The Opus One story began when Baron Philippe de Rothschild (of Bordeaux First Growth Mouton Rothschild) conceived of a Bordeaux-Napa Valley partnership. When Rothschild met Robert Mondavi in 1970, he knew he had his man. Eight years later, America’s most regal wine was on its way to the world.

The two luminaries’ philosophy was simple from the beginning: Opus One would be a classic Bordeaux-style wine, it would reflect the partnership between the Mondavi and Rothschild families, and it would be different and unique. Over the last 30 years, their carefully chosen team has mapped the Opus One vineyards down to each vine. They’ve pulled yeast samples off of the property’s riverside trees. They show up at 3 am, night after night, when it’s time to harvest, and masterfully translate that into the bottle in an incomparable wine. The result is the wine that represents Napa Valley to the world.

Today, Opus One has achieved full on cult status. It is exported to markets far and wide (this includes France). The most impressive part of the Opus One estate may be the winery itself. Mondavi and Baron Rothschild specially commissioned architect Scott Johnson of Johnson, Fain and Pereira to design the structure. Completed in 1991, the style combines Old and New World elements, perhaps a nod to the partnership of Mondavi and Rothschild.