The 2021 Opus One is a blend of 93% Cabernet Sauvignon, 4% Cabernet Franc and 2% Petit Verdot, with the remaining 1% made up of Malbec and Merlot. Svelte and silky in feel, it boasts sedate, controlled aromas of cherries, cedar and sandalwood. It's medium- to full-bodied, restrained and poised, its softly dusty finish speaking to carefully managed extraction in a vintage concentrated by drought. In 2025, winemaker Michael Silacci celebrates his 25th harvest with Opus One, a wine that has arguably grown in stature under his stewardship, despite starting from a lofty position. Founded as a joint venture between Robert Mondavi and Baron Philippe de Rothschild, Opus One now boasts its own winemaking team, vineyards and winery, while also sharing vineyard resources with Mondavi and receiving blending advice from the team at Ch?teau Mouton-Rothschild. For this tasting, Silacci and I were joined by Meghan Zobeck, newly appointed director of winemaking (previously winemaker at Burgess) and Alaina Velasquez, research manager. Velasquez's current project is attempting to isolate strains of malolactic bacteria. The winery already utilizes its own strain of yeast for primary fermentation.