1985 Fonseca Vintage Port

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Thomas V
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1985 Fonseca Vintage Port

Post by Thomas V »

Part of an eighties themed VP tasting in Aarhus Port Club with 10 VP's which were served semiblind.

Decanted for 11 hours

This just looks ridiculous in the glass. A wolf in sheep's clothes. To guess that this is in fact a 32 year old VP is pretty ludicrous and impossible. It looks like a 97' or even a 03'. Dark and lush and then the scent hits you in the face with load of primary fruit, mostly black current and some mint . Not a sniff of alcohol on the nose just this sensation of a young and delicious VP.

On the palate it is fine, refreshing with an outstanding balance already between sweetness and acidity. Then the complexity hits with spicy notes and it keeps rolling of the tounge. This is so delicious to drink right now, but there is no doubt in anyones mind that this will go the distance and become something even more special than it already is (98-99pts?). I will not touch any of min bottles for at least 10 years. Just hope and pray that I get to try it at a tasting while I wait and gather more.

Today the Graham's 1985 was a better glass, but in 10-20 years the roles will reverse.

95+ points
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Andy Velebil
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Re: 1985 Fonseca Vintage Port

Post by Andy Velebil »

Thomas V wrote:Part of an eighties themed VP tasting in Aarhus Port Club with 10 VP's which were served semiblind.

Decanted for 11 hours

This just looks ridiculous in the glass. A wolf in sheep's clothes. To guess that this is in fact a 32 year old VP is pretty ludicrous and impossible. It looks like a 97' or even a 03'. Dark and lush and then the scent hits you in the face with load of primary fruit, mostly black current and some mint . Not a sniff of alcohol on the nose just this sensation of a young and delicious VP.

On the palate it is fine, refreshing with an outstanding balance already between sweetness and acidity. Then the complexity hits with spicy notes and it keeps rolling of the tounge. This is so delicious to drink right now, but there is no doubt in anyones mind that this will go the distance and become something even more special than it already is (98-99pts?). I will not touch any of min bottles for at least 10 years. Just hope and pray that I get to try it at a tasting while I wait and gather more.

Today the Graham's 1985 was a better glass, but in 10-20 years the roles will reverse.

95+ points
I agree that Graham's often shows better at the moment. As been mentioned many times on here in the past 2-3 years, the Fonseca has been in a funky phase and hasn't been showing its full potential at present. The hard part is keeping our fingers off of them until they do. As I think this will rival the great 1963 years down the road....I'd be curious what other think of that comparison
Andy Velebil Good wine is a good familiar creature if it be well used. William Shakespeare http://www.fortheloveofport.com
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Roy Hersh
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Re: 1985 Fonseca Vintage Port

Post by Roy Hersh »

WHAT??

Just kidding. While I did not first get to try a Fonseca 1963 until it was 25 or 26 years of age, it was a big bad baby back before the 1990s when it began to shed some of the massive tannins and baby fat. The 1985 I was able to try circa 1992 and loved it from the first time I tasted it. I knew it was special, but it was also inexpensive and easy to come by at $29 at the time I started to first buy them. So I drank some of them young, and by the time I moved into my current home, I had gone through a case+ and bought several more cases when the price had already reached $60, then one more at $65 and my most recent and last case purchased circa 2010 @ $72/btl. I've opened way too many and continued to have sticky fingers not being able to stop introducing friends to this wine. In total, I now have less than 3 cases left and am starting to respect them greatly, but at my age, will likely pop one-a-year now, or if for a specific tasting, maybe twice a year.

Not easy to compare the two, 1985 is remarkable, although I am not sure about 98 or 99 points, but I realize the trajectory of the taster. Anyway, I opened a magnum of 1963 Fonseca with my brother in CO on a Super Bowl Sunday when his team was in it, not many years ago and from that larger vessel, it was still very much in prime time and far less evolved than any recent 750 I've had of the same Port. So a good analogy by Andy, but hard to measure as none of us had the 1963 when it was young enough. Still, you can't go wrong with either one of them and I don't know if even the 2003 or 2011 Fonseca's are at the level of 1985. I know that some folks at TFP certainly do think so; but I will likely drink far more 1985s than I will either of those younger vintages, so you be the judge. The 2003 was incredible out of the gate and from early samples I had back then, (when this site was being launched) it was my 2nd favorite of the vintage, Niepoort was the only one to best the Fonseca; imo.

All I can say to those who are just getting serious about Port today, is to buy as much of the 1985 Fonseca as you can afford. At about $80-90 today here in the USA, for a 32 year old at this level ... it is a steal that will be drinking beautifully for another 30 years, with ease. By that point it might even be above $200/bottle. [shrug.gif] But that matters not, what does count is that you've controled the aging of this Port for the next few decades. That is worth tying up your cash for all those years, from a purely Port fanatic's point of view.
Ambition driven by passion, rather than money, is as strong an elixir as is Port. http://www.fortheloveofport.com
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Thomas V
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Re: 1985 Fonseca Vintage Port

Post by Thomas V »

Roy Hersh wrote:WHAT??
What? [shok.gif]

Roy Hersh wrote: In total, I now have less than 3 cases left and am starting to respect them greatly, but at my age, will likely pop one-a-year now, or if for a specific tasting, maybe twice a year.
So with the current rate of 1-2 bottles pr year you do not need to buy anymore?

Roy Hersh wrote: Not easy to compare the two, 1985 is remarkable, although I am not sure about 98 or 99 points, but I realize the trajectory of the taster.
I guess you are referring to me here? For my benchmark I do not doubt that I will be scoring it 2-3 points higher in a decade or two. I am not so stingy with my grades [cheers.gif]

Roy Hersh wrote: Still, you can't go wrong with either one of them and I don't know if even the 2003 or 2011 Fonseca's are at the level of 1985. I know that some folks at TFP certainly do think so; but I will likely drink far more 1985s than I will either of those younger vintages, so you be the judge. The 2003 was incredible out of the gate and from early samples I had back then, (when this site was being launched) it was my 2nd favorite of the vintage, Niepoort was the only one to best the Fonseca.
When you and I talked on FB, you mentioned that the 2000 Fonseca was only bested by the Niepoort for your liking. Here you reference the 2003 VP. Which one is it? :munch:
I just picked up 2x Fonseca 2003 to go along with a few 1997 and of course a case of 1985.

You may also have read in another thread inhere that in spring of 2018 we will be doing a vertical of Fonseca in Aarhus Port Club. Presumable 2007-1970. [kez_11.gif]
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Glenn E.
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Re: 1985 Fonseca Vintage Port

Post by Glenn E. »

Thomas V wrote:Today the Graham's 1985 was a better glass, but in 10-20 years the roles will reverse.
I have consistently rated the G85 higher than the F85, even blind. Including one tasting where I thought I'd already identified the Graham's and was disappointed with its showing (I had it in 3rd place), only to find out at the end that the "mystery Port" that I'd rated over the F85 in second was in fact the G85. My 3rd place wine on that night, as I recall, turned out to be Gould Campbell '85. Roy just rolled his eyes and shook his head in disbelief, as he'd already identified them correctly and knew what I was about to find out.

I do hear what you're saying about 20 years from now, though. While there's certainly nothing wrong with the Graham, the Fonseca does feel like it has more structure which may carry it to a longer life. Though I do still think the Graham is easily a 50-year Port!
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Roy Hersh
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Re: 1985 Fonseca Vintage Port

Post by Roy Hersh »

G85 definitely will be beautiful @ 50! That's only 18 more years. It could do that in its sleep. :P
Ambition driven by passion, rather than money, is as strong an elixir as is Port. http://www.fortheloveofport.com
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