1994 Tesco

[Alex Bridgeman]

Deep rich red, not quite opaque at the centre. Bruised plums and thiol compounds on the nose, either over-sulphured or suffering a touch of bottle stink. Slightly off-putting, but not alarmingly so. Powerful and dark on the palate, full of flavours with several layers rushing at you all at once. Sour cherry, black chocolate, burnt sugar tannins, singeing acidity. Really dark flavours, powerful and burly. Some heat on the aftertaste before a deep, sweet and black cherry and dark chocolate finish of great length. This is a port that is really starting to come into its stride. Drinking now if you like your port punch and powerful but with decades ahead of it if you like your port mellow and subtle. Great value for money when these were on the market and a coup for anyone who stocked up when Tesco were offering their "buy 6 and get 25% off" sale. 90/100. 13-May-16