Opus One 2012

The iconic 2012 Proprietary Red Opus One is a blend of 79% Cabernet Sauvignon, 7% Cabernet Franc, 6% Petit Verdot, 6% Merlot and 2% Malbec aged 18 months in French oak. A classy, complex, suave and savory 2012 Opus One, with notes of toasty oak and crème de cassis. This Pauillac lookalike, made by the staff at Mouton Rothschild, is a beauty. They have continued to strengthen the quality of wine and seem to have produced a brilliant, world-class wine. I imagine the 2013 may even eclipse this, but this 2012 is one of their great ones, with a seamless integration of acidity, tannin, alcohol and wood all present in this beautiful, full-bodied wine that should drink well for 25-30 years.

One of the most exciting ever from Opus. So much character, with blackcurrant, blueberry, dark chocolate and forest flower. A full body with seamless tannins. October release.

The 2012 Opus is developing nicely in bottle, and some additional complexity has already emerged to complement its Rubenesque fruit: its lavish blackberry and mulberry aromas are now married with emerging nuances of tobacco leaf, rich soil, graphite and dark spice.On the palate this remains a very polished, comparatively open-knit rendition of Opus One, but again, savoury dimensions are developing which augment its complexity, and its spine of acidity seems rather more refreshingly present.Drink 2016-26