vintage Port 179Pick of the Vintage: Dow; Fonseca; Graham; Taylor; Quinta do Noval; Quinta do
Noval Nacional; Warre.
1993 – one of the poorest years in living memory
A damp spring was followed by a cool summer. In late August, James Symington recorded
that Touriga Nacional and Tinta Roriz at Graham’s Quinta dos Malvedos looked ‘very poor’.
September weather remained cool and growers hung on for as long as they could for the
grapes to ripen, then when they could wait no more the heavens opened. The pickers had a
thorough drenching and were bogged down in mud. In the meantime, grapes were rotting
rapidly on the vine and reaching the adega with Baumés as low as 4 in the Baixo Corgo.
There was no colour. António Agrellos at Quinta do Noval recalls that ‘we made tawnies in
five minutes’. Thankfully yields were fairly low. No one in their right mind declared, though
Quinta de Romaneira made an SQVP and there are one or two rather washed-out LBVs.
Nobody bothered to write a vintage report at Malvedos, making 1993 a year to forget.
1992 **** rich, concentrated wines from those who picked late
The winter and spring were unseasonably dry, and the drought continued through until
June when a few days’ rain proved to be very beneficial. Fortunately flowering was earlier
than usual, starting in the second week of May, and was not harmed. The summer was
dry but not unduly hot and a few short, sharp rainstorms at the end of August helped to
swell the grapes. Most growers began picking on 21 September but the new moon on the
26th brought more rain. Those who waited for another week or so before picking (Taylor,
Fonseca, Niepoort) made more concentrated wines.
A handful of shippers declared 1992 in preference to the previous year, leading to a
so-called ‘split vintage’. The Symingtons (Dow, Graham, Warre) chose to declare 1991
(and Smith Woodhouse in 1992) whereas Delaforce, Taylor and Fonseca preferred 1992.
Niepoort declared both. Both years produced some excellent wines but, having re-tasted
both years side by side in 2003 and 2010, the gap is growing between them and 1992
is undoubtedly the better year. This puts paid to the rather ridiculous story circulating
at the time that Taylor only declared because it coincided with the 400th anniversary of
their foundation. Fonseca and Taylor are rich, ripe and impressive with some promising
single-quinta Ports such as Churchill’s Água Alta, Dow’s Quinta do Bomfim, Quinta do
Passadouro and Quinta do Vesúvio. Most of the wines are ready to drink (though Fonseca
would benefit from another couple of years in bottle) and should last until 2025 to 2030.
Pick of the Vintage: Delaforce; Fonseca; Quinta do Infantado; Taylor; Quinta do Vesúvio.
1991 *** ripe, full flavoured wines, some of which are soft and one
dimensional
After six years without a vintage, the shippers were eager for a declaration. Growing
conditions were good: a wet winter was followed by a settled, dry spring and a hot summer
with very high temperatures at the end of August and early September. The hot spell left