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
Bright full ruby-red. Pungent black raspberry, leather, game, chocolate, espresso, pepper and fresh herbs. Juicy, bright and very concentrated, with crunchy currant, tobacco and dark chocolate flavors supported and amplified by a firm spine of acidity. Long on personality. Finishes with dusty tannins and excellent length.- Stephen Tanzer (5/2)
