Home > Vintages and Regions > 10, 15 & 20 Years On > Twenty Years On: 1991
Twenty Years On: The 1991 Vintage
Twenty Years On: 1991
Notes from a 1991 tasting at 20 years.
Other relevant tastings:
During the judging at this year's Decanter World Wine Awards, it was perhaps only natural - as quite a number of tasters had only just returned from the 2010 Bordeaux primeur tastings - that the lunchtime conversation should turn to this region. Rather than the usual mantra concerning the greed of ever-higher prices, the talk instead centred around the very advanced state of the vines, many of which were already convincingly in leaf in early April. Although such precocity may bring the benefit of an early harvest under clear skies, it also brings a risk of damage from late spring frosts. Jim Budd, who was seated next to me, leaned over and whispered, almost conspiratorially, "It was just like that in 1991".
Continuing, Jim explained that in the spring of 1991 he was visiting Bordeaux when, on April 17th, the temperatures started to dip, a first warning sign of the devastating frost that was to come. It was several nights later that the thermometers finally bottomed out well below freezing, at around -7ºC, on Sunday April 21st. Although not as severe as the frost of 1956, which killed many vines across the region, this was certainly cold enough to damage the developing buds and leaves. It was succinctly described at the time as a "disaster" by Christian Moueix; the fact that Jim Budd remembers the exact date, now twenty years on, gives some indication of just how much of a disaster it was. In these days of ever-rising global temperatures, when almost every other vintage coming out of Bordeaux is a Vintage of the Century, it seems difficult to even conceive of such a catastrophic event, but in some areas the frost wiped out "between 80 percent and 100 percent of the crop" according to Moueix. And because the replacement buds had a late start, what was harvested was picked late, under an autumnal deluge. The wines were, in many cases, the worst to come out of Bordeaux in recent decades.
There were one or two relative successes - such as Pichon-Lalande, which I scored rather generously when I tasted it at ten years of age in 2001. I wonder whether I would be so generous if I were to taste it today, with ten more years tasting experience under my belt? I suspect I might not. Unfortunately this tasting does not inform in this respect, as I have no more bottles of 1991 Bordeaux in the cellar, neither red nor white (the few bottles of 1991 Coutet I once owned have long been drunk up), so this tasting is devoid of anything from the region, and I will never be able to add a Bordeaux 1991 retrospective to my list of dedicated Bordeaux tastings.
An Eventful Year
So let us look beyond Bordeaux, because elsewhere in the world 1991 was an eventful year. From a personal point of view I had only a very early interest in wine; it was certainly developing, though - in fact I had already amassed a few bottles, hidden deep in the cellar of the Victorian terraced house that I shared with friends. Nevertheless, far more important to me than any vinous concerns were my plans to spend what promised to be a fabulous summer working in a hospital in Egypt on a student elective. That was until Saddam Hussein directed his armies to invade neighbouring Kuwait, bringing instability to the region, and when the dean of my medical school vetoed my plans I was forced to look elsewhere (I've never been sure whether the dean and Hussein were in collusion over this). With little time remaining, and plenty of organisation left to do, I plumped for an easy-to-arrange elective in Canada, working in a small hospital near the shores of Lake Ontario. Far from the war in the Middle East, what elective destination could be more secure, you might ask? How ironic it was that, having had my Egyptian experience disapproved on the grounds of personal safety, in August I found myself in North America just as a hard-line coup deposed Mikhail Gorbachev, threatening a lurching destabilisation of one of the world's great nuclear superpowers.
Happily for me, and a few other people I imagine, World War Three did not break out and the intercontinental ballistic missiles did not rain down upon me. And thus I was free to return to the hard labours of a medical student elective, undertaking arduous educational activities such as camping in Algonquin, learning to eat gigantic pizzas, moose-spotting, hanging out at the mall, attending late-evening wolf calling sessions (yes, really) and canoeing through a tiny number of Canada's myriad of wilderness waterways. But that's enough of my 1991, let's get back to wine.
