1994 Croft

[Mike J. W.]

Color: Purple, Rim: None, Meniscus: Thin reddish-purple with a very slight tinge of brown, Weight (Viscosity): Medium trending towards thick, Nose: Cigar Ash, Light notes of Cinnamon, No trademark aroma of Oranges or Tangerines, Rich candied grapes, Very slight medicinal smell in the background, Taste: Smooth entry, but the tannins are right there upfront nonetheless, Blackberries, Some Sour Cherries, Concord Grapes, Acidity: Medium and leaning towards Strong, Mid-palate, Late, Tannins: Strong, Early, Mid-palate, Late, Sweetness Level: Little, Mid-palate, Other Notes: Cork was 2/3rd's saturated, About 2 tablespoons of fine sediment, 7 1/2 hour decant, Upon decanting it had a medium Ruby color. When I had my first glass 7 1/2 hour laters it was about 90% opaque, The first night it wasn't integrated and the tannins and alcohol dominated, Thin tears, If this bottle is a representative sample, then this Port needs at least another 5 to 7 years if not longer to fully integrate, Day 2, slightly more integrated. Day 3 some cocoa and a lot of blue fruits hidden by a lot of heat on the finish. Day 4 it fell apart.

I wanted to like this Port, but it's either not ready or it will never be ready. The bottle itself appeared to be in excellent condition and the fill level was well into the neck. It never came together like I thought it would. The tannins and acidity were both very strong in this bottle and they never melded. I'll try another bottle again in a few years to see if it's settling in or not. I have probably a dozen or so bottles of this, so I'm hoping that it improves. 88 points

[winesecretary]

I suspect this bottle was imperfect, to be honest. It doesn’t sound very enjoyable and at its best this port is definitely enjoyable.

If you get enough geeks together, try opening half a dozen bottles of the same port - pretty much any port more than 30 years old - from the same vintage, from the same case, from the same source, stored together. It’s eye-opening how much variation there can be.