178 Port anD the Douro
wines but the concentration of flavour (often rather jammy) justified a full declaration for
some. Had it not come hard on the heels of the exceptional 1994s, 1995 might have been a
more generally declared. In the event, Barros Burmester, Krohn, Osborne, Noval, Rozès and
Poças declared outright with the remainder opting for second label or single-quinta wines.
Well received by the growing American market, in the United Kingdom 1995 has provided
some immensely pleasurable rich, ripe Ports for drinking over the medium term (now
to 2025). Dow’s Quinta do Bomfim, Fonseca Guimaraens, Graham’s Malvedos, Quinta
do Noval, Osborne, Quinta de la Rosa, Quinta de Vargellas Vinha Velha and Quinta do
Vesúvio represent the best of the vintage.
Pick of the Vintage: Fonseca Guimaraens; Dow Quinta do Bomfim; Quinta Quinta
de Vargellas Vinha Velha.
1994 ***** outstanding wines, with flesh masking structure at the outset
It was clear almost from the first snip of the secateurs that 1994 would be a fully-declared
Port vintage. A wet winter put an end to three consecutive years of drought and when the
sun began to shine in March and April, the vines were sprouting in all directions. Heavy rain
in May served to check the overall size of the crop but from then on, despite a relatively cool
summer, it was plain sailing all the way through to the harvest. Tinta Roriz flowered at the
same time as the worst spring weather. This reduced yields and helped to improve quality
and overall concentration. Cloudy skies and a little light rain in mid-September rekindled
memories of 1993 when the heavens opened during vintage. A few growers panicked and
picked too early but, as it turned out, the rain helped the berries to swell and sugar readings
rose. The majority held their nerve and by 20 September the harvest was well underway.
Winemakers were helped in their task by clear skies and cool night time temperatures.
(At one stage the temperature fell from 32°C to 9°C over a 24-hour period.) Lagares took
plenty of work and long, slow fermentations gave rise to prolonged skin contact and good
extraction. As the wines were run off and fortified, the big guns could hardly conceal their
glee at the prospect of a major vintage declaration.
The shippers were helped in their decision by the healthy state of the market. Having
tested the water successfully in 1991–1992, they knew that there was enough support for
a large declaration with the Americans particularly receptive to vintage Port. Opening
prices rose considerably and in some cases continued to soar, overtaking mature vintages
like 1970 at auction. Tasting the 1994s at an early stage, they were characterised by super-
ripe fleshy fruit, which tended to cover up the underlying tannic grip. Tasting them again
some years later, the wines are still incredibly rich but the somewhat deceptive puppy
fat is beginning to fall away revealing some outstandingly well-structured wines. At the
time of writing, the best wines are now dumb with brooding tannins and opulence. Dow,
Fonseca, Graham, Taylor and Warre are in the premier league, as always, with Quinta do
Noval and Quinta do Vesúvio joining them. Croft, Gould Campbell, Martinez, Martinez
Quinta da Eira Velha, Skeffington and Smith Woodhouse are also impressive. After more
than two decades of very variable declarations (and some downright faulty wines in the
mid-1980s) 1994 marks a return to form for vintage Port. Drink from 2016.