For The Love Of Port

From a flight of repeat performances tasted at Roy's house November 15-18, 2009. We're going to do the reveal before day 4, so I'm posting final scores today so that they're not affected by label bias.

2007 Fonseca Vintage Port
2007 Croft Vintage Port
2007 Taylor Fladgate Vintage Port

2007 Fonseca Vintage Port

Day 1
Color: Typically purple for a very young VP, with maybe an extra hint of blue. 3/16" fade at the rim.
Nose: Very purple and black. Blackberry, blueberry, boysenberry. Only very moderate alcohol.
Palate: Hot, but with a mellow purple fruit sensation. The alcohol overpowers anything other than a general impression of fruit. Decent tannins and good acidity. Seems dry and relatively light bodied. There's also a mild sharp green note, something stalky/grassy like a cheap rum.
Finish: Hot with fading fruit. Neither long nor short.

Initial score: 88-91 points.

Day 2
Color: No change other than the extra hint of blue seems to have disappeared.
Nose: Bright and grapey with some blackberry and boysenberry. Alcohol more prominent. Some soft sugar which is probably the remains of yesterday's blueberries.
Palate: Moderately hot. Tannins slightly stronger than day 1, acidity slightly weaker. Still dry, but body is maybe medium light now. Still has that harsh green note.
Finish: Heat, bitter green, tannins, and a meaty note. The decline is even and trails off without any apples or stem.

Intermediate score: 88-91 points.

Day 3
Color: The hint of blue has returned, otherwise again no change.
Nose: The nose is mellowing, but still primarily blackberries and blueberries. Alcohol is prominent but not dominating. Some darker berry as well, possibly cassis?
Palate: Mildly hot, so the alcohol seems to be slowly integrating. Somewhat sweeter and more full today, so call it medium dry and medium light body. Tannins and acidity have settled at the "decent" level, both of which feel a bit light in a Port this young. Nice boysenberry flavor. Harsh green note has faded and may disappear with another day.
Finish: Warmth, soft tannins. A nice, even fade. Ends with some green apples. Has improved significantly.

Pre-reveal final score: 90-91 points. If the harsh green note is gone on day 4 I'll revise that up another point.

Day 4
Color: Slightly bluer than a neutral purple. Looks very nice while pouring.
Nose: Blackberry, blueberry, and then alcohol. Somewhat later, some black pepper shows up.
Palate: Black fruits and sweet at first, but then seems to dry out a bit and pick up some tanginess. Warm, but no longer hot. Still has a sharp green edge that drags it down a bit. Decent tannins and acidity, but not a powerhouse in either regard. Medium dry with a medium body.
Finish: The fruits carry over but are brighter, adding black raspberry and leaving the blueberry behind. The tannins seem stronger here than in the mouth. Some heat just above a pleasant warmth. Very slight harsh edge which turns into grape stem as the finish trails off.

Post-reveal final score: 91-92 points. The harsh note didn't disappear, but the body weight and overall feel mellowed and improved enough to warrant the extra point. I was quite surprised to find out this was Fonseca - I had guessed a 2nd tier Port in the $50-$60 range.

I too have been underwhelmed by this one. I don't see how people have been saying it's great, good yes, but not great. Not to be mean, but in the words of Suckling "A little disappointing..."

I was very underwhelmed. As noted, I guessed this was a 2nd tier Port that probably had a suggested retail price in the $50-$60 range. It just doesn't have the stuffing to compare to Fonseca's recent top vintages like 1985 and 1994.

You might remember that the bottle we had in July was the one that I thought was badly tainted while the rest of you thought it was fine. When I revisited that bottle on the 4th day whatever it was that bothered me on the first day was gone and I gave it 90-93 points, so this one is right in the same range.

It's an excellent Port... it's just not a great one.

Will this ultimately replicate the performance of the F83?

Roy Hersh wrote:Will this ultimately replicate the performance of the F83?

I don't think it's that bad, but what i've tasted so far is below what Fonseca is generally capable of in a major declared year. I am curious to try this again a few times over the next year or so to see where it heads.

Andy Velebil wrote:I am curious to try this again a few times over the next year or so to see where it heads.

Not at $75/bottle I'm not. Unless you're buying.

Glenn E. wrote:

Andy Velebil wrote:I am curious to try this again a few times over the next year or so to see where it heads.

Not at $75/bottle I'm not. Unless you're buying.

That's the beauty of going to lots of Port tastings. You get to taste the stuff many times.

Personally, I find nothing wrong with the 1983 Fonseca. It may not be even close to the greatness of the 1985, but I guarantee blind, it would be scored decently.

Roy Hersh wrote:Personally, I find nothing wrong with the 1983 Fonseca.

I do...the price! If I could get it for around $30-35, maybe even $40, then it's a good deal. But with the name comes the high price, currently about $100-110 average in the US. Honestly, would you pay that much for it?

Now had you mentioned the 1980 Fonseca........