Not everyone loves that style-but for those who do, it is a fantastic, world-class wine at a solid price. I definitely recommend focusing more on the reds, but it does depend on the style of red wine that you might like as to whether or not you might prefer Darioush. (It actually reminds us of the Catena Zapata winery in Mendoza, Argentina, in its melodramatic architecture.) For the above 2 reasons, I always think Darioush is worth a visit for a visitor to Napa Valley. The architecture suggests a Vegas-like Assyrian temple or fortress of sorts, something that is quite unlike anything else in Napa. Aside from the red wines being very good, it is an unusual winery to be certain. Visit Pahlmeyer! I strongly recommend Darioush to all of our friends who visit Napa. Pahlmeyer and Peter Michael are without doubt the biggest exceptions to this rule.) After trying the Pahlmeyer, our Australian friends stopped annoying us about visiting Opus One and realized we knew what we were talking about. (Usually, the best cabernet producers rarely make or don't make chards/whites as well. They also are just as known for world-class chardonnay as much as their reds, something a bit unusual. They also have one of the best merlots in the USA, as well as sometimes fantastic pinot noirs. Their proprietary red wine is among our favorites in the world and at a far more reasonable price than Opus One (usually $150, still steep but it's world class wine that will age for 20-30 years!).
But if you make an appointment, they often will do whatever they can to accommodate you. They are an allocation winery with a brand new winery facility. As I made my friends from Australia do when they insisted on visiting Opus One, make an appointment with Pahlmeyer. But until their winery staff learn that they aren't quite as amazing as they like to think of themselves, I still wouldn't bother to visit. They still don't warrant the reputation they still have, but they are getting better. I will say that a few years ago, Mondavi has been booted from the operation at Opus One.and the wines have improved. There is usually far less substance to this wine, and the complete lack of sincerity and friendliness of its staff makes the whole experience not worth bothering. Basically, the reputation of Opus One lies solely on the marketing machine. It costs far more than what the wine quality actually usually merits, despite its "reputation". Daniel Cuvee Pahlmeyer (one of our favorite blends in the world) Blankiet Estate Robert Craig: Affinity Gemstone Sloan Pride: Reserve Claret Cardinale (another of the Kendall Jackson special wineries) Beaulieu Vineyards: Tapestry Vineyard 29 Regusci: Proprietary Red These don't even include the wines that are far more legendary in Napa that regularly take top honors and are far better regarded (but usually cost more): Abreu Araujo Bond Bryant Colgin Dalla Valle (Maya) Harlan Hundred Acre My point is this: I NEVER recommend friends to visit Opus One. In fact, I wouldn't say it is one of the most heralded wines in Napa Valley! For cabernet and cabernet blends, any of the following wineries consistently outperform Opus One and at similar or more reasonable prices: Verite: La Joie (owned by Kendall Jackson family, in Sonoma) Kapcsandy Family Dominus Peter Michael: Les Pavots (straddling Napa and Sonoma) Joseph Phelps: Insignia (one of the best wines annually in Napa) Lail Vineyards: J. It is NOT one of the most heralded wines in the world. (This, for me, stands in direct contract to the otherwise Vegas-like winery at Darioush, where we always send friends to visit while in Napa.) Opus One is the product of incredible marketing. As has been stated so many times herein, the staff obviously still tend to be incredibly pretentious and the surroundings, though impressive, leave one feeling cold. Many years ago, we visited Opus One during our first visit to Napa. My partner and I are serious wine fanatics-we belong to some of the most acclaimed and sought-after wine allocation lists in Napa and Sonoma (including Harlan Estate, Byrant Estate, Colgin, Abreu, Araujo, Kistler, Peter Michael, to name just a few). In researching Napa for friends, I happened to notice some wineries reviewed herein which I thought needed an another perspective.
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