Simon Field | Garnet russet color, long legs, a whiff of tobacco and white pepper, pressed flowers and hay, dark fruit left behind long ago. The mouthfeel is unexpected, a little lighter (not leaner) than anticipated, the sweetness of the fruit recalling primary characteristics, resplendent, confident, and throbbing with nascent energy. Deceptive this one, as it is less open and generous, at first blush, than many of the 1985s, yet with a little air, a little patience, and no lack of imagination, it endears itself, embracing with warm Mediterranean generosity and a hard-won familiarity. Never undermine the voice of the quiet man, as someone once said (quietly). | 90

Andrew Jefford | This is a slightly redder Port than [Croft 1985], but it is also into absolute translucency now, an oxblood red at its core, and without any remaining scarlet, let alone black or purple. It has fragrant and refined aromas of dry grasses, of mountain herbs, with a hint of lavender, of orange peel and of root spice: attractive, even ethereal, but seemingly fully mature. This is very much what you find on the palate. It is a slightly better wine than [Croft 1985], thanks to its levels of aromatic allusiveness and its general sense of herbal and citrus-peel refinement; both would make attractive alternatives to aged tawny for the same kind of gastronomic occasions. But they really are two leagues down as Vintage Port to [Dow’s, Graham’s, and Fonseca’s 1985s], and this was a promising vintage in which it was possible to achieve great things. | 88

Richard Mayson | Mid-deep with a mature tawny hue; graceful if just a touch high-toned and lifted on the nose; soft, fully mature yet retaining some freshness and poise, firm, peppery tannins mid-palate and on to the finish, where the graceful fruit comes back to make its presence felt. Plenty of finesse if just a little lacking in substance. Drink over the next decade. | 89