In St-Emilion and Pomerol, the blends are Merlot dominated as Cabernet Sauvignon can struggle to ripen there - when it is included, it adds structure and body to the wine. However 100% Cabernet Sauvignon wines can be slightly hollow-tasting in the middle palate and Merlot with its generous, fleshy fruit flavours acts as a perfect foil by filling in this cavity. It is particularly suited to the dry, warm, free- draining, gravel-rich soils and is responsible for the redolent cassis characteristics as well as the depth of colour, tannic structure and pronounced acidity of Médoc wines. In the Médoc and Graves the percentage of Cabernet Sauvignon in the blend can range from 95% ( Mouton-Rothschild) to as low as 40%. This is actually the archetypal Bordeaux blend, though in different proportions in the sub-regions and sometimes topped up with Cabernet Franc, Malbec, and Petit Verdot. The cooler and northern regions, closer to the Atlantic coast (Sonoma), are more suitable for cooling Pinot Noir and Chardonnay, while inland - Napa - is home to the most famous red wines in California based on Cabernet Sauvignon.Cabernet Sauvignon lends itself particularly well in blends with Merlot. Perhaps the most distinctive and terroir variety in California (and in the United States as a whole) is Zinfandel (Primitivo in Italy), which has found wonderful conditions for development here. The main varieties grown in California are Cabernet Sauvignon and Chardonnay, but recently Pinot Noir, Merlot and Syrah wines have also been successful. Today, California hosts some of the world's largest wine companies, as well as some boutique wineries with cult and expensive wines, the subject of connoisseurs and collectors. However, California wines have only gained worldwide fame in the last few decades - and especially after the Paris verdict of 1976, when in a blind tasting, Californian representatives in both white and red wines won without appeal to the French. The country's viticultural history dates back to the 18th century, when settlers and missionaries made their way to the west coast. And when you add the relief diversity - mountains, valleys, plains and plateaus, it becomes clear that there is a truly amazing selection of terroirs. It extends to an impressive ten degrees latitude, which inevitably offers a variety of climatic and microclimatic conditions. Learn more All wines of the same producerĬalifornia is the largest and most important wine region in the United States. Without a doubt, Opus One is one of the best and most famous wineries in California. They spend extra time in the barrel to develop a more accessible and early performance. The second wine, called Overture, is a combination of batches from different vintages that did not enter the final blend of Opus One. It matures in French oak barrels for about 18 months and is a blend of mostly Cabernet Sauvignon and smaller quantities of Cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot, Merlot and Malbec. The first harvests bore the label Napamédoc, while in 1982 the first Opus One was released, borrowing the name from classical music, where it served to denote the first significant work of a composer. At the time, such an investment by a legendary Bordeaux family helped establish the Napa Valley's reputation as a world wine region. This refined and age-worthy wine offers lively acidity and a sturdy structure with a long lingering finish. Combining the great wine traditions and innovations of the two families, the unique goal of the founders is to create an exceptional wine in the heart of the Napa Valley. The wines round mouthfeel and satiny tannins.

Opus One was founded by Baron Philippe de Rothschild, owner of Château Mouton Rothschild in Pauillac, France, and the famous wine producer from the Napa Valley, Robert Mondavi. The 2012 Opus One effuses fresh dark fruit aromas accentuated by subtler notes of forest-floor and graphite. Opus One is a wine producer located in Oakville, Napa Valley, California, known for its Bordeaux-style blend based on Cabernet Sauvignon.

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