Robert Parker (June 2004)
The 2001 Kirwan is nearly as good as their splendid 2000. A dense purple color is accompanied by a bouquet of barbecue smoke, graphite, black cherries, creme de cassis, and a hint of espresso. Full-bodied and layered, with outstanding richness, purity, and sweetness on the palate, this firmly structured, well-delineated, impressively made, full throttle effort should hit its peak in 2-3 years, and last for 12-15. It will be one of the longest lived of the 2001 Medocs.