94(+?) Points | International Wine Cellar , October 2012

Good medium ruby.  Slightly high-toned aromas of black cherry, blackberry and licorice; more medicinal today than the regular vintage bottling.  Big, rich and sweet, but still dominated by baby fat and in a rather monolithic stage today.  Very ripe but the medicinal menthol quality currently holds the upper hand over the wine's glossy dark fruits.  It's hard to envision the wine's final form today.  (Incidentally, I marginally preferred the basic 1997 vintage bottling next to this one, for its highly complex perfume of flowers and wild herbs; its seamless, lush texture; its outstanding intensity and purity of flavor; and its near-perfect balance.  On this tasting, I rated this very long, aromatic vintage port 95 points.)

99 Points | Wine Spectator

100 Points | Robert Parker's The Wine Advocate