1994 Taylor

[jdaw1]

A horizontal of 1994 and a G83 were tasted at Bordeaux Index, 10 Hatton Garden EC1N 8AH on Tuesday 4^th March 2014, in the presence of Richard Mayson, as arranged by Michael Schuster of MichaelSchusterWine.com.

Links:

• Review of the evening as a whole;
• 1994 Quinta do Crasto (#1);
• 1994 Smith Woodhouse (#2);
• 1994 Gould Campbell (#3);
• 1994 Ramos Pinto (#4);
• 1994 Martinez Quinta da Eira Velha (#5);
• 1994 Martinez (#6);
• 1994 Niepoort (#7);
• 1994 Quinta do Noval (#8);
• 1994 Quinta do Vesuvio (#9);
• 1994 Dow (#10);
• 1994 Warre (#11);
• 1994 Graham (#12);
• 1994 Fonseca (#13);
• 1994 Taylor (#14);
• 1983 Graham;
• Arrangements on MichaelSchusterWine.com;
• Arrangements on ThePortForum.com.

[jdaw1]

T94. Dark purple-red, 80% opaque. Palate with lots of dark fruit, and mid-palate heat on the tip of the tongue. Excellent Port, and bigger than Fonseca, and an edge better than it (an ordering that was not consensus). I preferred the Dow, though one could quite reasonably have put in a quite different order these three and the Warre.

[flash_uk]

85% opacity, dark red, seems thin...not much in the leg. Not much on the nose, something there - nutmeg maybe, and pepper. Slightly closed? Acidic on entry and sustained through but with a pluminess throughout and a dry finish. Suspect this will develop into something superb.

[DRT]

My note says "The Winner".

Fabulous port that will outlive me.

*****

[djewesbury]

24 hour decant. About 85%, ruby with a slight brown-orange tone. Nose of flowers, something slightly rubbery, cherry sweets. In the mouth, unusual: light up front, with not much tannin, slightly thin at first. Juicy early, then the tannins grow and this is dry and robust. The tannins linger in the finish.

[Alex Bridgeman]

Deep red, rouge rim; opaque in the centre but narrow transparent rim. Closed nose, showing a little sweet cherry. Faint but attractive nose. Chewy palate, deeply flavoured, full of sweet red cherries and powerful chewy tannins. Delicious layering of flavours. There is a powerful burst of heat on the aftertaste before a long and intensely flavoured sweet fruit and bitter birch sap finish of impressive length. This is excellent port - youthful (and will improve) but approachable now. 93/100. Decanted 21 hours.