Fonseca
Porto Vintage
2017
$155.25
About this winery
From its mythical 1840 vintage to the superb Vintage declared by Fonseca over the last decade, the house has produced an impressive series of exceptional vintages, even in the worst moments in the history of the trade. James Suckling, in his authoritative book on the subject, writes: "Fonseca's Vintage Port is perhaps, in its consistent, consistent quality, the greatest of all. Not only does it stand out in its youth for its fleshiness, opulence and power, but it retains that youthful freshness...
See the Fonseca detail page for more information on this brand
Product notes
Wine Advocate : 98 points Wine Enthusiast : 98 points Wine Spectator : 97 points Vinous : 95 points
Production notes
Fonseca Vintage Port is selected from the finest vineyards produced in a single exceptional year on the firm's own estates. Fonseca Vintage ports are long lasting wines which will improve in bottle for many years or decades. They should be stored lying down. This wine will form a natural sediment as it ages and should carefully be decanted.
Tasting notes
A narrow magenta ring around a core of inky purple black. The nose opens with a burst of dark, woodland fruit, dense and succulent, blended with fresher, more vibrant red berry aromas. A slatey minerality holds this exuberant fruitiness in check. At this stage, the nose is still reserved and discreetly aromatic, revealing leafy, balsamic scents and cedary notes of sawn wood. The first impression on the palate, as on the nose, is of tightly packed, dense dark berry fruit, which then explodes on the mid-palate and surges into the long finish. The texture is round and velvety but the taut, sinewy tannins and a strand of crisp acidity provide firmness and structure. The layered, complex fruit typical of Fonseca holds sway over this weighty, powerful wine.