First up, the Loire, and as is the case in many vintages it is possible to draw some parallels between this region and Bordeaux. This is especially true in 1991 as the same frosty temperatures that afflicted Bordeaux were also visited upon the Loire's vineyards, as well as Chablis to the east. My lone representative from the Loire in this tasting, Philippe Foreau's 1991 Vouvray, is a fairly decent effort, although it is certainly nothing breath-taking. To find great pleasure in 1991 I would suggest travelling further east, to the northern Rhône in particular, as these vineyards enjoyed a great vintage; many wines from Hermitage, Cornas and Côte Rôtie were of superlative quality - I have looked at a few before now, in my 1991 Northern Rhône assessment. Sadly, the solitary example included here from Joel Champet was decidedly dull and not really representative of the great wines from the likes of Alain Graillot, Noël Verset and Chave that I have tasted before today.
To Iberia
And so, although I have included wines from Alsace and Germany, it is from the Iberian peninsula that the majority of wines in this tasting originate, both long-cellared wines from Muga, Fonseca and Taylor's, as well as some delicious wines from López de Heredia more recently added to the cellar. The standard here was very high across the board, especially with the Heredia wines, the Tondonia Blanco Reserva, Tondonia Gran Reserva and Bosconia Gran Reserva all putting on a good performance. Sadly the Muga Gran Reserva Prado Enea could not manage a comparable feat, but the wine was not, I am sure, in pristine condition. Unusually, the cork started to slide into the bottle as I opened it, suggesting the seal might not be as secure as it could be. The tell-tale notes of oxidation were extremely subtle, so much so that I feel I can still produce some valid comments on the wine, but I am sure there will be bottles out there that taste much better than this one, and which are worthy of a higher score.
As for the two Ports, these were single-quinta wines, both Taylor's and Fonseca having chosen to declare in 1992 in preference to 1991. The Quinta de Vargellas showed very well indeed, my first bottle of perhaps six or so that I own, and I'm content with leaving these to provide future pleasures, confident that they will drink well. The Guimaraens, however, was clearly in a more frenzied, hot and alcoholic mood, and overall seemed rather clunky. I am hoping that what other bottles of this I own - just a couple, if I remember correctly - will soften with more time in the cellar, otherwise drinking them will prove rather hard work. (26/7/11)
The 1991 Vintage - Tasting Notes
Tasted in July 2011. Click
to locate stockists.
Hugel
Gewurztraminer Vendange Tardive 1991: My last half-bottle from about half a
dozen I picked up for a song at an auction quite a few years
ago. I've always preferred this Gewurztraminer to the slightly older Pinot Gris I
bought at the same time. Happily this final bottle is in good condition; it
shows a clear mid-golden hue, and the nose shows nice varietal character, with
notes of blood orange and lychee, along with smoke, pancetta and rose petal
perfume. It shows glossy richness on the palate, with a soft and fleshy feel,
the supporting structure mainly coming from the bitter pithy grip that underpins
it, rather than any firm acidity. This is attractive stuff, holding up very
nicely too. It is only the low level acidity, not at all surprising for
Gewurztraminer of course, that prevents it from being much more enthralling than
it already is. In the finish though, it is very long, with a lovely bitter
grip along the way. 17.5/20
Philippe Foreau Vouvray Sec 1991: A very discoloured cork at the top
half-centimetre, black with age, but clean beneath, as is the wine. Not
decanted, simply poured from the bottle, this aged dry Vouvray has a rich golden
hue in the glass, and a nose that starts out with a quite linear feel,
suggestive of stony minerals, before slowly relaxing and evolving in the glass.
It shows with time warmer and softer aromas, rather funky notes of wool
alongside straighter elements, of nuts, especially almonds, with a sweet
pastry-marzipan feel to them. Later pure notes of white fruit and desiccated
pineapple, with a touch of ginger. Quite a full, polished feel at the very
start, fleshy but well defined, bright and solidly framed rather than anything
more delicate, and maintaining a good sense of proportion through the middle. It
displays a welcome vein of acidity here, strong and citrusy and very punchy,
perhaps a little bitter towards the finish, although only mildly so. And it
keeps the finish of the wine, which has a really good length, nicely defined.
