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Spain 1994/ Rioja by Riscal: Mainly dry year, except for heavy rains in October and November 1993. Some light spring frost effect; drought from August 5 to September 12. The growing cycle was eagerly awaited, recording very benign temperatures in March, which favored early budding of the vines, almost a month ahead of normal dates for the area. An exceptionally dry and hot summer, the likes of which we have not experienced for more than 40 yea...

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Bordeaux

Bordeaux Vintage Report 1994 / After a mild winter, spring brought heavy rain and frost which significantly damaged the vineyards. After a stormy start to the summer, the weather calmed down and changed very favorably for the latter part of the vintage. The harvest took place in good conditions and the vintage ended moderately to even good. The wines are perfectly pleasant today.

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Burgundy

1994 VINTAGE in Burgundy

Not at all bad. A useful vintage for early to mid-term drinking. An unprecedented change in the weather at the beginning of September with a very wet first week, meant that the harvest was difficult. The quality of the reds was uneven and at Maison Latour, to maintain our standards of high quality, Grand Crus and Premier Crus wines were declassified and blended into their respective village appellations. The wines are perfumed and charming with soft tannins that have a correct balance between acidity and alcohol. They offer quality drinking and are developing well. The quality of the whites is much higher in general, as the Chardonnay is more resistant to unfavourable weather conditions. The wines are stylish with good balance between acidity, body and fruit. The overall quality is good, with a few wines of exceptional quality amongst the Grands Crus.

By the end of August Burgundy was preparing for a vintage worthy to rival some of the greatest years- It had been an exceptionally warm summer. However an unprecedented change in the weather on the 31st of August followed by the coldest and wettest first two weeks of September in over twenty years (8 degrees below seasonal norm) meant that plans and hopes had to be revised.

A mild Spring led to an early 'bud burst (10th April) although vegetation growth was then temporarily halted by a cooler end to April. May temperatures were average and considerable work was undertaken in the vineyards to halt diseases such as mildew, oidium and grey rot, the first signs of which were evident due to the wet conditions. Spraying and good weather in June prevented serious damage. A slightly delayed flowering (between 10th and 20th of June) was followed by fine weather and high temperatures (30 °C. - 33 °C.) only broken by occasional rainstorms refreshing the vines and aiding the "veraison" which had slowed during the dry spell, fortunately, the potentially devastating effect of hail were largely avoided apart from some localized damage in the Côte de Beaune on the 18th of July. 

The hopes of a great vintage were dashed as 3Omm of rain fell on the 31st of August and another lOO mm between the 7th and the 18th of September bringing forward the "ban des vendanges" to the 16th and 21st of September for Côte de Beaune and Côte de Nuits respectively. 

In summary, some of the 1994 whites will be excellent. Even at this early stage they are perfumed and charming, the lack of maceration in the making of white wine making the rot irrelevant. The reds, particularly the Premier and Grand Crus are already showing considerable elegance and finesse. 

 

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California

California Vintage 1994 / A long, cool spring followed by a cool summer produced slightly lower grape yields of richly concentrated fruit. The effects of low winter rainfall were mitigated by the combination of cool daytime temperatures and evening marine fog. The moderate temperatures were optimum for grape quality. A two-week period of hot weather at the beginning of August created some uneven coloration during veraison, and growers compensated by thinning fruit to allow only the best grapes to reach maturation.

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Vintage Report

Bordeaux Vintage Report 1994 / After a mild winter, spring brought heavy rain and frost which significantly damaged the vineyards. After a stormy start to the summer, the weather calmed down and changed very favorably for the latter part of the vintage. The harvest took place in good conditions and the vintage ended moderately to even good. The wines are perfectly pleasant today. Among the red wines of the vintage, Pétrus, with Valandraud, occupies first place. Haut-Brion, Margaux and Latour are good second places. Pontet-Canet is a good surprise. For Sauternes the vintage was good and the dry whites, like the Haut-Brion Blanc, were excellent.

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Port Vintage Report: A “monumental” vintage, even more intense than that of 1992, with tannins and fruit concentration. According to James Suckling from the American magazine Wine Spectator, which back in 1997 attributed the highest rating (100 points) to the Taylor and da Fonseca Vintages, as well as first place among the hundred best wines of that year, “Great Vintage Ports as the ones from this year come around only a few times in a lifetime “. A general declaration. Excellent weather, harvests under ideal conditions, with perfect grapes.

