94 pts - Wine Advocate
["This is one of the finest Opus Ones to date, offering a dark ruby/purple color, as well as a striking, intense bouquet of sweet licorice intermixed with blackberries, cassis, plums, and saddle leather. This seamless, full-bodied wine is more velvety-textured, opulent, and succulent than past vintages. The mid-palate is expansive and chewy. The long finish is filled with glycerin, ripe fruit, and sweet tannin. Drink this impressive, user-friendly yet richly concentrated effort over the next 15 years. - WA, RP (1/2000)"]
96 pts - Wine Spectator
["Wonderful finesse and complexity. Not the up-front opulent flavor of the '94 or '95, but seemingly deeper, with more finesse to the toasty clove, currant, black cherry and spice. Tannins are fine-grained.--Opus One vertical. Best from 2002 through 2012. 30,000 cases made. –JL WS"]
92 pts - Vinous
["92"]