A Single Quinta Vintage Port made with wine bought from Quinta da Eira Velha - managed by Cockburns - and bottled by Martinez-Gassiot & co. 20% alcohol.
Somewhat evolved and moderately translucent ruby red color with a developed pomegranate hue. Somewhat restrained and slightly evolved nose with fine-tuned and very multi-layered aromas of dried dates, some raisiny tones, a little bit of nutty complexity, light dark-toned fruit notes of plums and blueberries, a hint of mushroomy sous-bois and a touch of blackcurrant marmalade. The wine feels wonderfully silky and suave on the palate with a full body and sweet flavors of dried figs and dates, some raisiny tones, a little bit of savory exotic spice, light blueberry tones, a hint of dried flowers and a touch of stony minerality. The high alcohol lends some obvious heat to the palate. The overall feel is firm yet velvety smooth, thanks to the rather high acidity and quite gentle, almost fully resolved tannins. The finish is warm, harmonious and quite lengthy with sweet, moderately evolved flavors of raisins, some dried dates, a little bit of blueberry jam, light fragrant notes of baking spices, a hint of fig jam and a touch of balancing bitterness.
A beautiful, harmonious and moderately evolved Vintage Port that is in a terrific spot right now. In our VP tasting this wine felt moderately evolved compared to the other Ports of similar age, but even then it was obvious this wine was still on an upward trajectory. However, it feels as though the peak maturity is not far away, so most likely any additional development is going to be quite limited. All in all, people were a bit surprised how evolved this was for a 1994 VP, but then again, this is a SQVP not a "true" VP, which might explain something. Drink now or keep for a decade or so. Very lovely stuff, recommended.
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1994 was called the best vintage since 1927 with a textbook weather pattern and bottles that should not to be opened for 25-30 years. We're now in the heart of that drinking window.
Deep ruby with significant bricking at the rim.
Pronounced tertiary aromatics of wet earth, umami and mushroom.
Compared to other 1994 Vintage ports this is less complex, less textured and less well-balanced. Light, acidic and simple on the palate.
Flavours are less tertiary with red cherry and cough syrup.
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Joe and Kyla Bon Voyage Dinner (Kyla's Kitchen): Decanted off its big time crust, this was more tawny than our last bottle two years ago. Very well integrated, the tannins and etoh are a cozy seat for the notes of blackberry, chocolate, red and black licorice, fig, and some new found nuttiness (or maybe that was just us after all that great wine). Has 10 plus years easy.
From 375cc. no experience or knowledge of this house. tons of sediment requiring filtering into a decanter. this is impeccably balanced port. a richness and sweetness of course but nicely balanced and not at all cloying or jammy. Not sure i would ever find another btl of this (an old Premier Cru purchase from back when they sold wine that existed) but I wouldn't hesitate if i did.
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Rich, sweet, starting to turn from the youthful fruitiness to the more mature nuttiness. Nice complexity as a result. Very long finish and really hitting all the right places for us last night. Would buy again.
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Spring Warm Up Tasting (The Lyon's Tree House): Six hour decant and this had a monster crust, so be careful! It is a flower for the nose and harmonious on the palate. Blackberry, chocolate covered cherries, fig, and anise dominate. Etoh well hidden and the tannins are subtle. Great finish! to the tasting as well...
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Drinking well now. Double-decanted for 2 hours. Drank in one sitting after dinner. Bright, fruity style for vintage port. More ripe than dried flavors. Lots of sediment. Alcohol was a little prominent and kept my score lower than otherwise.
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Inky dark purple. Tons of fruit on the nose and the palate. No heat or unpleasant alcohol. Plenty of time left but perfect now. What a terrific bottle of port.
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Lovely gentle and mature SQVP, milk chocolate and cherry liqueur, nice intensity and length. good stuff but initially hardly special. Does however develop a lovely orangey fruitcake flavour in the decanter. Quite delicious
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A softer, more feminine port. Not a powerhouse, but wonderful weight and length. Drank over three days and wad singing on day 2/3. Subtle caramel notes on the finish makes this a winner.
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Cheval at Heidi's: Double decanted about four hours before serving. The nose is reserved and interesting but lacks complexity. Aromas of dark fruit (raisin, prune, fig) are complimented by an interesting and assertive honey/Drambui note. On the palate this is a full-bodied effort with excellent balance and very nice texture. However, the flavors are extremely monolithic at this stage of development. This was an excellent finish to the meal, but I would recommend hiding these bottles deep in the cellar for as long as possible.
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TN: Martinez 1994 Vintage Porto, 20 pabv; Gibbs World Wide Wines, Detroit, MI; (313) 921-6581; (313) 886-0670. Allied Beverage Gorup, Ltd; Woodinville, WA 98072. Purchased at retail on release for $50/750 ml in 1996. UPC 85219-14625. Current WineSearcher retail $66-80.
