ThePortForum.com

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.

N94: the Port that heralded the return of Quinta do Noval to greatness. The palest ’94 in the room, and not impressive. Nose started with stink, which lessened fairly quickly. Michael Schuster suggested “raisining”, but I thought more wrong than that. Taste far too acidic, though with plum and black grape behind that acidity. Hopefully this was not typical.

60% opacity, pale rim, no legs, seems thin. Nose was burnt, a bit stewey, something really not right. On the palate, gone quickly acidity gave way to tannin at the very quick end. Almost tasted sherry-like. A bad bottle, not typical others advised. As Julian points out above, I also had thought this was meant to herald the rebirth of Noval from 1970. Will need to wait for a future bottle to validate that!

This bottle was horrid. I have had much better N94 - this was a bad bottle.

24 hour decant. 60-65%, orangey-brown. Very rancio nose, mouth is hopelessly woody. That said, I wouldn't describe this as horrid; but it's wrong. It tasted like sherry or a very dry colheita. Odd.

Agree with Daniel, it was as if a VP label had been put on a bottle of 30 or 40yr tawny. Disappointing. as this seems to be a difficult VP to get hold of and so I don't know when I'll have the opportunity to drink again.

No not typical at all. This is a rock star normally.

Pale red, looking to be evolved; 80% opaque. Sour nose, stewed fruit dominating - smells to be suffering from bake and bottle stink. Unpleasant palate that is dominated by the bottle stink flavours. Thin palate, astringent tannins which do let go eventually release their grip and release some charcoal and burnt fruit. The burnt fruit carries through on to the finish of cinders and ash. If this was rated, it would get 81 points, but it is not fair to rate this unrepresentative bottle. Not rated. 22 hour decant.

I have had several other bottles of Noval 1994 and this was not typical.