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1994 After many years the English Channel is opened joining England to France for the first time, this year also marks the 50th Anniversary of the Allied landings in France and the beginning of the end of the Second World War. Tensions start over Inspection of Nuclear Plants in North Korea. Rover in the UK is purchased by BMW. In the US the First Genetically Engineered Tomatoes become available and the use and sale of GM Foods is approved  
 

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The best wines of the 1994 vintage

Name Tb Producer Location
1 Harlan Estate 100 Harlan Estate Napa Valley, United States
2 Maya 99 Dalla Valle Napa Valley, United States
3 Screaming Eagle 99 Screaming Eagle Napa Valley, United States
4 Howell Mountain 99 Dunn Vineyards Napa Valley, United States
5 Herb Lamb Cabernet Sauvignon 98 Colgin Cellars Napa Valley, United States
6 Dominus 98 Dominus Estate Napa Valley, United States
7 Araujo Eisele Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon 98 Araujo Estate Napa Valley, United States
8 Opus One 98 Opus One Napa Valley, United States
9 Lake Cabernet Sauvignon 98 Diamond Creek Vineyards Napa Valley, United States
10 Eisele Vineyard Syrah 98 Araujo Estate Napa Valley, United States
11 Dunn Howell Mountain Cabernet Sauvignon 98 Dunn Vineyards Napa Valley, United States
12 Château Smith Haut Lafitte Blanc 98 Château Smith Haut Lafitte Bordeaux, France
13 Château Haut-Brion Blanc 98 Château Haut-Brion Bordeaux, France
14 Nacional Vintage Port 97 Quinta do Noval Douro, Portugal
15 Hillside Select Cabernet Sauvignon 97 Shafer Vineyards Napa Valley, United States
16 Special Selection Cabernet Sauvignon 97 Caymus Vineyards Napa Valley, United States
17 Insignia 97 Joseph Phelps Napa Valley, United States
18 Bryant Family Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon 97 Bryant Family Vineyard Napa Valley, United States
19 Grace Family Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon 0 Grace Family Vineyard Napa Valley, United States
20 Montrachet 97 Domaine Leflaive Burgundy, France
21 Madrona Ranch Cabernet Sauvignon 97 Abreu Vineyards Napa Valley, United States
22 Romanee Saint Vivant 97 Domaine de la Romanée-Conti Burgundy, France
23 Vintage Port 96 Graham's Douro, Portugal
24 Unico 96 Bodegas Vega Sicilia Ribera el Duero, Spain
25 Vintage Port 96 Taylor's Douro, Portugal
26 Lafleur 96 Château Lafleur Bordeaux, France
27 Dalla Valle Cabernet Sauvignon 96 Dalla Valle Napa Valley, United States
28 Unico Reserva Especial 96 Bodegas Vega Sicilia Ribera el Duero, Spain
29 Steinberger Riesling Eiswein (Auction) 96 Kloster Eberbach Rheingau, Germany
30 Batard-Montrachet 96 Louis Jadot Burgundy, France
31 Richebourg 96 Domaine Leroy Burgundy, France
32 Ermitage le Pavillon 96 M. Chapoutier Rhône, France
33 Châteauneuf-du-Pape La Reine des Bois 96 Domaine de la Mordoree Rhône, France
34 Zöbinger Heiligenstein Alte Reben Riesling 0 Weingut Bründlmayer Kamptal, Austria
35 Vintage Port 95 Quinta do Noval Douro, Portugal
36 Single Harvest Tawny Port 95 Graham's Douro, Portugal
37 Hill of Grace 95 Henschke Eden Valley, Australia
38 Beaulieu Georges de Latour Private Reserve 95 Beaulieu Vineyards Napa Valley, United States
39 Chevalier-Montrachet 95 Domaine Leflaive Burgundy, France
40 Mount Edelstone 95 Henschke Eden Valley, Australia
41 Proprietary Red 95 Pahlmeyer Napa Valley, United States
42 Hermitage 95 Domaine Jean-Louis Chave Rhône, France
