2005 Opus One, Napa Valley, California, USA

Opus One was established as a joint venture between the late Robert Mondavi and the late Baron Philippe de Rothschild. The 2005 has an elegantly restrained nose of cassis and cedar - elegant and subtle. This elegance is once again clear on the palate, as chocolate notes and dark cherries are underpinned by a very fine, well integrated tannic structure that carries through to a long, peppery finish. This is not your stereotypical Californian cabernet - this is far more elegant, far less concentrated and far more complex. This is a must have, especially when equivalent quality Bordeaux first growths are now out of reach for most pockets.