Grand Bateau Rouge 2016 by Chateau Beychevelle

In the tradition of many great Bordeaux estates, Opus One produces a fine second wine called Overture. Like the introduction of a great musical piece, Overture, the wine, presents elements of the exceptional work itself, although certainly not in its entirety or full complexity.

Since 1993, we have created Overture as a result of our highly selective process for Opus One. We meticulously cultivate each section of our estate vineyard with the attention to detail and singular focus required to produce Opus One. This diligence carries through the extensive blending process, and not all wine-lots from our estate are chosen for the final Opus One blend.

Yet, when these remaining lots are afforded additional time in French oak barrels, coupled with the added flexibility of blending across multiple vintages, the final wine, Overture, achieves remarkable elegance, complexity and approachability.

As a natural extension of the creation of Opus One, Overture’s varietal composition evolves based on the lot selections made for each vintage. Overture reflects the proportion of Bordeaux-heritage grape varieties planted on our estate: Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot, and Malbec. Uniquely, Overture captures the essence of our estate across vintages; therefore the exact blend and cellar approach will always differ from Opus One.

The 2010 vintage will be long remembered as a uniquely demanding year. Mother Nature was capricious and challenging in presenting us with tremendous variability – unseasonably cold days, untimely rainfall, and surprisingly sunny and hot days. While colder than normal, the leaves were able to produce the needed sugar, while the grape berries developed lovely and complex flavor and aroma components. Bud break and flowering were eight days later than the 5-year average. Unexpectedly high temperatures in late August and September allowed the vines to finish the growing season very well. Having left the sufficient number of leaves on the vines so as to have a full canopy, our grapes avoided possible sunburn from this late season heat. The success of the 2010 harvest was assured when we correctly assessed the early maturity of the grapes and had the confidence to pick at the first sight of ripeness. Harvest began on September 23 and succinctly concluded thirty-one days later on October 23.

Aromas of fresh blackberry, rose petals, chocolate and espresso accentuate a profound tapestry of fruity and earthy nuances. Round velvety tannins enrobe a silky texture with a slight touch of minerality. The flavors of dark fruit are enhanced by the well-integrated acidity. The acidity and tannin structure promise a very long life ahead for this wine.

Varietal : Cabernet Sauvignon 84%, Merlot 5.5%, Cabernet Franc 5.5%, Petit Verdot 4% and Malbec 1%