1986 Opus One

The 1986 Opus One surprises for its bright, racy personality. Here the fruit is distinctly high-toned, while the aromatics remain lifted and focused almost to the point of being piercing, which is needless to say unusual for a wine of this age. Then again, 1986 was a year of significant flooding, so it may simply be that the fruit was picked at lower levels of ripeness than the norm. Stylistically, the 1986 belongs alongside leaner vintages such as 1995 and 2011. The blend is 86% Cabernet Sauvignon, 9% Cabernet Franc and 4% Merlot.

Early budbreak, even longer growing season than 1985. To-Kalon fruit still. Patrick Leon of Mouton in charge. Cabernet Sauvignon 87%, Cabernet Franc 9%, Merlot 4%. Skin contact 21 days, 18 months in new French oak. Slightly watery rim. Good depth of crimson with muddy orange rim. Still quite youthful. Some oak! Gentle cassis. Good texture. Interesting combination of Californian-style fruit and Bordeaux winemaking. Tannins still evident. Acidity increasing. A bit awkward and gawky. (JR)

Most of the early Opus One vintages (1979-1986), have neither lived up to their early hype, nor the quality level implied by their bold pricing. The 1986 exhibits a medium dark plummy color with some lightening at the edge. The reluctant bouquet offers moderately intense, straightforward aromas of new oak, earth, and currants. Clipped and compressed on the palate, but elegant, with purity and a Bordeaux-like austerity, this appears to be a very good, yet polite and understated wine. It should last for 7-8 years, but I suspect it will continue to lose its fruit. The tasting notes for this section are from two single blind tastings, one conducted in May, 1996, in California, and the other in June, 1996, in Baltimore.