1994 Quinta do Vesuvio

[Alex Bridgeman]

A bottle bought on first shipping and stored in my cellar since 1996. Deep plum red, not bricking but not the vibrant colour of youth. Still opaque in the centre but now starting to be transparent on the rim. A lovely nose of sweet blackcurrant - think about sniffing Ribena. Deep and complex on the palate with huge amounts of fruit that just keeps growing in depth and volume, but with powerful tannins hiding in the core of the fruit. The acidity is there for a long life, but mostly hidden today by the sweet and intense fruit. A massive aftertaste, where the acidity scores through the fruit but is quickly displaced by the sweet blackcurrant and toasted chocolate tannins. This is a very, very fine port which will continue to improve for another 20-30 years. A blockbuster. 95/100. Drunk 11-Nov-14. Decanted 2½ hours.