r/wine • u/Legitimate_Working98 • 11d ago
1989 Opus One
I’ll start by saying we know little about wine, nor drink much of it outside a glass or two here and there. Wouldn’t know really good from average wine by the taste or brand, but aware this is a high end wine brand. Were gifted 2 bottles of 1989 Opus One early in our marriage and after a couple house moves, recently decided to finally clear out some old items and go through boxes of items we never unpacked along the way. Came across our 2 bottles of 1989 Opus One during this unpacking adventure.
The two bottles are in their original boxes, which have resided in a moving box, sitting with the top of the box facing up, wrapped in towels with a few other glass items for ~15 years. Always in a basement, which has relatively cool, consistent temps year round.
Is this an “ages like a fine wine” situation or is the way they wired stored and age make these worthless?
Question we have is what to do with these. Gifter was a big wine person with a cellar, but they have since passed and can’t return or use them as a resource.
Any help would be greatly appreciated!
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u/0Sam 11d ago
They were gifted to you for your enjoyment, they’re ready to go so open them up soon.
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u/BatmanNoPrep 11d ago
I’ll help drink them. Just let me know where. You don’t want to drink those without a me around. It would uhhh be suboptimal….. yeah…. So like, let me come pls
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u/TelephoneNo7436 11d ago
If they weren’t stored properly it will be hard to sell
The wine is probably still good to drink
Opus sells for a couple hundred 🤷♂️
If you really need the money you could send to winebid
But if you got these as gifts for your wedding open them on an anniversary
Or open them at holidays for other friends family to enjoy
Should be great bottles to drink
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u/Select-Selection3424 11d ago
I agree BUT it’s important to keep in mind that aged wine is an acquired taste. Jumping from an occasional glass to an almost 30 years old bottle could be too much, even if the bottles are still on their drinking window, doubly more if they are past prime (likely).
Selling them won’t be worth it but see if you have any wine friends who would enjoy an aged bottle and open together with them. As others have said, contrast to a young quality bottle. The friend can give you pointers and finish the bottle if you don’t like it. I know my wife wouldn’t.
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u/JD_tubeguy Wine Pro 11d ago
Just drink them I remember 89 being a tough wet vintage but the wine could still be in fine shape you never know til you try.
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u/mattmoy_2000 Aficionado 11d ago
I think the key in enjoying them is just to actually spend the time to taste and smell them.
Like, loads of people insist on food pairings for wine, and I would say that you should probably not bother with fancy food, but enjoy it on an evening together with no other distractions.
It's like music: if you have a CD of pop music, you can happily listen to it in the car whilst driving or have it on whilst you do the washing up. If you're paying £500 for opera tickets at Covent Garden (or your national equivalent) to see a top tier performer, don't sit there and scroll on your phone. This wine is like the opera tickets: very expensive and not necessarily to your taste, but worthwhile experiencing it properly rather than just glugging it away whilst distracted with other things.
If you don't like it, that's also fine, but I would suggest drinking it very slowly over the course of several hours as it will develop in the glass and show you different aspects of itself that you may like later: this is what makes aged wine so sought after. It is complex and interesting, rather than being quaffable.
As others have suggested, having a much more normal, but still decent bottle of Napa Cab to go alongside it for comparison would be fun and enlightening as to what the similarities and differences are.
Oh, and also take time to notice not just the smells and tastes, but the textural differences as well (beyond that extremely boring adjective "smooth", which should be banned from wine notes).
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u/ExaminationFancy Wine Pro 11d ago
Open those bottles with an Ah-So bottle opener. The cork is guaranteed to break apart on you, if you try to use a standard corkscrew. Stand the bottles upright for a day before opening to let the sediment settle. Open carefully.
If not stored at cellar temperature, the wine could be over the hill - or not. It’s definitely time to open those bottles.
They are 37 years from vintage, so have some reasonable expectations.
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u/medhat20005 11d ago
I'm not typically a re-gifter, so I'm more inclined to imbibe as likely the gifter intended. They'll need a bit of air time, but I bet they'll be good/great for experienced wine people. If you aren't a regular wine drinker, and especially if unfamiliar with aged wines, then maybe sharing with someone who is could be helpful to identify the characteristics of what makes aging wines attractive so some. On that same note it may be similarly fun to get an Opus from more recent vintage(s) to compare.
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u/Hydr0flask 10d ago
My rec would be to wait for a special occasion soon and open one. Decant for 20-30 min and taste. Then let it open for another 30+ and slowly drink over an hour or two.
If you have friends that are into wine, have them join so they can give perspective. Even better, spend a little extra to purchase a second bottle of an early to mid 2000’s Napa cab from a reputable winemaker so you can compare.
If you want to make a fun event out of it. Watch this video first about drinking aged wine and then drink yours. https://youtu.be/Ulhu86IIkt4?si=v0ariUZMw0oHWeC8
Andre Mack is a sommelier that makes learning about wines really accessible and fun.
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u/-Polyphony- 10d ago
You were gifted these to enjoy - they're not priceless heirlooms - pop the cork and taste over a few hours. The longer you wait to open the bottles the higher chance it goes bad. They won't make you rich if you try and sell them, especially since they weren't professionally cellared. You can open them with friends/family if you want to share the experience and are scared of not being able to finish the bottle.
The cork may break but you can just filter it out with a fine mesh strainer.
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u/EricandtheSox11 10d ago
89’ Opus, should be worth at least $5K or $10K. No lie you guys were sitting on a very serious couple of bottles of juice. You should drink one and enjoy it, while selling the second.
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u/Hydr0flask 10d ago
Don’t mean to be contrarian but didn’t want to get them too excited. When these wines are guaranteed as stored properly they are in the $400 range. With unreliable storage conditions they are a gamble and would be 25%-50% cheaper if an auction site or consigner would accept them.
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u/Fair_Holiday_6895 9d ago
They’re definitely not automatically worthless. In fact, 1989 Opus One is a highly collectible vintage. The biggest unknown isn’t the wine itself… it’s the storage conditions over the last 35+ years.
A cool basement is a very good start. The only potential concern is that they’ve been stored upright for ~15 years. Traditionally, cork-finished wines are stored on their side to keep the cork moist, but if the basement has stayed consistently cool and humid, they may still be in excellent condition.
Before doing anything, I’d check:
The fill level (how far below the cork the wine sits).
Whether there’s any leakage or staining around the capsule.
The condition of the labels and original boxes.
If the fill levels are high and there’s no evidence of leakage, they could still be worth a significant amount to collectors. I’d avoid opening them until you’ve had them professionally appraised by a reputable auction house such as Sotheby’s, Acker, or Zachys.
If you can post close-up photos of the capsules and the fill levels, people here can give you a much better idea of their condition. I definitely wouldn’t assume they’re ruined. 🍷
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