1990 was the last vintage made at the Mondavi facility and 1991 the first one in that spectacular new Opus One winery (plagued by water issues built over a geothermal spring with cost overruns). From about 1986 on some Bordeaux vinification methods were being deployed and by the early nineties harmony developed between the Bordeaux & Napa contributions. Initially it was somewhat difficult to reach the unique perfect Opus One style with Bordeaux experts first Lucien Sionneau and in the late eighties Patrick Leon seeking more elegance & finesse while the Mondavi family (Robert, MIchael & Tim with Genevieve Janssens) focusing on the rich bold riper Napa fruit. In the early years the wine was produced at the Mondavi winery and was very California. There were so many aficionados of their wines (Mondavi Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon & Chateau Mouton Rothschild) that the launch of their joint project of Opus One in Oakville California with the inaugural 1979 vintage was met with highly enthusiastic anticipation. Jeremy Howard is a former investment banker who has been building ecommerce businesses in fine wine since 2008.Your scribe is a long time follower and admirer of the work of both Robert Mondavi and Baron Philippe De Rothschild. Mr Simon Farr: a hugely respected 40 year wine industry veteran who was involved in the founding and growth of two of Britain's most successful wine enterprises (Majestic and Bibendum). But our roots as a fine wine team go back to the early 1980s in the UK, and back to 2010 in Hong Kong. We stock extensive collections of the world’s finest wines, including Château Lafite, Château Latour, Château Margaux, Château Mouton Rothschild, Château Haut Brion, DRC and Penfolds.Ĭru was founded in 2014 by co-founders Simon Farr and Jeremy Howard. We help customers around the world buy wine from Bordeaux, Burgundy, Italy, Spain, the Loire and Rhone Valley and from the New World. We store a significant amount of wine for our clients and offer guidance on wine portfolio construction.Ĭru offers an internationally acclaimed selection of red wine, white wine and Champagne. We hold numerous events through which we showcase our wines and get to know our clients even better. We source only the world’s very best wines and spirits and sell to a limited number of discerning buyers. We are very focused on using technology to make the experience of fine wine buying more fun and convenient.Ĭru is a specialist retailer. We operate from four major hubs in London, Hong Kong, Bordeaux, Singapore, Beijing and San Francisco, from which we offer advice and impeccable service through both traditional and digital channels. We have experts working across the globe serving customers in over 40 different countries. This joint venture, born out of the joie-de-vivre of two legends, is now one of the most sought after and in-demand wines on the market.Ĭru is one of the world’s leading fine wine retailers. Interestingly, and a very meaningful sign of respect towards the wine’s quality, Opus One became the first US wine to be distributed via Bordeaux through La Place – the Bordeaux distribution network of négociants, increasing the winery’s global reach. The acquisition of additional vineyard plots, including 65 hectares of the mythical To Kalon vineyard, was key to this surge in concentration, structure and wondrous perfume. Today, it is quite simply one of the most iconic and revered wines made in California, and the world.įollowing the sale of Mondavi to Constellation Brands in 2004, Opus One took full control of the vineyards and winery, leading to a noticeable improvement in quality. The first vintage, 1979, was released in 1984 and soon Opus One earned a reputation for just this harmonious union of Old World and New. Their goal was to craft a wine that combined the intensity and fruit purity of Napa, with the elegance of legendary Bordeaux. Established in 1979 as a joint venture between Baron Philippe de Rothschild and Robert Mondavi, the two met in typically glamourous fashion whilst holidaying in Hawaii a few years earlier. Opus One is arguably Napa's most famous winery.
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