Opus One is a Napa Valley winery established in 1979 as a joint venture between Baron Philippe de Rothschild of Chateau Mouton Rothschild in Bordeaux and Robert Mondavi of the Robert Mondavi Winery in California. The collaboration represented one of the first high-profile partnerships between a Bordeaux first growth and an American winemaker, and it was conceived as an effort to produce a single wine of the highest quality from Napa Valley fruit.
The winery is located in Oakville, California, on a 170-acre estate along the Silverado Trail and Highway 29. The property includes approximately 170 acres of vineyards planted primarily to Cabernet Sauvignon, with smaller proportions of Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot, and Malbec, mirroring the Bordeaux blend profile. The winery building, designed by Scott Johnson, opened in 1991 and features a distinctive limestone and redwood design.
Opus One produces a single proprietary red wine, released as a vintage-dated Bordeaux-style blend. The wine undergoes aging in new French oak barrels for approximately 18 months. Production is limited, typically yielding around 25,000 cases per vintage. The wine is distributed through fine wine retailers, restaurants, and the winery's allocation list.
The Rothschild family and Constellation Brands, which acquired the Mondavi portfolio, each hold a 50 percent stake in the joint venture. Opus One typically retails above $400 per bottle upon release, with older vintages commanding higher prices on the secondary market.