We reserved 1994 Churchill’s Vintage Porto for last at Chocolate and Wine Tasting with our wine club.
As with all old wines, this 29-year-old Port brought memories from 1994. There were lots of historical events that year. Nelson Mandela became South African President after winning the first multi-racial elections. Brazil won the soccer World Cup. Netscape Navigator became a top browser worldwide, beating Internet Explorer, all before Chrome and Google took over.
Still, the most significant event reverberating through the world until today was meeting each other. Without it, you wouldn’t be able to read this amazing article and take a time-machine trip to 1994 with a bottle of Churchill’s Port.
Churchill’s Story
Long story short, most port houses are owned by the Symington family and Taylor Fladgate.
Churchill’s Port was founded by Johnny Graham of the famed Graham family. His family’s company had been acquired in 1970 by Symington Family Estates, which now encompasses Graham’s, Warre’s, Dow’s, Cockburn’s, Smith Woodhouse, and a few other labels.
In 1981 John struck out on his own by establishing the first new Port house in half a century. To this day, Churchill’s remains one of the most significant boutique houses outside Symington Family Estates and Taylor Fladgate (Taylor’s, Fonseca, Croft, and others.)
Churchill’s 1994 Vintage Porto
In the Bottle
Churchill’s grapes always are sourced from Grade-A vineyards, the highest rated in the Douro wine region of Portugal. While typical vintage ports are only made in exceptional years, Churchill’s port house treats all grapes as ‘vintage’ at the outset: the fruit is crushed and vinified in traditional granite lagares by bare-footed people (not machines) following the time-honored and also costly process.
A critical factor in Churchill’s relatively dry style is a longer-than-normal fermentation time, which means less brandy is added to fortify the wine.
1994 was a nail-biting vintage with challenges throughout the season. Those with the best nerves won by harvesting after September 20th.
It was clear as soon as the wines were run from the lagares that a fine vintage was in the bag, and the producers could hardly hold back a historic vintage declaration. The wines were appealing from the start, with ripe fleshy fruit concealing the underlying tannic grip that will enable these wines to stand the test of time.
At release time in 1997, it was described as a gorgeous, voluptuous young, full-bodied Port with powerful, chewy tannins, intense dark chocolate, and grapes aromas.
So did it age in almost three decades?
In the Glass
The first surprise was the translucent tawny brick color; for a moment there, before tasting it, we thought we got a bad bottle. Yet, as Jancis Robinson (one of the world’s top palates) exclaimed, tasting it in 2022, “Looks so, so much older than the 1991! Several decades older…” We must agree, it’s a way ahead.
The aromas were muted at first, and it took nearly an hour for Churchill to wake up from a long sleep and show its gentle beauty.
While it had a chocolate aroma, it was milder and closer to milk chocolate, with notes of strawberry mousse and marzipan.
The palate came across as soft, balanced, and delicate thanks to the drier style of Churchill’s ports. The bold dark fruit flavors gave way to lightly sweet, nutty chocolate and dried cherry flavors with an undertone of dried orange.
Pairing Churchill’s with Chocolate
We generally knew what to expect from aged Port. Still, it is often shot in the dark because wine is always part science and part magic.
We got the chocolates from Yen for Chocolat, a local chocolatier in Portland, Oregon, because we liked Christina’s (chocolatier) innovative flavors.
Anticipating sweet chocolate, cherry, and nutty flavors from the Port, we picked Almond Butter and Cherry chocolate. While we were confident that most chocolate flavors would pair well, almond butter was a gamble.
And turned out to be a happenstance because the marzipan (made with almonds) was a close match.
Chocolate was a tad bit sweeter, making Churchill’s Port taste refreshing rather than sweet. An exciting combination!
Aftertaste and Afterthoughts
Tasting wines like 1994 Churchill’s Vintage Port are always fun, not because they taste fantastic and unexpected, but because it’s like drinking time encapsulated in a bottle. That’s a one-of-a-kind experience!
The only thing we wish for, we have been there in 1997 and tasted what was described as “the best Churchill’s ever.” Where’s the time machine when we need one?!
Would it age or stay young if we got 1994 Churchill’s in 1997 and brought it back to 2023 in a time machine? When would we like it better, then or now? Do try it at home and let us know, please. Better yet, invite us for a ride so we can provide you with a professional second opinion.