Opus One’s 2023 Proprietary Red Wine is a Bordeaux-style blend from Oakville, built around 81% Cabernet Sauvignon with 7% Merlot, 6% Cabernet Franc, 5% Petit Verdot, and 1% Malbec. Harvest ran from September 14 to October 16. Several reviews highlight that the estate captured freshness in a long, even pick, with the finished wine coming in at 13.5% alcohol (as reported by Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate).
Winemaking details are unusually well documented for a flagship Napa red. Decanter reports fermentation “entirely with native yeasts in stainless steel,” with “a portion aged in amphora” before the wine spent 19 months in 95% new French oak. Jane Anson also notes 95% new oak and points to expanded sustainability work in 2023, including cover crops across the vineyard and regenerative farming.
Critically, 2023 is receiving excellent reviews, led by multiple 98-point scores. Antonio Galloni (Vinous) calls it “a super classic wine,” citing “brisk acids, fine tannins and lifted aromatics,” and adds, “The 2023 floats on the palate with understated finesse and lightness, but it’s not light in any way. This is class personified.” Jeb Dunnuck likewise awards 98 points and describes “cassis, black raspberries, spicy wood, flowers, and graphite,” concluding it is “ultra-classic” and cellar-worthy: “Drink 2025-2065.”
Decanter’s 98-point note leans into texture and polish, describing “satiny richness,” “intricately fine-knit tannins,” and a “long and mineral” finish with “graphite” and “a touch of black sea salt.” Jane Anson (98) calls it a “pretty stately beast” that “rewards patience,” with “chalk and slate texture of the tannins.”
Not every review stresses sheer power. Wine Spectator (95) frames it as “a lovely expression of the savory style,” noting lilac, red-fruit compote, tobacco accents, and a “fine-grained, cedar-tinged finish,” and reports 31,900 cases made with a drinking window of 2030–2048. Overall, the consensus is a structured, aromatic Opus One that prioritizes finesse while still carrying clear Oakville authority.