Overall I find this has certain appeal, conveyed principally by its vigour,
definition, dramatic composition and length, less so the aromatic and flavour
profile which doesn't stray too far from its nutty opener. Good though. 16/20
Joel Champet Côte-Rôtie La Challière 1991: This was a great vintage for
Côte-Rôtie, although this is not a domaine I am familiar with. The label
declares this as a Côte Brune cuvée. A mature colour in the glass, although with
a lot of depth to it. The nose is delightfully evolved, showing notes of
undergrowth, well-hung game, juniper berries and tobacco. It is, unfortunately,
the most convincing facet of this wine. The palate starts off thick and slightly
chewy, and showing some anonymous old-wine characters on the midpalate. The
fruit is lightly stewed, but the acidity sharp and contributing towards a rather
hard feel to the wine's structure. The fruit does cover this structure fairly
well, but there is nevertheless an undeniably sour feel underneath it all. With
a little more time in the glass it does display a touch more harmony, but
overall the effect is somewhat short of convincing. I'm glad I had just the one
bottle. 14/20
Bert Simon Serrig Herrenberg Riesling Kabinett 1991: A rich, golden
hue to this wine now it has hit twenty years, and the aromas are no less full
and solid than the colour. We have a nutty, toasty layer at the base, supporting
upper layers of fruit and more evolved aromas. First come the notes of hazelnut,
with organic tinges of mushrooms and dried coffee at the side. There may be just
a little trace of oxidation here, although it is nothing detracting, more just
an extra seam of complexity. It is certainly subtle. Plenty of substance on the
palate, and here the fruit is a little more to the fore, with a rich, golden
character, tinged with lime and a light drizzle of crystal-rich honey, texturally
at least. There is flesh and substance, but not a lot of sweetness. Although
there is acidity at the core it seems somewhat muted and it doesn't carry the
wine along as I would like, giving it a rather stolid feel overall, and this
becomes more apparent in the finish which fades away in a very short, clipped,
sour-fruit fashion. This is nowhere near as pleasurable as my last bottle five
years ago, and the endpalate suggests it is on its way down. One to be drunk up
sooner rather than later I think. 15/20
AP
number: 3 555 058 10 92
López de Heredia Rioja Blanco Reserva Viña Tondonia 1991: This aged
reserva has a very deep and rich golden hue befitting its age, and reminiscent
of burnished gold. Aromatically it is enticing and very secondary as I expected,
with immediate notes of almond, butterscotch and old school desks, mixed with
dried citrus peel; it has a woody feel to it, but there is also a suggestion of
substance and intensity which bodes well for the palate. And this is not false
promise; at the very beginning it seems very bright and smoky, before broadening
out beautifully in the midpalate to reveal some intense, nutty, slightly salty
depth and a lovely layer of dried fruits behind the dry and intense structure of
the wine. There is great substance here, the wine full and rich despite the
slightly austere backbone which is well hidden by all the interest and substance. Fresh, fine,
with citrusy acidity, and very long too. This is superb, so
pleasing and yet also quite cerebral, and it is streets ahead of the 1987
recently tasted. 18/20
López de Heredia Rioja Gran Reserva Viña Bosconia 1991: Wax capsule.
No sediment of note. Left in the bottle at first, but as it showed slow
evolution in the glass I decanted the rest and left it for an hour. Seemingly a
pale hue when decanted, but a richer hue in the glass. Certainly a very mature
hue though, mahogany with redder tones at its core. The nose is also very
evolved, gamey, slightly suggestive of aged, sweetly tanned leather, with great
complexity. There are also hints of liquorice and fennel, green olives and
peppercorns, and dried plum fruit. A really full and broad texture on the palate
maintained right through the middle, with faded tannin and fairly firm acidity,
which helps to keep the finish nicely cleansed. Full, rather exciting tingle on
the finish, and a really impressive length. Fresh and bright in its composition,
with great acidity, lifting and freshening the dried fruit and roasted meat
characters. Great substance on he finish. And it is very long too. Delicious. 17.5/20
López de Heredia Rioja Gran Reserva Viña Tondonia 1991: A very long and
well-stained cork removed without any notable trouble, and from beneath a wine
showing fading tones, with certain maturity. From the outset this gives an
evocative set of rich, gamey aromas, and although they firmed up with a little
time in the decanter this was really good to go from the moment the cork was
pulled. There is the sweetness of baked plum and orange peel, with high-toned
edges to it, and the evolved aromas of game, leather and liquorice also quite
prominent with time. Complexity is the word, I believe! A very cool, reserved,
linear start to the palate, softening in texture a little through the midpalate
but never completely relaxing, as there is a very firm acidity here that cuts
right through everything it has on the palate. Wonderfully taut in its
composition, and yet finely flattering too, with a lightly chalky background.
