Virtual Tasting: Fonseca Bin 27

[Steven Kooij]

Derek, there IS a difference: the picture Fred posted was the Bin 27 "Reserve", whilst Ronnie and I tasted the (vastly superior) Bin 27 "Finest Reserve"! Of course, the Dutch deserve a much finer Port than our friends across the ocean. 8)

For a picture of the label, look at the Fonseca website - a picture can be found under Wines / Premium Reserve... :?

Port labels - don't you just love them? :twisted:

[Frederick Blais]

There is so much small distinction in Port label between countries, it is amazing. I think I know they did not put Finest Reserve on the bottle I bought. It is because the label is bilangual and that Reserve is a word that exists in both French and English, but not finest.

[Richard Henderson]

I am in. I bought a bottle yesterday and I am going to decant at 2 PM local, 1400 for you folks that think that way.
I usually do not decant an NV but based on comments, I shall. I will try it in 6 hours or so. I am going to use my aerating funnel that swishes the wine the most!

Maybe for next month , we can try the Taylor First Estate?

I will post a not on the Bin 27 later.

[Richard Henderson]

A decanting note, my wife bought us a very fine set of decanting funnels. One has the face of Bacchus as wine spews from his mouth. The others are also works of art and each different . The one I used forthe 27 is glass with a pewter "screw" shaped insert. The wine winds its way through the screw around and around and there are two outlets at the bottom. This broad, slow seeping funnel allows a full bouquet to rise from the bowl full of wine before it enters the screw. This has Linzer torte characteristics, rapasberry, light pastry, doughy buttery nose.

It is hot but I can see this blowing off. This bottle came from a favorite local merchant who keeps things well but does not turn over port quickly. This bottling could be any age.

I look forward to trying it tonight. ( Yes, I tried a sip at decanting. A little hot, great fruit, looking for the backbone.)

[Frederick Blais]

I finally got another bottle. It has been opened for 4 days already but not decanted.

Great young color, saturated ruby, almost opaque in the middle. Nose showing some heat with nice cassis, dark chocolate and licorice flavours. Good mouth, easy, dark cherries, plums, somme tannins on the finish with spicy alcool presence. 14/20

It is showing much more fruit than 4 days ago where earthy notes where showing. Righ now it is an enjoying fruity port that has some structure. I bought this for 17$ can, so it is a good deal considaring that good LBV starts around 25$ here.

[Frederick Blais]

Richard, concerning your suggestion for Taylor First Estate, not that I disagree, it could be interesting to taste another Port in the same category to compare the differences. Or we could move up to a LBV to continues exploring different types of Ports. Just my two cents, since you talked about the selection for next month already, I'll let you pick it!

[Richard Henderson]

Frederick,
I did not get to play on the Ramos Pinto. The idea of continuing with NV, alternating with LBV's etc are all okay with me.
I have on hand Graham's 6 Grape, Taylor's First Estate and the Taylor 2000 LBV, which I posted 2 weeks ago.
We have a couple of weeks.
I have poured the 27 from a glass, non-lead crystal decanter back into the bottle. It has taken on the bouquet of After 5 dinner mints with dark chocolate and mint notes. I tasted a sip and it is not as hot. Very smooth. It is not NV but it is superb for what it is.
I wonder, as I have said before, when this was bottled or from what blend from what year.

[Richard Henderson]

After 7 hours of decanting, very nice, smooth. Black currant , dark , very ripe plums, nice coating of the palate, still a hint of mint.
Very nice mouthfeel. A nice finish, hint of red licorice, the strawberry Twizzler kind.
It cost about $19 with tax. I would call it good value.

[Al B.]

I deliberately didn't read this thread until I had opened my bottle and taken my first few tasting notes. I will continue to take notes until the bottle is finished and will edit them into this posting so that I don't create a whole long chain.

One thing I have learnt as I went through others' perception of the wine is that I need to look at the label and see whether mine says it is "Reserve" or "Finest Reserve". I will also look and see if there is any detail on the label such as bottling date or bottle ID number.

I decided to treat this wine the same as I would any other wine I was tasting and so decanted it. I was very glad that I did as there was - surprisingly to me - some fine sediment in the wine and I had to leave the last glass in the bottle (although it was filtered off and drunk separately).

Tasted on Decanting
A glass taken immediately on decanting was deep, intense red with purple at the rim. Very much the look of a young wine. Little on the nose, faint red fruits and a touch of alcohol. Soft entry into the mouth, sweet and fruity with strawberries and toffee. Good mid-palate with some complexity and good balance. No tannins of any note. Structure built around the acidity. Fruits taste goes after swallowing but there is a modest alcohol and chocolate aftertaste. 80/100.

3 Hours After Decanting
Still deep red, slightly less purple at the rim. Nose more developed and now of strawberries, cream and vanilla. Still some alcohol. Silky but acidic into the mouth. Slightly less balance. Fruit comes through a simple mid-palate. Still no tannin. Short aftertaste with some heat from the alcohol. 80/100.