As an experiment this was opened as an Easter communion wine for Trinity Episcopal Church, Troy, OH. Opened on Good Friday to give it a chance to oxygenate properly by the time of the Easter Vigil on Holy Saturday night.
Regular-length (not as long as I expected) cork came out cleanly and with good flexibility with minimal staining.
Fairly dark purple in center with tawny (warm brown-green) edge having made some progress in fading. Considerable sheeting.
Initially very 'dark' plummy, almost prune-like scent with quite smoky, generous, deep, (almost incense-like) nose; anise, tar, with flowery, ethereal high-tones just barely emerging.
Tangy, medium-acidity port with a smooth fruitiness and very little sense of heat, if any. This is somewhere in the middle on sweetness, but there is good presence and some mild ripe tannins starting to emerge. Anise and a hint of mint with some strawberry or raspberry impressions in the midst of the dried plums.
A wine with definite promise for its breed; currently pleasantly drinkable. Will follow for a few days to see where it heads ande gauge its promise for aging. 90-92/100 __________________ A votre santé, John Trombley
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9/30/2021 - forceberry wrote: 93 Points
A Single Quinta Vintage Port made with wine bought from Quinta da Eira Velha - managed by Cockburns - and bottled by Martinez-Gassiot & co. 20% alcohol.
Somewhat evolved and moderately translucent ruby red color with a developed pomegranate hue. Somewhat restrained and slightly evolved nose with fine-tuned and very multi-layered aromas of dried dates, some raisiny tones, a little bit of nutty complexity, light dark-toned fruit notes of plums and blueberries, a hint of mushroomy sous-bois and a touch of blackcurrant marmalade. The wine feels wonderfully silky and suave on the palate with a full body and sweet flavors of dried figs and dates, some raisiny tones, a little bit of savory exotic spice, light blueberry tones, a hint of dried flowers and a touch of stony minerality. The high alcohol lends some obvious heat to the palate. The overall feel is firm yet velvety smooth, thanks to the rather high acidity and quite gentle, almost fully resolved tannins. The finish is warm, harmonious and quite lengthy with sweet, moderately evolved flavors of raisins, some dried dates, a little bit of blueberry jam, light fragrant notes of baking spices, a hint of fig jam and a touch of balancing bitterness.
A beautiful, harmonious and moderately evolved Vintage Port that is in a terrific spot right now. In our VP tasting this wine felt moderately evolved compared to the other Ports of similar age, but even then it was obvious this wine was still on an upward trajectory. However, it feels as though the peak maturity is not far away, so most likely any additional development is going to be quite limited. All in all, people were a bit surprised how evolved this was for a 1994 VP, but then again, this is a SQVP not a "true" VP, which might explain something. Drink now or keep for a decade or so. Very lovely stuff, recommended.
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2/28/2021 - AWBryce wrote:
Decent nose, raspberry, jammy, orange peel; palate is very one dimensional, not a lot going on here..
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2/1/2021 - MS86 Likes this wine: 87 Points
1994 was called the best vintage since 1927 with a textbook weather pattern and bottles that should not to be opened for 25-30 years. We're now in the heart of that drinking window.
Deep ruby with significant bricking at the rim.
Pronounced tertiary aromatics of wet earth, umami and mushroom.
Compared to other 1994 Vintage ports this is less complex, less textured and less well-balanced. Light, acidic and simple on the palate.
Flavours are less tertiary with red cherry and cough syrup.
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9/20/2020 - rocknroller wrote: 93 Points
An Embarrassment of Riches: Dinner at Chez Dalluge (Dave & Desi's Place, Somewhere in Western MN): Didn't take any notes on this at the end of the night, but it was showing well with good balance, integrated, and nice black fruits.
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9/19/2020 - WST Likes this wine:
Outdoor socially distanced charity wine tasting; 13 wines including '06 Comte, '08 DP, '09 Cristal, '01 Sudiuraut, '98 Vieux Telegraph, more.: I tried not to disturb the sediment, and gently put it on it's side on the decanting stand, but the brittle cork foiled my plans. I had to stand it up and successfully removed the remaining cork, but must have slightly shaken it in the process. I suspect it would have been better with less sediment in the suspension. It was proper but dull, especially for a 1994. Still, a nice drink with a creamy stilton cheese.
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9/23/2017 - Grinner wrote: 94 Points
Joe and Kyla Bon Voyage Dinner (Kyla's Kitchen): Decanted off its big time crust, this was more tawny than our last bottle two years ago. Very well integrated, the tannins and etoh are a cozy seat for the notes of blackberry, chocolate, red and black licorice, fig, and some new found nuttiness (or maybe that was just us after all that great wine). Has 10 plus years easy.
