Opus One 2017 has been released at €215 per bottle ex-négociant, down 4.4% on the 2016 release (€225). The wine is being offered by the international trade at £2740 per 12×75, a 6.8% decrease from the 2016 opening price of £2940 per case.
During the 2017 vintage in Napa, wildfires ravaged the Northern California area affecting both the size and taste (smoke taint) of the harvest. Antonio Galloni in his first impressions on the region, stated “readers will have to be very selective”, there are “some examples where smoke taint is impossible to ignore”. However, Lisa Perrotti-Brown informed that “Opus one had picked 91% of their fruit before the fires started in 2017, and only two lots were eliminated from consideration”. Volumes released however are said to be down 27% on the previous year.
Antonio Galloni awarded the wine 95 points, saying it is “one of the most complete wines of the vintage,” and “has a distinctly red-toned fruit profile that distinguishes it from the surrounding vintages”.
Lisa Perrotti-Brown also gave the wine 95 points, the top range of her barrel score (92-95). She observed the wine as “medium bodied, the palate has a lively skip in its step, featuring bags of juicy raspberry and cassis-laced fruits and a refreshing line, supported by ripe, plush tannins, finishing long and graceful”.
Prices for Opus One are not closely correlated to critic scores, instead the vintages have appreciated in price with the passing of time. The chart below shows an 81% correlation between the price of the wine and the bottle age. Buyers looking for additional bottle age may consider the 2014 vintage; at a slight premium it also carries a score of 96 points.
