Opus One, Napa Valley 2015

Purity and brilliance on the nose with so much currant and flower character. Roses, currant bush and fresh leaves, too. Brightness is the word that comes to mind. Full-bodied and broad-shouldered. Juicy and so gorgeous now. Balance is so wonderful here. All about harmonious fruit and tannin balance. I like it slightly better than the excellent 2014. 81% cabernet sauvignon, 4% petit verdot, 7% cabernet franc, 6% merlot and 2% malbec. Drink or hold.

The 2015 Opus One is every bit as glorious as it was on release. I am so taken with the wine's freshness and verve. Flowers, red-toned fruit, spice and blood orange are very finely delineated. In its youth, the 2015 was decidedly exotic and flamboyant. Time has done a lot to settle down some of that initial exuberance. Today, the 2015 doesn't have the mid-palate body of some years, but that actually plays in its favor. The profile is also distinctly on the red-fruited end of the spectrum. Time is the ultimate judge when it comes to wine, and the 2015 exceeds all expectations.

Ripe red and black fruits, Asian spice, leather, flowery incense, and hints of chocolate all define the aromatics of the 2015 Opus One. Full-bodied, deep, rich, and opulent on the palate, it has a gorgeous mid-palate, ripe, velvety tannins, and a great finish. It shows the riper, sunny, sexy style of the vintage and will cruise in cold cellars over the coming two decades or more. Drink 2025-2045.

“This wine was too much—too much like a caricature for me,” winemaker Michael Silacci confessed to me while tasting the 2015 Opus One together again recently. “So, when we took it out of barrel to prepare for bottling we added a few more components.” Medium to deep garnet-purple color, it bursts from the glass with beautiful violets, lavender, rose hip tea and chocolate-covered cherries scents over a core of crushed blackberries, black cherries, cassis and iron ore. Medium to full-bodied, the palate is wonderfully bright and crunchy, with bags of fresh black and red berries and a wonderfully plush, finely grained texture, finishing long and fragrant.

The hottest vintage since 2008, this is full of spice and still an absolute baby. Touch of heat through the mid-palate, but it's seductive and luxurious, with cocoa, espresso and black chocolate notes that barely let up. A wine that you want to lean in to - and again a wine that needs time in bottle. If you can't wait, make sure you find an uninterrupted evening and a large carafe - this needs time and oxygen to edge towards uncurling these tight, rich flavours. Seam of acidity promises great things ahead. 2% Malbec, 4% Petit Verdot completes the blend, 21 days skin contact.