92 pts - Wine Advocate
This is an impressive effort from Opus One. The wine, a blend of 95% Cabernet Sauvignon, 2% Cabernet Franc, 2% Merlot, and 1% Malbec, possesses a dark ruby/purple color, followed by a generous, complex nose of lead pencil, toasty oak, violets, and black currants. In the mouth, there is a beautiful texture, soft, generous, low acid, full-bodied richness, and a stunningly proportioned, rich, intense finish. The influence of 18 months in new French oak casks gives the wine a subtle oaky note in addition to giving it excellent delineation. Because of the wine's softness and generosity, it can be drunk now as well as over the next 18-20 years. - WA, RP (12/1997)
88 pts - Wine Spectator
89 pts - Vinous
Dark ruby-red. Exotic, vibrant aromas of cherry, redcurrant, tobacco, mint, cigar ash and white pepper. Thick, supple and very concentrated; really uncanny creamy sweetness and texture in the middle palate. Intriguing note of sarsaparilla. Substantial but utterly suave tannins are thoroughly buffered by the wine extract. Shows some of the sauvage qualities of past vintages of this wine, but here the fresh red fruit flavors are even fresher and more concentrated than usual. ST