Rich, gamey, a touch of dried fruit, but overall substantial, fresh and very
impressive. Incredibly long too. Superb. 18.5/20
Muga Rioja Gran Reserva Prado Enea 1991: Nine years since I last opened one of these - so we should expect some
development here. Opened with a double-pronged butler's friend, it wasn't long
before the cork was disappearing into the bottle here. Not loose, but not
exactly super-tight either. Quite a rich sediment for a gran reserva. Now, at twenty years of age, this wine still has an
impressively dense hue in the glass, with very mature tones throughout. The nose
is impressive, in that it offers very rich aromas suggestive of great substance,
cut through with firm tertiary development, full of game, bacon and black
liquorice. Once these elements have had their turn, a soft seam of oxidation
does appear in the background, muted notes that dull the firm edges of the wine.
This is also apparent on the palate which otherwise offers a very dense
substance, the fruit having now faded, leaving in its wake appealing tertiary
aromas of long-braised beef, with a high-toned persistence to
it across the palate. There are scents of leather, juniper berries and lightly
stewed fruits. The composition of the wine has a brightness, the acidity
firm, supporting a texture rather richer than the Bosconia tasted
alongside. But that oxidised nuance has dampened my enthusiasm somewhat. Other
bottles will surely show better than this. 16.5/20
Fonseca Guimaraens Vintage Port 1991: Dark, maturing, still very densely
coloured on inspection though. The nose starts
off in a very obvious fashion, full of sweet fig and cedar, showing plenty of
spice and with a little time also a fair whack of spirit. But with time it does
all channel down into something a little more defined, mainly a cedary
wood-spice with chalky, vanilla tinged, edge, but also a painty-chemically
nuance too. It suggests a dry structure, perhaps with a woody streak, but
although there are elements of this on the palate much more evident - at first
at least - is the rather fat and substantial entry, with a slightly plump and
soupy feel. This puppy fat quickly falls away though, to reveal a wealth of spice and power
behind, formed by a layer of tannin and
peppery, biting alcohol which goes some way to cut through the sweet, full, figgy fruit
- although it never really manages it as I would have hoped it would. With more time
it does indeed build in substance, showing a broad and sweet character, which then rolls up
in full finish, slowly fading out with a grippy, spicy,
peppery, biting and rather hot and spirity length. This all seems a little top
heavy, hot and fierce at the moment. As is often the case there are appealing
elements, although for me they don't dominate at present. More time in the
cellar may soften some of the coarser aspects of this wine's character. 15/20
Taylor's Quinta de Vargellas Vintage Port 1991: A richly
coloured dark wine in the glass. Initially very forceful, this merely reflects
the wine's youth, and with time in the decanter it relaxes into a sweet,
balanced, fresh and perfumed style. The initially reticent and woody nose gives
way to a fruit-rich and vibrant character, backed up by tinges of charcoal and a
perfumed, violetty seam. The palate continues in the same vein, textured, gently sweet,
broad, fleshy and supple, with structural elements behind it all well covered
by the substance of the wine. There is freshness and lift despite the size of
the wine, and although there is some warmth in the finish there is no sense of
deficient balance here, with everything nicely held together. What is most impressive
though is the harmony on the palate, even with the rich, fruit-laden suppleness.
Overall I find this ready to go now, and it is a
delicious effort too. There is no need to rush though; this one still has decades ahead of it. 17.5/20
