Opus One Winery

Opus One Winery began as a joint venture between Baron Philippe de Rothschild of Château Mouton Rothschild and Robert Mondavi. The founders met in 1970 to discuss a partnership that would combine French winemaking traditions with California viticulture, eventually launching the project in 1978. The first vintage was produced in 1979 and the wine was originally referred to as Napamedoc until the Opus One name was adopted in 1982. Ownership remains a 50/50 partnership between Baron Philippe de Rothschild S.A. and Constellation Brands, which took over the Mondavi share in 2004. The winery building, a semi-subterranean structure designed by architect Scott Johnson, was completed in 1991.

The estate consists of 169 acres across four vineyard parcels in the Oakville AVA. These include 100 acres within the To Kalon Vineyard alongside the Ballestra and River parcels that surround the winery. Winemaking is led by Michael Silacci and Meghan Zobeck, the latter of whom was appointed Director of Winemaking in 2025. The technical team utilizes hand-harvesting and intensive sorting before fermenting the juice, often using native yeasts isolated from the estate vineyards. The wine undergoes roughly 20 days of skin contact and ages for 18 months in new French oak barrels. Following bottling, the wine is held for another 15 months to ensure it has sufficient maturity before its release each October.

The winery is best known for its flagship red blend which typically features a high percentage of Cabernet Sauvignon balanced by Petit Verdot, Cabernet Franc, Merlot, and Malbec. It also produces Overture, a multi-vintage second wine created from estate lots that display a more approachable profile. Opus One was the first California wine to enter the international market through European distribution networks. This global reach has established the wine in over 90 countries. The producer follows a style that emphasizes balance and restraint, frequently achieving lower alcohol levels than many of its neighbors while maintaining a reputation for long-term aging potential.