what can I expect from the 1985 vintage?

[Niels Stroejer]

Hi All

It is funny to read the old posts. But 10 years from 2005, thats not going to be enough.

I have tasted 4 Fonseca 1985 within the last 2-3 months. 2 was with a cork, that turned purple (almost) with sparkling winestones in the cork, 30 min. after i opened them. Those were good, but not stunning, always needed that extra, you would expect from a Fonseca. (but still better than most bottles)

But the other 2..... We are talking about going to heaven for a pleasant visit. I had the chance to taste the 2 bottles during more than 30 hours (one lastet almost 60 hours, and was still way better than most vintage, at their top). The Fonseca 1985 after 8-10 hours in a decanter. Thats when you fall to your knees and say a quiet prayer. The power, the fruit, the balance!

Well the rest is history, and 2 days ago the 4 new cases of Fonseca 1985 arrived at my doorstep (only 19 bottles were mine.....), will taste the next one on the 20. february, when we are going to taste Fonseca from 1945 to 1997.

But for the 1985, well expect a kiss from heaven. Clearly the best vintage of the 1980´s.

Cheers!

Niels

[Andy Velebil]

But the other 2..... We are talking about going to heaven for a pleasant visit.

when we are going to taste Fonseca from 1945 to 1997.

Now that is a descriptor I like! And a tasting I'd like to be at. Wish I could make it over there for that one. I'm sure it will be a fun and educational tasting. I look forward to reading about how it went.

[David Spriggs]

But 10 years from 2005, thats not going to be enough.

Actually I agree with you. I was being very conservative with that estimate and some like their wines on the young side. My personal expectation is at least 20 years and likely more. This is a Port for the ages. A true vin de garde.
Please post your notes on the Fonseca vertical when you have them. I'm really looking forward to that!

[Symon B]

hi we went through 3 csc g in 5 months 5 years ago lovely wine drinking then more than aproachable open come and get me babe no bad bottles
9.3 fruit med sweet prune burned suggar ex ballance fruit tannings etc similar to f70 but thinner weaker if you know what i mean wife loved it
had the f85 9.4 just pipped it thought those 2 were best of the vintage dont know what the nexed stage of there evolvment will bring we will see in 5 ys time ore so good value port symonb

[Al B.]

I knew there was a thread somewhere about VA in Vintage Port, it just took me some time to find it. Fascinating to read through some of these thoughts on the 1985 vintage.

My experience is that when you get a good bottle of 1985 Vintage Port, it is fabulous. But there is a comparatively high rate of VA spoilage. I don't mind a little bit of VA which adds an extra layer of complexity to a wine, but it has to be balanced and integrated into the Port. My experience is that around 1 in 12 bottles are spoiled by the amount of VA in them and there's no way to know whether a bottle is bad or not. Our Port group once sent back three bottles of Croft 1985 bought from a restaurant wine list because all were undrinkable.

I've experienced bad VA in bottles of Churchill (which is a great Port if VA free), Cockburn, Croft, Dow and Martinez. I've never experienced it in Calem, Delaforce, Feuerheerd, Fonseca, Gould Campbell, Graham (although I have in the Graham Crusted bottled in 1985), Kopke, Noval, Offley or Ramos Pinto. Only one bottle out of 38 in Taylor and one in 22 in Warre, so those could have been flukes. I certainly don't avoid Taylor or Warre 1985 but I do avoid buying any more Churchill, Cockburn, Croft, Dow or Martinez.

The Taylor 1985 has really blossomed and is a delightful drink today. It is in a wonderful secondary phase where it shows lots of interesting fruit and dried fruit flavours but with a nice elegance that is unusual in a mature Taylor (in my experience). I am really enjoying drinking them at the moment.

But for me the star of the vintage is the Fonseca. I love this Port and would agree with the general view that it is the best Vintage Port to come out of the 1980s. Some bottles are still incredibly closed and primary, while others are starting to show what this Port will ultimately deliver. My opinion, for what it's worth, is that this is a 100 year Port and will be delicious in 2085 for those of us who are still around and drinking.

And it was such a big vintage that if you buy only the shippers who did not suffer from the VA problem, you can still get fabulous quality wines for reasonable prices.

[Moses Botbol]

But for me the star of the vintage is the Fonseca. I love this Port and would agree with the general view that it is the best Vintage Port to come out of the 1980s. Some bottles are still incredibly closed and primary, while others are starting to show what this Port will ultimately deliver. My opinion, for what it's worth, is that this is a 100 year Port and will be delicious in 2085 for those of us who are still around and drinking.

For sure the best of the 80's and definitely the best of the '85 vintage. Also a fan of Ferreira '85 and don't recall that ever having VA. Also agree I don't mind a touch of it, especially on colheita.

The only '85 Vintage I would avoid is Hoopers, Calem, and Croft. Only the Croft of the three I have had in last few years, so maybe a revisit is in order?

[Glenn E.]

But for me the star of the vintage is the Fonseca. I love this Port and would agree with the general view that it is the best Vintage Port to come out of the 1980s. Some bottles are still incredibly closed and primary, while others are starting to show what this Port will ultimately deliver. My opinion, for what it's worth, is that this is a 100 year Port and will be delicious in 2085 for those of us who are still around and drinking.

For sure the best of the 80's and definitely the best of the '85 vintage. Also a fan of Ferreira '85 and don't recall that ever having VA. Also agree I don't mind a touch of it, especially on colheita.

The only '85 Vintage I would avoid is Hoopers, Calem, and Croft. Only the Croft of the three I have had in last few years, so maybe a revisit is in order?

I routinely rate the '85 Graham as high or higher than the '85 Fonseca in blind tastings, though I do admittedly have a preference for the Graham style.

That said, I do agree with Alex's sentiment. The 1985 Fonseca is an amazing Port that will out-live all of us. Add the 1987 Taylor Vargellas to these two 1985s and you have my top 3 of the decade, with only the 1980 Dow coming close to breaking the lock.

[David Spriggs]

Just for the record, I have experienced several VA infected bottles of 1985 Niepoort.
Totally agree on the 1985 Fonseca. Incredible!

[Andy Velebil]

Just for the record, I have experienced several VA infected bottles of 1985 Niepoort.
Totally agree on the 1985 Fonseca. Incredible!

Sadly, and for reasons that I don't know, there were a decent number of producers who had issues with VA during the 80's and 90's.

[Mike J. W.]

The '85 Fonseca is a fantastic Port. It continues to evolve. I have several bottles of this and I look forward to trying them over the next few decades (god willing).

[Roy Hersh]

Glenn wrote:

That said, I do agree with Alex's sentiment. The 1985 Fonseca is an amazing Port that will out-live all of us. Add the 1987 Taylor Vargellas to these two 1985s and you have my top 3 of the decade, with only the 1980 Dow coming close to breaking the lock.

Sounds similar to an article I wrote about the two best Vintage Ports of the 1980's, years ago.