The 1994 Port vintage is legendary due to the press it received and a notable number of so-called ‘perfect’ wines, like Taylor, Fonseca and Noval Nacional. The 1994 Nacional I had tried in October 1993 was the most impressive young Port that I had tried so far in my life (no older than 10 years). A definite legend in the making, pity about the price!

Opaque purple, almost black. A few sniffs revealed very ripe blackberry, black cherry and some anise. My first sip told me that I definitely had something special in my glass. Plenty of creamy vanilla sensations with rich black fruits. The long palate warmer showed waves and waves of ripe tannins. The finish goes on and on, so much so that it is probably more appropriate to use a calendar, not a stopwatch! A monster of a wine, this will need 15-25 years before hitting full stride, and then it should drink well for several decades.