Opus One 2019

This is the 2019 vintage of Opus One, a United States red wine. The producer is best known for a Bordeaux-style blend built on Cabernet Sauvignon, usually with Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot and sometimes Malbec. Check the back label for the exact blend and the appellation for this bottling. Wines in this style typically show dark fruit such as blackcurrant, blackberry and black plum. Expect cedar, graphite, tobacco leaf and baking spice from barrel aging, with violet or dried herbs adding lift. On the palate, expect a full-bodied wine with firm, fine-grained tannin and enough acidity to keep the dark fruit from feeling heavy. Oak is usually integrated rather than overt, giving toasty and spicy notes, and the finish tends to run long and savory. A vintage this young is likely to be tighter and more structured than expressive, so the tannin is the main thing to plan around. Decanting is worthwhile. Give it one to two hours in a decanter, or pour it into large glasses well ahead of the meal, so the tannin softens and the aromatics open. Serve it slightly below room temperature, around 16 to 18°C (60 to 65°F). If the bottle sits in a warm room, chill it briefly before opening. Use a large-bowled Bordeaux or Cabernet glass, which gives the aromas room to develop and directs the wine to the center of the palate. At the table, the wine suits rich, protein-heavy dishes where fat can soften the tannin. Good matches include a ribeye or dry-aged strip steak, roast rack of lamb with rosemary, braised short rib and mushroom-based dishes. Aged hard cheeses such as Gruyère or aged Gouda also work well. Avoid very spicy food and delicate fish, which a wine this structured will overwhelm. This bottle can be opened now with a long decant, but wines of this type generally reward cellaring. Stored on its side at a steady, cool temperature away from light and vibration, it should gain complexity over the next decade or more. Over that time the tannin should relax and the fruit should move toward more savory, earthy notes.