By: AJ McClellan
We just tasted the newest release of 2009 Opus One. The wine was opened three hours before we tasted it and it was singing in the glass. The nose showed deep black fruit, lavender, cedar, and huge sandalwood. Once I tasted the wine it exploded on the palate. Huge tannins with brooding black cherry and overripe plums are in the forefront with a backend of heavy wooden tannins and thick leather strips.
There are a few technological advances on the new Opus that are of note as well (which actually started in 2008). There is a NFC (Near Field Communication) chip under the UPS code which is tracks the provenance of the wines and helps to prevent counterfeiting. There is also a QR code on the bottle that you can use to watch a video that the winemaker has prepared on the wine and the growing season, you can also use the QR code to book a personal tour…