentrated fruit, and mineral backbone give it significant aging potential, with most critics suggesting a drinking window extending well into the 2030s and beyond. It is already approachable with decanting but will continue to develop complexity over time.

Where is Opus One 2016 made? Opus One 2016 is produced at Opus One Winery in Oakville, a sub-appellation of Napa Valley in northern California. The estate sits along the western benchland of Oakville, an area prized for its deep alluvial soils and consistent growing conditions for Cabernet Sauvignon.

What foods pair well with Opus One 2016? Grilled prime ribeye or filet mignon matches the wine's weight and tannin structure. Braised short ribs echo its dark fruit and spice. Roasted lamb rack with rosemary mirrors the herbal undertones in the bouquet. Aged hard cheeses like Comté or Parmigiano-Reggiano complement the savory finish. Dark chocolate desserts tie into the wine's cocoa and espresso notes.

What sizes does Opus One 2016 come in? The standard release is a 750ml bottle; Opus One also produces magnums (1.5L) and occasionally larger formats, though availability of larger sizes varies by vintage and market.

Is Opus One 2016 worth the price? Opus One 2016 positions firmly in the ultra-premium tier of Napa Valley wine, and the near-perfect critical consensus — 99 from James Suckling, 98 from Wine Advocate and Decanter, 97 from Jeb Dunnuck, 96 from Wine Spectator — places it among the most decorated vintages in the estate's portfolio. For collectors and enthusiasts seeking a benchmark Napa Bordeaux blend with proven aging potential, the 2016 delivers at a level commensurate with its category standing.

Why Opus One 2016?

The 2016 vintage represents a near-consensus pinnacle for Opus One, drawing five major critic scores of 96 points or above — a concentration of acclaim that few Napa Valley wines achieve in any single vintage. Its Oakville AVA provenance, five-grape Bordeaux architecture, and the estate's distinctive single-use tank fermentation protocol result in a wine of uncommon purity and polish. The blend — dominated by 77% Cabernet Sauvignon and supported by Petit Verdot, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, and Malbec — delivers both power and restraint. Among recent Opus One releases, the 2016 stands as a reference point for the estate's ambition and the quality the Oakville terroir can achieve in an outstanding California growing season.