After the Maison Marques & Domaines tasting I headed back to Napa Valley and stopped by La Toque to greet a few friends who were dining at the restaurant. Stu Harrison  and his wife were celebrating  their 10th anniversary by the fireplace and offered to share some of the 1997 Opus with me. 1997 was a year that he worked at Opus One and it is a wine that is showing very well. Earthy textures, iodine, mineral notes, soft tannins and good balance with just a hint of Brettanomyces. Stuart asked me what I thought of the wine, “Is there a touch of bret?”, he asked.

“Not enough to detract from the beauty of the wine” I said,  “A wine with this amount of bret is like kissing a beautiful French woman who smokes when you don’t.”