Opus One 2018 Demi (37,5cl)

Product info about Opus One 2018 Demi (37,5cl)

Opus One 2018 Demi is the estate's flagship red wine from Napa Valley in a 37.5 cl half bottle. It is a dry, Bordeaux-inspired blend built around Cabernet Sauvignon, offering the Opus One signature in a smaller, very practical format. For a focused dinner, a careful tasting or simply a moment when a full bottle is too much, the demi size makes real sense.

The background is part of the attraction. Opus One was founded as a collaboration between Baron Philippe de Rothschild of Château Mouton Rothschild and Robert Mondavi of Napa Valley. Its estate vineyards lie in the western part of Oakville, including parcels around the winery and within To Kalon Vineyard. The 2018 blend is led by 84% Cabernet Sauvignon, with Petit Verdot, Merlot, Cabernet Franc and a small share of Malbec adding detail.

The 2018 growing season in Napa Valley was marked by even conditions and milder temperatures. Harvest for Opus One began on 19 September and continued until 25 October. The wine spent 18 days on the skins and matured for 17 months in new French oak; 80% of the wine was fermented with indigenous yeasts selected by Opus One from its own estate vineyards.

At Drankenshop Broekmans, this is the kind of bottle we present as a serious Napa Valley reference rather than just a famous label. The vintage has been highly praised, with ratings including 99 points from James Suckling and 98 points from Robert Parker's Wine Advocate. With only the last bottles remaining, the half-bottle format becomes even more appealing for anyone wanting to experience Opus One 2018 with precision.

Opus One 2018 shows a deep dark-fruit profile, with cassis, blackberry, black cherry, boysenberry and black plum. Around that core come floral notes of violet, lavender, lilac and rose petal, joined by white pepper, graphite, slate and liquorice for a more savoury, mineral edge.

On the palate it is described as medium to full-bodied, with fresh acidity and polished, fine-grained tannins. The texture is creamy to silky. The finish is long, bringing back dark fruit, mineral notes, spice and chocolate-like tones, with coffee or espresso and, in some notes, earthy details such as black truffle and turned earth.