43 Ridge Monte Bello 95 Ridge Vineyards Santa Cruz, United States
44 Clos des Papes 95 Clos des Papes Rhône, France
45 Grosset Gaia 95 Grosset Wines South Australia, Australia
46 Vintage 95 Ferreira Portugal, Portugal
47 Vintage Port 95 Niepoort Douro, Portugal
48 Amarone della Valpolicella Classico 95 Bertani Verona, Italy
49 Clos Jebsal "Selection de Grans Nobles" 95 Domaine Zind-Humbrecht Alsace, France
50 Shiraz Viognier 95 Clonakilla Canberra District, Australia
51 Château Rauzan-Ségla 95 Château Rauzan-Ségla Bordeaux, France
52 CHATEAUNEUF DU PAPE LA CRAU 95 Domaine du Vieux Télégraphe Rhône, France
53 Kanonkop Paul Sauer 95 Kanonkop Stellenbosch, South Africa
54 Cyril Henschke Cabernet Sauvignon 95 Henschke Eden Valley, Australia
55 Grange Hermitage 94 Penfolds South Australia, Australia
56 Vintage Port 94 Dow's Douro, Portugal
57 Pétrus 94 Château Pétrus Pomerol, France
58 Le Pin 94 Le Pin Bordeaux, France
59 Niepoort Colheita 94 Niepoort Douro, Portugal
60 La Tâche 94 Domaine de la Romanée-Conti Burgundy, France
61 Chambertin 94 Domaine Armand Rousseau Burgundy, France
62 Château Haut-Brion 94 Château Haut-Brion Bordeaux, France
63 Vintage Port 94 Ferreira Portugal, Portugal
64 Cabernet Merlot 94 Cullen Wines Margaret River, Australia
65 Vintage Port 94 Fonseca Douro, Portugal
66 Penfolds Bin 707 Cabernet Sauvignon 94 Penfolds South Australia, Australia
67 Meshach 94 Grant Burge Wines South-Australia, Australia
68 Châteauneuf-du-Pape Le Secret des Sabon 94 Roger Sabon Rhône, France
69 Hermitage La Chapelle 94 Paul Jaboulet & Âiné Rhône, France
70 Chapoutier Ermitage de l'Orée 94 M. Chapoutier Rhône, France
71 Chateau Margaux Pavillon Blanc 94 Château Margaux Bordeaux, France
72 Château Clinet 94 Château Clinet Bordeaux, France
73 Saint-Joseph 94 Domaine Jean-Louis Chave Rhône, France
74 Montrachet 94 Domaine Étienne Sauzet Burgundy, France
75 Show Sparkling Shiraz 94 Seppelt Great Western, Australia
76 Tokaji 5 Puttonyos 94 Tokaj Oremus Estate Tokaj-Hegyalja, Hungary
77 Command Shiraz 94 Elderton Wines South Australia, Australia
78 Coteaux du Layon 94 Moulin Touchais Loire, France
79 Hommage à Jacques Perrin 94 Château de Beaucastel Rhône, France
80 Montecillo Gran Reserva Selección Especial 94 Bodegas Montecillo La Rioja, Spain
81 Auslese Naturwein 94 Steinberger Rheingau, Germany
82 Gran Reserva 94 Mont-Ferrant Penedès, Spain
83 Pinot Gris Grand Cru Furstentum 94 Domaine Albert Mann Alsace, France
84 Graacher Himmelreich Riesling Spätlese 94 Weingut J. J. Prüm Mosel, Germany
85 Richebourg 94 Domaine de la Romanée-Conti Burgundy, France
86 Montrachet 94 Domaine de la Romanée-Conti Burgundy, France
87 Vintage Collection 94 Palmer & Co Champagne, France
88 Barolo Monfortino Riserva 94 Giacomo Conterno Piedmont, Italy
89 Binger Bubenstück Kerner und Scheurebe Beerenauslese 94 Hildegardishof Rheinhessen, Germany
90 Barbaresco 93 Gaja Barbaresco, Italy
91 Vintage Port 93 Warre's Douro, Portugal
92 Château Mouton-Rothschild 93 Château Mouton-Rothschild Bordeaux, France
93 Château Latour 93 Château Latour Bordeaux, France
94 Masseto 93 Ornellaia Tuscany, Italy
95 Chassagne-Montrachet "Vergers" 93 Domaine Ramonet Burgundy, France
96 Château de Valandraud 93 Château Valandraud Bordeaux, France
97 Riesling Smaragd Steinertal 93 F.X. Pichler Wachau, Austria
98 The Armagh 93 Jim Barry Wines Clare Valley, Australia
99 Hermitage Blanc 93 Domaine Jean-Louis Chave Rhône, France
100 Meursault Charmes 93 Domaine des Comtes Lafon Burgundy, France
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