Fonseca

[bills]

Brief notes on some Ports:

Fonseca 2003 – warm spirity nose with big fruit, very good presentation on palate considering age but really not showing a whole lot – medium sweet and lengthy finish. Should prove to be quite good.

Fonseca 2000 – mmm – butter and pears in the nose, a bit hotter, with nice spiciness. Surprisingly open at this young age and with very long finish.

Quinta do Panascal 1991 – at last a Port that is hitting stride. Warm, very slightly musty nose, nice weight on this wine, not too hot and coming together nicely. This is made from the grapes that would, in a vintage year, go into the Fonseca VP.

1987 Guimaraens – another selection of grapes in a year when the Fonseca vintage isn’t declared.. Mellow, fairly ripe nose, the wine now well integrated on palate, smooth and long. I would buy this one for current drinking.

Fonseca 10 Year Old Tawny – pale pinky bricky colour, medium sweet in mouth, and quite tasty, silky smooth feel and long finish. Unfortunately I didn’t get the chance to compare the various ages of tawnies offered by Fonseca – I find I usually have a marked preference, often of the 10 over older, but sometimes the 20 is the hit.