Wonderful to check in with this 2021 again, and I am reminded that it is the grace and the beauty of this wine that make it so special. Juicy, fragrant, reserved, love the purity of the fruit character, and the joy overall. Soft splendour, filled with chamomile, lavender, cassis, blood orange, blackberry, peach pit, rose stem, cigar box, crayon and graphite. 19 days skin contact, Michael Silacci director, harvest August 31 to September 24. Second lowest rainfall in Opus history, although very few heat spikes, making the reserved winemaking style even more impressive. As I said with the 2013 in this vertical, a note on my 100 point scores - the two are extremely different, so please be aware - this is exceptional classicism where the 2013 is exceptional opulence.

An enticing aroma of violets, cherry blossoms, fresh blue and black fruit and great structure define this beautiful, age-worthy wine. Subtle layering of fruit and oak spices between firm, fine-grained and supportive tannins gives it a calm intensity. So elegant and polished. Hints of cinnamon and graphite accent blackcurrant and blueberry flavors that linger and grow in a long finish. Already attractive to drink, but best after 2029.

The 2021 Opus One is a blend of 93% Cabernet Sauvignon, 4% Cabernet Franc, 2% Petit Verdot, and half a percent each of Malbec and Merlot. It was aged up to 19 months in 100% new French oak. It's a seamless wine with balletic elegance and grace. From a deep ruby-crimson colour comes heady red and violet floral notes, sandalwood, and rich brown spices nuanced by graphite and dried sagebrush. Medium to full-bodied with ultrafine-grained tannins, almost powdery, with gorgeous cranberry and raspberry fruits and a kind of juicy, woody, crushed pomegranate seed character. You really can't believe how light and ephemeral this wine is.

Tasted out of bottle, the 2021 Opus One is based on 93% Cabernet Sauvignon, 4% Cabernet Franc, 2% Petit Verdot, and splashes of Merlot and Malbec. This rich, full-bodied, concentrated Opus exhibits a deep ruby/plum hue as well as textbook notes of cedar pencil, graphite, tobacco, and a Graves-like scorched earth character. In my view, this is one of the finest vintages of this cuvée produced, and while it’s accessible today, it has another 30+ years of prime drinking ahead of it.

The 2021 Opus One is composed of 93% Cabernet Sauvignon, 4% Cabernet Franc, 2% Petit Verdot, and 0.5% each of Merlot and Malbec. It was bottled in July 2023. Deep garnet-purple in color, it comes barreling out of the glass with gregarious notions of creme de cassis, wild blueberries, and redcurrant jelly followed by hints of cedar chest, sassafras, vanilla pod, and dark chocolate plus a waft of lilacs. The medium to full-bodied palate delivers shimmery red, black, and blue fruit layers with a firm texture of rounded tannins and impressive tension, finishing long and fragrant.

(97+ points) The 2021 Opus One is one of the most elegant, polished Opus Ones in recent memory. Pliant and supple, with super-refined tannins, the 2021 has a ton to offer. It boasts gorgeous textural depth and resonance, not to mention superb balance. Dark red/purplish fruit, flowers, spice and mint caress the palate, framed by silky, ripe tannins that are the hallmark of a superior vintage. I can't wait to see how the 2021 develops. This is a stellar showing, certainly the best so far. -- Antonio Galloni

(96+ points) The 2021 Opus One is a blend of 93% Cabernet Sauvignon, 4% Cabernet Franc and 2% Petit Verdot, with the remaining 1% made up of Malbec and Merlot. Svelte and silky in feel, it boasts sedate, controlled aromas of cherries, cedar and sandalwood. It's medium- to full-bodied, restrained and poised, its softly dusty finish speaking to carefully managed extraction in a vintage concentrated by drought. - Joe Czerwinski

Basically pristine, with sleek cassis and damson plum fruit racing through atop mouthwatering apple wood, violet and iris notes. Very youthful, this is still ever-so-slightly tight as well as seriously long, with a bright twang of iron resonating beautifully through the finish, where a subtle, leathery strap of grip awaits. A long way to go. Cabernet Sauvignon, Petit Verdot, Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Malbec. Drink now through 2048. - JM