Opus One
Opus One winery was founded as a joint venture between Baron Philippe de Rothschild of Château Mouton Rothschild and Robert Mondavi. The 1979 and 1980 vintages were simultaneously unveiled in 1984 as Opus One's first release. Opus One then became known as America's first ultra-premium wine. In 1982 Robert Mondavi and Baron Philippe de Rothschild began label design. The partners agreed to choose a name of Latin origin for the joint venture, allowing for easy recognition in both English and French. Baron Philippe announced his choice, "Opus," a musical expression denoting the first masterwork of a composer. Two days later he proposed an additional word: "Opus One". The vineyard consists of 69 hectares planted closely around the winery on the St Helena Highway, in the Oakville sub-region, at a density of 6310 vines per hectare. The wine is vinified in stainless steel, and aged in new French oak barrels for 18 months, and then another 18 months in bottle before release - at 3 years after the harvest.