![]() ![]() Much of the thinking was borrowed from the Bordelais, who routinely battle inclement weather throughout the growing season. The entire contemporary approach to winegrowing, from vine trellising to leaf removal to harvesting mature grapes, came of age in the past 20 years. ![]() Other wineries are often slower to make needed adjustments. Mondavi doesn't like to lose blind tastings, but he always participates too many of today's top winemakers know only the good times and won't show their wines in off-vintage retrospective tastings - they're worried that less-than-flattering reviews might tarnish their images.īecause he studies vintages carefully, Mondavi and his staff have learned from past mistakes and are better able to apply their knowledge to future wines. These days, there are so many excellent wines being made that no one winery dominates year after year. Mondavi's competitive spirit has benefited California wine. His willingness to examine his wines and learn from their strengths and weaknesses has helped keep Opus (and Mondavi Reserve Cabernets) on the cutting edge. Moreover, even at age 86, he is far younger mentally and more open-minded than most of the brightest minds in wine today. His family initially resisted him when he mentioned a possible alliance with Rothschild, but he prevailed. Mondavi's drive to excel - not to mention his amazing capacity for knowledge and his ability to experiment and change - cannot be overstated. Who better to learn from and share ideas with than an able and willing partner from France? ![]() Mondavi's desires to make finer wines and to expand globally were a perfect fit. Rothschild's curiosity about the potential of California wines led to discussions about a possible joint venture. Opus would never have been conceived were it not for the foresight of its two founders, Robert Mondavi, the famous Napa Valley winemaker, and Baron Philippe de Rothschild of Bordeaux's Château Mouton-Rothschild. Perhaps coincidentally, perhaps not, these changes have paralleled Opus' rise to international prominence. Now, after 20 vintages, many important things have changed - things that influence the way wine is made as well as how we think about wine. Opus One is not the be-all and end-all of wines, but it deserves its due. ![]()
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