My good friend Marcella is moving to San Francisco for a new chapter in her life. I am in denial of course as I usually am when friends leave me. I will, however, have another friend to visit in one of my favorite cities in the world. It really will have nothing to do with how close she will be to wine country.
Opus One 2007
Wednesday night was our farewell and also a celebration of Marcella’s birthday. Dinner was planned for Taranta in the North End with the Pod 5 crew (a 12 year long friendship of former colleagues who all meet up each time Lauren is in town). I was invited as a friend of Pod 5.
The First Pour
Prior to dinner we all met at Catherine’s house to share a bottle of Opus One. Catherine is a very nice friend! We had been talking about sharing this wonderful, infamous and indeed famous wine for weeks. I could not wait any longer. The time was now!
Cheers Marcella – Lauren, Catherine, Larry & Me! (please excuse the non-red wine drinking glasses)
We slowly opened the wine and poured the first glass. The Opus One is a deep, dark cherry color – almost opaque. I wanted to drink it immediately, but out of respect for the wine I swirled it for a minute and then inhaled my first nose. The aroma is subtle and not pungent like I thought it would be – ripe cherries and dark chocolate with a hint of aniseed. I slowly took my first sip and truly understood the hype! Smooth, rich, creamy, smoky, intense with a taste of bitter chocolate and sweet ripe cherries. As the wine opened up more it rested nicely on the palate and had a fullness that made this wine really juicy – incredible tannins that made you suck your cheeks in a little. The finish was long and memorable. This is quite possibly one of the sexiest wines I have every tasted and at an average price point (retail) of $200 a bottle, it really should be and is (for me anyway) the Brad Pitt of wines.
Oh boy, this wine was outstanding. I wouldn’t even pair it with anything. Drink, enjoy and melt away into a world of your own.
As a joke, we told Marcella we had finished the Opus One and all we had left for her was a bottle of “Sauvingyoouuk!” We thought it was funny even if she didn’t!
Classy 🙂
This was not tasted!
We love you and will miss you Marcella!
My rating… it does not get any better than this!
