Trafalgar day 2022

Anything to do with Port.
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uncle tom
Dalva Golden White Colheita 1952
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Joined: 23:43 Wed 20 Jun 2007
Location: Near Saffron Walden, England

Trafalgar day 2022

Post by uncle tom »

Trafalgar day 2022

My initial assessment of the 2020 port vintage, its inclusion in my rolling evaluation of the sixty most recent vintages, and my updated full vintage rankings.

This year we say goodbye to the 1960 vintage, a vintage that was quite widely declared, yet was overshadowed in its early years and acquired a very lacklustre reputation in the 1980s, leading to low prices on the secondary market.

Despite it becoming clear that that reputation was wholly ill-deserved, those low prices persisted until relatively recently.

Now it departs into the second tier of my rankings as a five star vintage.

There have been some quite fundamental changes in the Port trade over the past decade or so. Technologies now exist that take much of the guesswork out of viniculture, and now make it possible to make excellent ports from the great majority of vintages, albeit sometimes in small quantity.

Whilst there has been a long tradition of making a pipe of port to celebrate a family birth in the trade, even from years that were not otherwise declared; we are also now seeing some bijou bottlings of big name vintage brands being offered to market.

These changes demand some reconsideration as to what defines a good vintage.

The technological improvements, should, quite properly, result in more higher ranking vintages among recent and forward going years, although across the 60 year window the numbers will remain constant as this is a relative scoring system.

A bijou offering however, that can only be enjoyed by a few, is not the same as a volume declaration that can be enjoyed by the many. The production volume of quality wine from any given year is therefore a relevant consideration when ranking a vintage.

The harvest reportage on 2020 was patchy and compromised by the pandemic. It was very soon clear however that despite the elegance of the date, this was not going to be a declarable year in the traditional sense.

The list of declared vintage ports for 2020 runs to fewer than half that for 2019, with many notable names absent. It appears to be the lowest number of vintage ports declared since 2006.

Whilst 2010 had slightly more vintage ports declared, there were few titans in the line-up. In contrast, some very notable names have declared 2020, albeit in mostly very limited quantity. It seems appropriate therefore to give 2020 a ranking that is one notch higher.

I therefore give 2020 an opening ranking of E+

For the first time for a few years now, we have a departing vintage that is superior to the new arrival, necessitating a few promotions to keep the scoring balanced and relative.

Accordingly:

A well settled and now elegant vintage, 1977 rises from A- to A

Some early anxieties now fully laid to rest, 1997 rises from B+ to A-

1967 is reaching full maturity beautifully, and rises from B to B+

2015 rises from B- to B

2018 rises from C+ to B-

2005 seems to be stealing a march on 2004 and rises from C to C+

1982 rises from C- to C

Although my recent encounters have all been LBVs, I’ve been very impressed by 2001 and it rises from D+ to C-

1995 rises from D to D+

1968 rises from D- to D (reversing last year’s demotion)

Showing well on its debut in my home current drinking, 1998 rises from E+ to D-

Other changes

Last year I pondered raising the standing of 1975, but my encounters since then suggest that it’s scope for further pleasant surprises may be exhausted now.

All other places seem steady and sound.

I have therefore decided not to make any other alterations this year.

Listings

Below are my balanced adjustable rankings, Alpha plus (A+) through to Zeta minus (F-) for the current sixty year window of 1961 – 2020. The number of years assigned to each rank being fixed to avoid grade creep.

Following are my rankings for the next 65 years back to 1896, judged on a zero to five star basis, and are based, as best I can; on the standing of each year when it was sixty years old.

Prior to 1896 are the star ratings given by the late Michael Broadbent, going back to 1811. In those listings, a ? indicates a year that he passed without mention and a () indicates a year that he recorded, but did not afford a star rating.

60 year adjustable rankings

2020 E +
2019 D
2018 B -
2017 A -
2016 B +
2015 B
2014 E -
2013 C
2012 D -
2011 A +
2010 E
2009 B
2008 D +
2007 B -
2006 F +
2005 C +
2004 C
2003 A -
2002 F
2001 C -
2000 A
1999 E +
1998 D -
1997 A -
1996 D
1995 D +
1994 A +
1993 F -
1992 B +
1991 C +
1990 E+
1989 F
1988 E
1987 C
1986 D -
1985 C +
1984 F +
1983 B
1982 C
1981 F -
1980 B
1979 E
1978 D
1977 A
1976 E -
1975 B -
1974 E -
1973 F
1972 C -
1971 F -
1970 A +
1969 F
1968 D
1967 B +
1966 A
1965 E
1964 C -
1963 A
1962 D +
1961 F +

My star rankings continuing back to 1896

1960 5
1959 1
1958 3
1957 1
1956 0
1955 5
1954 4
1953 1
1952 3
1951 0
1950 3
1949 2
1948 5
1947 4
1946 2
1945 5
1944 2
1943 2
1942 4
1941 3
1940 2
1939 0
1938 2
1937 4
1936 1
1935 5
1934 4
1933 3
1932 3
1931 5
1930 0
1929 1
1928 1
1927 5
1926 3
1925 1
1924 4
1923 3
1922 4
1921 2
1920 5
1919 2
1918 1
1917 4
1916 1
1915 0
1914 1
1913 0
1912 5
1911 3
1910 3
1909 0
1908 5
1907 2
1906 1
1905 0
1904 4
1903 0
1902 0
1901 3
1900 4
1899 0
1898 1
1897 2
1896 5

The Broadbent scores

1895 ***
1894 **
1893 ***
1892 *
1891 *
1890 ***
1889 ()
1888 ()
1887 ***
1886 ?
1885 *
1884 *****
1883 ()
1882 ()
1881 ***
1880 **
1879 ?
1878 *****
1877 ***
1876 ?
1875 ****
1874 *
1873 ***
1872 ***
1871 ()
1870 *****
1869 ***
1868 ****
1867 *
1866 ?
1865 ()
1864 ()
1863 *****
1862 ?
1861 ?
1860 ()
1859 ?
1858 ***
1857 ?
1856 ?
1855 ?
1854 ***
1853 ****
1852 ?
1851 ****
1850 ?
1849 ?
1848 ?
1847 *****
1846 ?
1845 ?
1844 ()
1843 ?
1842 ?
1841 ?
1840 ***
1839 ?
1838 ?
1837 ***
1836 ?
1835 ?
1834 *****
1833 ?
1832 ?
1831 ?
1830 ?
1829 ?
1828 ?
1827 ?
1826 ?
1825 ?
1824 ?
1823 ?
1822 ?
1821 ?
1820 ***
1819 ?
1818 ?
1817 ?
1816 ?
1815 ****
1814 ?
1813 ?
1812 ?
1811 *****

THRA

21/10/2022
I may be drunk, Miss, but in the morning I shall be sober and you will still be ugly - W.S. Churchill
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