2010 Napa: Opus One

2010 in Napa was one of the most unpredictable years in Napa's recent history. The growing season began with a series of rainfalls that foreshadowed a late harvest, also making it one of the coldest and longest seasons to date. The summer remained generally cool in the context of Napa, but a series of heat spikes in late August surprised winemakers after they had de-leafed the vines, looking for optimal ripeness. With some estates, this miscalculation resulted in sunburned grapes. The challenge, explains Michael Silacci, technical director at Opus One, was to predict Mother Nature's moves and channel them into something positive. 

In this video, Michael sums up 2010 and explains how the vintage expressed itself in the wines. As he describes it, the wines show herbal characteristics of the Old World, but they also have the cassis character typical of New World wines. 

Watch the video and find out what other qualities are found in the exceptional 2010 vintage in Napa. 

Also be sure to check out the recent tasting report on 2010 and 2011 Napa Valley cabernet.

-JGAL