1963 Fonseca Vintage Port

[Glenn E.]

blind tasting on 12/26 at Roy's house (8 total wines)

1963 Fonseca Vintage Port

Dark red, with even still a hint of purple to it. It smells red with just a very slight stewed note that is not unpleasant. A little bit of processed sugar, too.

The palate smacks you with chocolate and cherry, but there's also a significant bite from the alcohol. It's not that it isn't integrated... it's just powerful. I also note a faint hint of thyme.

The alcohol bite smooths out a bit with time in the glass, at which point this becomes very nice.

I guessed a 1970 (based on the 1960 Ferreira and 1977 Dow's), but couldn't pick a producer. This bottle was more powerful and robust than the one I served at Thanksgiving, and I didn't recognize it.

I voted this one #3 on the night, with the 1966 Kopke Colheita #1 and the 1960 Ferreira Vintage Port #2. Though it was close for me between this, the 1963 Cockburn, and the 1977 Dow's.

[Roy Hersh]

I will only say that blind, I scored this significantly lower than I normally do. Still a very nice VP on the evening, but bested by a few of the other bottles that were in the company here. A really fun tasting and thanks to you Glenn and the others for making it over during the end of our snow storm!

[Andy Velebil]

As they say, wine is only as good as it's best bottle. Sorry this didn't show better.

[Glenn E.]

Well... it's not like it was a bad bottle! As I recall, this is the bottle we discussed briefly with regard to scoring, and settled (for the most part) on around 94-95 points. Though it's also possible that the discussion I'm remembering was about the 1960 Ferreira... after sharing 8-ish bottles of Port in 4 hours, my memory of the night isn't terribly precise!

It was a fabulous evening, and I look forward to the next gathering!

(I'm still going to struggle at the end of January... practice though I may, I'm still a lightweight!)

[Roy Hersh]

Your memory happens to be spot on. I was at 94 points and raised it to 95 on Sunday as it was slightly improved. That is a normally a super score, but not when this VP typically averages about 97.5 but there are no great wines, just great bottles ... even of Vintage Ports!

[Paul David]

A "good" 63 Fonsi (rather than excellent) would be a disappointment.... a bottle of this for me still stands out as the single best vintage port I have ever had the pleasure of sipping. I know several folks who I respect as seasoned port heads who also list this one very highly. But so it goes -don't give up and good luck with your next one -it's worth seeking out.

[Glenn E.]

Paul - I served a 97-98 point bottle to my family at Thanksgiving, so I have seen how well it can show. That bottle was the single best VP that I have had, though it only rates 3rd overall for me because I've had two amazing Colheitas in my brief Port tasting experience.

[Paul David]

While VP's are sturdy, the best way to try to have the odds in your favor is by purchasing them on release. Unfortunately my original release purchases only go back to the 94 vintage. Older ones, I had to back-fill. So it is with old bottles -provenance is hard to verify. That's a chance you take. For me it makes the old bottles that drink great so special. I am glad you had that great bottle with your family but now you are ruined for life :twisted:
May you have only great bottles ahead of you.