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We gathered at The Boot & Flogger to taste Port of the 1994 Vintage.

Links:

• Review of the evening as a whole;
• 1994 Graham;
• 1994 Dow;
• 1994 Warre;
• 1994 Quinta do Vesuvio;
• 1994 Smith Woodhouse;
• 1994 Gould Campbell;
• 1994 Tesco;
• 1994 Eira Velha;
• 1994 Taylor;
• 1994 Fonseca;
• 1994 Croft;
• 1994 Skeffington;
• 1994 Quinta do Noval;
• 1994 Churchill;
• Placemats;
• Planning and arrangements.

Dark as anything, 90% opaque glass-staining liquid. Quite dumb at first but opened out to a remarkable passion-fruit scented nose. In the mouth full, rich and VERY sweet and grapey, but with lots of stuffing to hold it together. I really liked this, my #3 WOTN.

Deepest colour, just. A very youthful, dense fruit driven nose with smoky, inky black fruits. Very different to two more advanced bottles I experienced recently. Here the entry was typical Fonseca, broad, enveloping fruit that expands on the palate. Supple and long. Riper style, and sometimes you wonder where the acid is but it changes in glass with sometimes a closed sulky nature, and othertimes perfumed. Sometimes soft, sometimes a more powerful side. Overall I would say its potential is huge, but lets just see if and how it gets there. Let perfectly stored bottles rest I would say, but conversely the more mature bottles show a lot more 85 character and drinkability.

[note taken 3 hours into tasting]
80% opacity, very dark red. Floral, complex nose, passion fruit. Rich, hot mouthfeel, full, dark cherries.

F94, decanted 07:30. Dark dark red, 80% opaque. Weird. Mint, mid-weight, mid sweetness. But quite simple.