Two ‘91s
Ask for a well-aged bottle of 1991 in most wine regions and you’ll get met with a chuckle, as I did in Vouvray a few years ago. Generally speaking, ‘91 is a vintage that tends to be remembered for its difficulty and poor weather in most places. The producer I asked in Vouvray told me that the little that was produced in ‘91 was some of the worst wine the domaine had ever made in their century-long history. There are a few place that one can find exceptional ‘91s. California’s Napa Valley and Portugal’s Douro Valley take two spots on the vintage’s short list of quality.
Napa valley in 1991 was certainly different than today, with wines still be grown and crafted in a very European way where structure and longevity was valued over extraction and ripeness (that all changed in 1997). Unlike much of Europe in 1991, the Napa Valley was blessed with an almost perfect growing season with the resulting wines being compared to the mystical greats of 1978. If anyone was going to make a world-class Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon in 1991 it was going to be Spottswood. Referred to as the ‘Margaux of Napa’, the wines are known for their concentration, age worthiness, complexity, and balance. At 29-years-old it could still go toe-to-toe with the best of the best and is quite possibly one of the best wines of the vintage globally. Rich aromas found only in classic Napa Cabernet waft from the glass, demanding attention and respect. Cedar, sage, clove, tobacco, cherry, currant, plum, and vanilla bean are all in attendance, supported by ripe-but-grippy tannins and gentle, satiating acidity. The depth was commendable and the finish seemingly endless.
In the Douro, 1991 was a declared vintage with most shippers agreeing it to be one of the top vintages of the decade. Always better with age, vintage Port is hard to pass up and the lack of interest by today’s consumer results in a shooting gallery of prices too good to pass up. A vintage dated bottle from one of the top shipping houses will only run you about $50 USD per bottle on average. An insane deal especially to the hundreds or thousands you’d pay for a top bottling from one of the few regions to excel in 1991. Requiring about an hour in the decanter to even begin to open up, the Noval ‘91 Vintage Port was a beauty. The depth and intensity were tamed with age but in no way diminished and definitely not over the hill by any means. Rich notes of red and black fruits with spicy high notes and savory bass tones are held together with gobs of ripe, fine-grained tannins and a backbone of acidity just rigid enough to keep the heavy wine nimble on the palate. If you’re looking to stock up on some well-aged wines on a budget that you don’t have to enjoy right away, Ports are not to be missed.