Trafalgar day 2020

[uncle tom]

Trafalgar Day 2020

My limited assessment of the 2018 port vintage, its inclusion in my rolling evaluation of the sixty most recent vintages, and my updated full vintage rankings.

The pandemic of 2020 massively mitigates against a detailed assessment of the 2018 vintage.

After a well regarded vintage in 2015 and consecutive declared vintages in 2016 and 2017, little attention was paid to the harvest of 2018. The producers would, surely, all take a breather. But perhaps not.

Only a few major brands have declared 2018, but many minor ones have done so, and due to the difficulty of conducting a release campaign, not all have been released. Opportunities to sample them have been insufficient to make a proper assessment.

In some respects however, 2018 is not unlike the outgoing 1958 vintage in my 60 year rolling evaluation, with a very few major and several minor brands declaring.

As a holding position therefore, I have decided to give 2018 the same ranking as the outgoing 1958 vintage (C+).

Other adjustments

My confidence in the 1990s as a decade has grown somewhat in the past year, however I have only had one encounter with a bottle from the 1980s that exceeded expectations.

The wines from the 1970s continue to gain in elegance, and the 1970 vintage itself remains solid and glorious in its 50th year. I’ve also been pleased to note the emergence of a ‘second wind’ in the 1963 vintage which had previously seemed to be tiring.

Nothing however persuades me to make any alterations to the rankings this year.

Listings

Below are my balanced adjustable rankings, Alpha plus (A+) through to Zeta minus (F-) for the current sixty year window of 1959 – 2018. The number of years assigned to each rank being fixed to avoid grade creep.

Following are my rankings for the next 63 years back to 1896, judged on a zero to five star basis, and are based, as best I can; on the standing of each year when it was sixty years old.

Prior to 1896 are the star ratings given by Michael Broadbent, going back to 1811. In those listings, a ? indicates a year that he passed without mention and a () indicates a year that he recorded, but did not afford a star rating.

60 year adjustable rankings

2018 C+
2017 A -
2016 B +
2015 B -
2014 E -
2013 C
2012 D -
2011 A +
2010 E
2009 B
2008 D +
2007 B -
2006 F +
2005 C
2004 C
2003 A -
2002 F
2001 D +
2000 A
1999 E +
1998 E +
1997 B +
1996 D
1995 D
1994 A +
1993 F -
1992 B +
1991 C +
1990 D -
1989 F
1988 E
1987 C
1986 D -
1985 C +
1984 F +
1983 B
1982 C -
1981 F -
1980 B
1979 E
1978 D
1977 A -
1976 E -
1975 B -
1974 E -
1973 F
1972 C -
1971 F -
1970 A +
1969 F
1968 D
1967 B
1966 A
1965 E
1964 C -
1963 A
1962 D +
1961 F +
1960 A
1959 E +

My star rankings continuing back to 1896

1958 3
1957 1
1956 0
1955 5
1954 4
1953 1
1952 3
1951 0
1950 3
1949 2
1948 5
1947 4
1946 2
1945 5
1944 2
1943 2
1942 4
1941 3
1940 2
1939 0
1938 2
1937 4
1936 1
1935 5
1934 4
1933 3
1932 3
1931 5
1930 0
1929 1
1928 1
1927 5
1926 3
1925 1
1924 4
1923 3
1922 4
1921 2
1920 5
1919 2
1918 1
1917 4
1916 1
1915 0
1914 1
1913 0
1912 5
1911 3
1910 3
1909 0
1908 5
1907 2
1906 1
1905 0
1904 4
1903 0
1902 0
1901 3
1900 4
1899 0
1898 1
1897 2
1896 5

The Broadbent scores

1895 ***
1894 **
1893 ***
1892 *
1891 *
1890 ***
1889 ()
1888 ()
1887 ***
1886 ?
1885 *
1884 *****
1883 ()
1882 ()
1881 ***
1880 **
1879 ?
1878 *****
1877 ***
1876 ?
1875 ****
1874 *
1873 ***
1872 ***
1871 ()
1870 *****
1869 ***
1868 ****
1867 *
1866 ?
1865 ()
1864 ()
1863 *****
1862 ?
1861 ?
1860 ()
1859 ?
1858 ***
1857 ?
1856 ?
1855 ?
1854 ***
1853 ****
1852 ?
1851 ****
1850 ?
1849 ?
1848 ?
1847 *****
1846 ?
1845 ?
1844 ()
1843 ?
1842 ?
1841 ?
1840 ***
1839 ?
1838 ?
1837 ***
1836 ?
1835 ?
1834 *****
1833 ?
1832 ?
1831 ?
1830 ?
1829 ?
1828 ?
1827 ?
1826 ?
1825 ?
1824 ?
1823 ?
1822 ?
1821 ?
1820 ***
1819 ?
1818 ?
1817 ?
1816 ?
1815 ****
1814 ?
1813 ?
1812 ?
1811 *****

THRA

21/10/2020