Robert Parker's Wine Advocate

This elegant, stylish, deep ruby/purple-colored effort reveals notes of smoke, graphite, and red as well as black fruits in its perfumed, nicely evolved bouquet. With sweet flavors, medium body, outstanding concentration, and impressive purity, this finely-etched Pessac-Leognan should hit its peak in 4-5 years, and drink well over the following 12-14+. (RP)

(06/2004)

Wine Spectator

This is quite alive, with a very fresh, almost brisk edge to the mix of red currant, damson plum and raspberry fruit. Lovely tobacco, bay leaf and iron notes drive the finish, stretching this out. Shows a flash of peppery game at the very end.—Blind '01/'03/'05 Bordeaux retrospective (December 2017). Drink now through 2025. (JM, Web only-2018)

Vinous

Saturated medium ruby. Highly aromatic nose of dark berries, leather, tar, tobacco and violet. Suave and fine-grained, with lovely concentration and pliant texture. The violet and tobacco notes carry through in the mouth. In a distinctly gentler style than the 2002, finishing with smooth, fine tannins and subtle persistence. (ST)

(04/2004)

Jancis Robinson

Magnum. Dark crimson. Still crimson rim. Meaty and sumptuous with much more vibrancy than the 2000. Really mellifluous but with the concentration that is lacking in 20th-century vintages. Energetic and sinewy. Fresh but still vital. Round and polished. Very, very Graves with its combination of lusciousness and freshness. Focus and direction. Just a hint of iron filings on the end. Long. 18/20

(03/2015)