86 pts - Wine Advocate
Dark ruby-colored with purple nuances, this compressed, tightly-knit, austere Cabernet Sauvignon offers up straightforward aromas of black currant fruit, loamy earth, and new oak. Firm, with high tannin, medium body, and moderate concentration, it requires cellaring. Will it ever shed enough tannin to become harmonious? It is a gamble. Anticipated maturity: 2002-2012?- Robert Parker Jr. (06/2000)
90 pts - Vinous
(13.5% alcohol): Bright, dark red. Wild, expressive aromas of plum, game, coffee and woodsmoke suggest a sweet wine. Supple and plush on the palate, conveying a refined, resolved texture. Hints of herbs and mint add another dimension without compromising the wine's mellow red fruit flavors. Finishes with slightly green acidity and firm-edged, increasingly dusty tannins. This seems a bit clenched on the back end but is certainly close to its peak today--not to mention a bit less funky, and green, than the 1995 bottling I tasted last year.- Stephen Tanzer (9/217)