Fonseca Vintage Port

Saturated deep ruby. Brooding, reticent nose of cassis and kirsch; there’s nothing cooked about this one! Then massive, sweet and superrich in the mouth; explodes with exotic ripeness. Intriguing note of graphite. This coats every nook and cranny of the palate and clings and builds on the back end in a way that no other wine of this vintage can match. Huge, sexy and wonderfully lush Fonseca, built for the long haul. As impressive as the best 2000s, and, along with the Quinta do Noval Nacional, is an early candidate for port of the 2003 vintage.

Fonseca vintage Ports are always among the most attractive and long-lived. This 2003 conforms magnificently to that model. It is structured, rich, powerful and opulent. There are cassis and black fig flavors, as well as sweet tannins. It is delicious already, and will remain delicious throughout its long life.

Sporting an opaque, black-colored robe with dark purple trim, the 2003 Fonseca Vintage Port exhibits a nose of profound depth. Its sweet black mass of dark fruit and spice aromas leads to a character of immense depth, richness, and weight. Full-bodied, viscous, and almost impenetrable, this dense, backward port is powerful and exceptionally long in the finish. Possibly the most masculine Fonseca I’ve ever encountered, it coats the taster’s palate with licorice, jammy black fruits, and notes of chocolate that last for over a minute. This blockbuster will require at least three decades to fully blossom. Anticipated maturity: 2035–2060.

Lots of grape and raisin on the nose. Full-bodied, chewy and lightly sweet. Serious concentration, with lots of grip on the finish. Just what to expect from a young Vintage port. Best after 2012.

This is a beauty right now. Violet in color, scent and texture, Fonseca uses all the plumpness of the vintage to best advantage. It glistens with freshness, with long, dark fruit flavors held in place almost invisibly by the persistence of tannin. The schisty scent of smoke off broken rock gives the structure its electricity, and, with the freshness of the fruit, will sustain the wine for decades. Drink 2028–2043.