Most of the samples came directly from the shippers' cellars in Portugal. … In mid-January, I organized a blind tasting, held in London, of nearly three dozen '94 vintage Ports. The Taylor, by comparison, is compact, with a vibrant, sexy, fruit character and ultrafine tannins. The Fonseca is a blockbuster, overflowing with ripe, exotic fruit and giant-but-velvety tannins. Each is the pinnacle of quality in its own style. You can't expect more from a young, stout, vintage Port. In particular, the Fonseca, Taylor Fladgate and Quinta do Noval Nacional are among the greatest young Ports ever produced-each scored 100 points in my blind tasting. Many of the 1994s rate with the all-time greats in vintage Port. Or collector who enjoys the sweet, rich flavors of this fabulous fortified wine should have some '94 vintage Port in his or her cellar. “The 1994 vintage is the greatest for Port since the legendary 1945… Never have I tasted such great young Ports. The title says it all: Near Perfection In Vintage Port, The 1994 vintage is the new benchmark for quality: He tasted the wines again several times, publishing an article in April 1997 with further observations. They are some of the world's longest-lived wines… I have never been so impressed with a group of Ports as I was with these… The best wines in the tasting sent shivers up my spine… Most of the wines won't even approach drinkability until 2010 or much later.” … Ports like these need decades of bottle age. Great Port vintages like this only happen a few times in a lifetime. In June, 1996, when the wines were still in barrel, James Suckling wrote an article entitled Monumental 1994 Vintage Port, stating:Ĭlassic vintage Port, you're going to fall head over heels for 1994. JAMES SUCKLING ON THE EXTRAORDINARY 1994 VINTAGE: Wine Spectator, #1 Wine Spectator Top 100 of 1997, $179.98ġ994 Taylor Fladgate Vintage Port Magnum ( only 2 bottles available)ġ00 Points Wine Spectator, #1 Wine Spectator Top 100 of 1997, $399.98ġ00 Points Wine Spectator, Designated Cellar Selection, #1 Wine Spectator Top 100 of 1997, $179.98 We have limited quantities of both of these 100 point vintage Ports (including two magnums) – get them before they are gone!” – Glen Knight, Wine Houseġ994 Taylor Fladgate Vintage Port ( only 30 bottles available) Both were designed for long-term aging, and both are now in the early phases of their peak drinking window. Wine Spectator rates the vintage at 99 points, calling it a ‘classic vintage superlative structure, fabulous harmony ’ … and still lists it as a vintage to ‘Hold.’ When he rated the wines in 1997 – almost two decades ago! – Wine Spectator’s reviewer, James Suckling, noted that these tannic and huge wines would be best after 2010. They are the 1994 Taylorįladgate Vintage Port and 1994 Fonseca Vintage Port. “1994 was a ‘monumental’ vintage for Port, and TWO 100 point Ports shared the #1 spot on Wine Spectator’s Top 100 in 1997, the year when they were released.
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