1994 Delaforce

[jdaw1]

Wednesday 8^th January 2014, at The Bung Hole, because Ronnie Roots was visiting London.

Links:

• Review of the evening as a whole;
• Placemats, needing more circles that they had (and parameters by which made);
• Planning and arrangements.

[jdaw1]

Df94 (‘*’, brought by CPR). Dark dark red, 80% opaque. Palate had bitterness, very distinctly, and young purple fruit. Needs another decade in the cellar. Mis-guessed to be GC91.

[djewesbury]

Other comments / notes on this wine appreciated. As I mentioned elsewhere, I might buy some of this.

[DRT]

I thought this to be very sweet, perhaps too sweet. I guessed G94 but didn't want it to be that.

I don't think I would rush out to buy this.

[WS1]

I was suprised to see this being a Delaforce since being still fairly closed and chunky but also fairly sweet. Overall my verdict about the port on that night was nice but not really great. To its credit it still suffers from being a 94 being in a sleeping phase, heavy competition on this occasion and the bt likely being from a "moved around stash". So the experience of this night of Delaforce 94 would not lead me to go out and hunt down more in order to get it in the cellar. Even at the right price!

regards

WS1

[Alex Bridgeman]

A deep red colour looking to be just in early maturity, 90% opaque. Harsh nose of sour fruit, still very young. Youthful entry with subdued fruit that is slow to develop. The fruit does grow and develops to create a concentrated fruit backed by powerful acidity and soft tannins. There is a huge burst of heat, then a massive tannin driven finish that is full of fruit. Great port, served blind this was guessed to be Fonseca 1992. 91/100. Decanted 12½ hours.

As to whether I would buy this - I probably would. I think it's an above average port with quite a long life ahead of it. Although there was a sweetness to it (which I rather liked) there was also plenty of acidity which promises the capability to evolve in the bottle for a long time. Do I want to buy some? No thanks, I've successfully resisted buying any port at all so far this year and don't want to crumble in my resolve too soon.

[jdaw1]

I think it's an above average port with quite a long life ahead of it.

+1.

Although there was a sweetness to it (which I rather liked) there was also plenty of acidity which promises the capability to evolve in the bottle for a long time.

+1.

[RonnieRoots]

Young in appearance and taste. A full nose dominated by blackberry and cherry, but slightly dusty (in a dried herb kind of way). Very dense, with flavours of sour cherry, blackcurrant, fig and coffee. Fairly tannic still, but they are ripe and dense. Quite surprisingly, it finishes rather sudden. I thought it to be good, but not upper tier quality, and therefore guessed Delaforce 1992. Pure coincidence that I got the shipper right.