"Delicate fragrance of violets and cassis, plums and lightly chocolatey cedar/vanilla oak. Smooth and supple, with an almost searing intensity of pure blackcurrant and mulberry flavours, given the extreme fineness and silkiness of the palate. Supremely long and tight-knit, with an underlying spine of finely astringent tannins. A classic house style, destined for a long cellar-life."  96 pts, Jeremy Oliver's On Wine, 06-18-03.

"The 2001 Dry Red Number 1 (a blend of 85% Cabernet Sauvignon and 15% Merlot) reveals a dense ruby/purple-tinged color along with a firm nose of black fruits, damp earth, and dried herbs, sweet, intense, pure red and black fruit flavors, austere tannin, and a medium to full-bodied, deep palate. Everything is there, but the wine requires 2-3 years of cellaring to strut its full character. It should keep for 12-15 years." Robert Parker's The Wine Advocate, October 2004.