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2/5/2017 - Neurowine1 wrote:
From 375cc. no experience or knowledge of this house. tons of sediment requiring filtering into a decanter. this is impeccably balanced port. a richness and sweetness of course but nicely balanced and not at all cloying or jammy. Not sure i would ever find another btl of this (an old Premier Cru purchase from back when they sold wine that existed) but I wouldn't hesitate if i did.
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8/24/2015 - hiker_guy Likes this wine:
Rich, sweet, starting to turn from the youthful fruitiness to the more mature nuttiness. Nice complexity as a result. Very long finish and really hitting all the right places for us last night.
Would buy again.
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3/29/2015 - Grinner wrote: 93 Points
Spring Warm Up Tasting (The Lyon's Tree House): Six hour decant and this had a monster crust, so be careful! It is a flower for the nose and harmonious on the palate. Blackberry, chocolate covered cherries, fig, and anise dominate. Etoh well hidden and the tannins are subtle. Great finish! to the tasting as well...
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1/19/2014 - searssd wrote: 91 Points
Drinking well now. Double-decanted for 2 hours. Drank in one sitting after dinner. Bright, fruity style for vintage port. More ripe than dried flavors. Lots of sediment. Alcohol was a little prominent and kept my score lower than otherwise.
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10/4/2013 - gpatramanis Likes this wine: 95 Points
Inky dark purple. Tons of fruit on the nose and the palate. No heat or unpleasant alcohol. Plenty of time left but perfect now. What a terrific bottle of port.
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4/29/2012 - Xavier Auerbach wrote: 92 Points
Lovely gentle and mature SQVP, milk chocolate and cherry liqueur, nice intensity and length. good stuff but initially hardly special. Does however develop a lovely orangey fruitcake flavour in the decanter. Quite delicious
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3/14/2012 - gpatramanis wrote: 92 Points
excellent single Quinta. Coming into it's own.
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12/31/2011 - InflationHedge wrote: 92 Points
A softer, more feminine port. Not a powerhouse, but wonderful weight and length. Drank over three days and wad singing on day 2/3. Subtle caramel notes on the finish makes this a winner.
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8/30/2009 - Ian S wrote:
Lovely balance and very good complexity - not a bruiser, but a charmer
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2/13/2008 - Siggy wrote:
Tasting Group Dinner - Cheval Blanc at Heidi's (Heidi's, Minneapolis): This was tannic and sweet, featuring intense ripe raisin/prune, caramel, and honey flavors. The finish shows a bit of heat/burn. Fiercely tannic. Seems closed down. Judgment reserved.
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2/13/2008 - Dave Dalluge wrote:
Cheval at Heidi's: Double decanted about four hours before serving. The nose is reserved and interesting but lacks complexity. Aromas of dark fruit (raisin, prune, fig) are complimented by an interesting and assertive honey/Drambui note. On the palate this is a full-bodied effort with excellent balance and very nice texture. However, the flavors are extremely monolithic at this stage of development. This was an excellent finish to the meal, but I would recommend hiding these bottles deep in the cellar for as long as possible.
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4/6/2007 - sweetstuff wrote: 92 Points
TN: Martinez 1994 Vintage Porto, 20 pabv; Gibbs World Wide Wines, Detroit, MI; (313) 921-6581; (313) 886-0670. Allied Beverage Gorup, Ltd; Woodinville, WA 98072. Purchased at retail on release for $50/750 ml in 1996. UPC 85219-14625. Current WineSearcher retail $66-80.
As an experiment this was opened as an Easter communion wine for Trinity Episcopal Church, Troy, OH. Opened on Good Friday to give it a chance to oxygenate properly by the time of the Easter Vigil on Holy Saturday night.
Regular-length (not as long as I expected) cork came out cleanly and with good flexibility with minimal staining.
Fairly dark purple in center with tawny (warm brown-green) edge having made some progress in fading. Considerable sheeting.
Initially very 'dark' plummy, almost prune-like scent with quite smoky, generous, deep, (almost incense-like) nose; anise, tar, with flowery, ethereal high-tones just barely emerging.
Tangy, medium-acidity port with a smooth fruitiness and very little sense of heat, if any. This is somewhere in the middle on sweetness, but there is good presence and some mild ripe tannins starting to emerge. Anise and a hint of mint with some strawberry or raspberry impressions in the midst of the dried plums.
A wine with definite promise for its breed; currently pleasantly drinkable. Will follow for a few days to see where it heads ande gauge its promise for aging. 90-92/100
__________________
A votre santé,
John Trombley
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