Vibrant ruby red, dark cherry fruits, still with evident structure and tannic architecture. Traces of bitter almond, juicy blackcurrant and blackberry fruits, and a complex interplay of truffle, liqourice, blue cheese salinity, dried flowers. This is more austere than the 1983, but with so much life ahead of it, and a sense of momentum as it builds through the palate. Abundant sunsine and early harvest, early budbreak, this was the shortest growing season on record at the time. 17 days skin contact, winemakers Lucien Sionneau and Tim Mondavi.

A youthful medium to dark ruby color is followed by a spicy compact pleasant nose of black fruits vanillin and a touch of cedar. Medium-bodied with fine concentration adequate acidity and moderate tannin this wine offers above average straightforward drinking. More complexity (which I doubt will emerge given the wine's modest proportions) and additional extraction would have been beneficial. Once again the quality of my tasting notes for Opus One has declined with age.