6 Hours After Decanting
Now less intensely red and with no purple edge - seems to be evolving more quickly than I would have expected [this was under artificial light see later on]. Nose is of sweet, stewed red fruits. Alcohol now more integrated. Smooth, sweet entry; fruity mid-palate with some heat. No tannins, some complexity. Short but complete aftertaste. Improved on first two tastes. Now 82/100.

In summary and in my personal opinion, this is a simple but satisfactory wine. I paid £9 (Euro 12.5; USD 15) and I would put this on a par with some of the cheaper LBV's that I have tasted with similar prices.

17½ Hours After Decanting
Still strongly red and under natural light this looks like a young wine again. Nose now much more developed and could be picked up at arms length when pouring from the decanter into the glass. Still sweet, stewed red fruits. Alcohol now integrated on the nose. Sweet, smooth entry; fruit in the mid-palate with some heat and lots of acidity really making my mouth water. Again, some modest complexity. Short aftertaste. 81/100.

27 Hours After Decanting
Under natural light this was still deep red but with no purple edge. An inviting, fruity, strawberry nose with the alcoholic edge gone. Smooth and sweet entry. Acidic backbone. Fruity mid-palate, some heat, some complexity from the layers of fruit flavours, no noticeable tannins. Pleasant aftertaste dominated by alcoholic pepperiness and some chocolate. Pleasant and well made simple port. 82/100.

Interestingly, my 10 year old son tasted some of this from my glass and was really impressed. This is the first alcoholic drink he has ever tasted and liked (he has tried many different ones, including some great VP's). He was very impressed with the aftertaste and the length of it - and also with the way it "warmed his throat from here to here" as he pointed to his larynx and his stomach.


Alex

[Richard Henderson]

Alex,
That has to be a 100 point set of notes for an 82 point wine. It may be the most intensely analyzed NV port ever!
I did enjoy the notes but I have a difficult time assigning points on a 100 point scale for such quaffers. In the realm of NV ports under $20 it hits a 90 +. I think it just can't be put up against first rate vintage port but it has its place in the every day world of port drinking.

Frederick, I think I will start a poll of the three ports to determine next month's virtual tasting.

[Frederick Blais]

Great idea!

[Steve H.]

Well I finally got around to sampling this wine. I decanted the bottle and poured a glass at the same time. There was some earlier conversation about two possible variants of Bin 27 - this one says "Finest Reserve."

The nose: gunpowder (call me crazy but I also swear I smelled Hoppes #9 gun cleaning solvent too), leather and oak, with blackfruits (cherry & plum came to mind).

The attack was pleasant and smooth, I noticed good viscosity with bing cherries as the dominant flavor.

Soon afterward however, tannins and alcohol built to an unpleasant level overpowering any fruit that may be hiding behind them.

The finish was medium long, after the tannins/alcohol went away I was left with more of the same dark-cherry flavor.

Compared to other rubies, I would give it a 79/100. Not to be repeated by me until I hear that this wine is made differently. Oh, after 3 hours in the decanter there was no appreciable difference.

Steve Harrison

[Al B.]

Richard,

I've got to agree with your assessment of the wine. As a "value for money, quaffing port" I have been really impressed with this wine. Its high up on my list of alternatives for SQVP or full VP wines and on a par with some of the filtered LBVs I've drunk.

All this for £9.

I also want to thank Fred for the idea of the virtual tasting. Without this idea and the people who have followed up with their tasting notes, I would never have tasted this wine.

So thanks everyone!

Alex

[Al B.]

Having read through all the notes posted to date, do you thinks its fair to say that there seem to be two distinctly different blends of Bin 27 out in the market at the moment?

Alex

[Ronald Wortel]

Different blends? That would be mere speculation.

There are also other factors that play a role: how long has the bottle been on the shelf? What are the conditions in the shop (for instance: is it hot)? Personal preferences of the taster and expectations (mine were low and I was pleasantly surprised). Etc.

[David G.]

So I'm late tasting the Fonseca Bin 27 and I get the benefit of reading your reviews first. I bought a 375 ml bottle and took it in an igloo on a trip so it was still moderately cellar cool. When I opened it the T-cap cork crumbled, not a good sign. The first evening, it had kind of a funky taste, far sweeter than I remembered and yet not smooth, with kind of a harsh aftertaste. I put it aside and drank Navan Cognac instead for the rest of the trip. Now 5 days later, it tastes good, balanced with a grapey flavor and some fruit sweetness and nice mouth feel. The finish is not as long as before and far better.

[Andy Velebil]

David,

Better late than never , thank you for posting your TN.

[David G.]

As I finished my 375 ml Fonseca bin 27, the grapey flavor continued. It had much more flavor than the Smith Woodhouse Lodge Reserve.

I also noticed a significant amount of sediment at the base of the bottle and clinging to the sides. That surprised me. I expected the bin 27 to be filtered and fined though the label neither said that it was or was not.

[Andy Velebil]

David,

I wonder how long that bottle had been around before you bought it. If the cork crumbled and there was sediment, hmm But as long as it still tasted good, who cares 8)

[David G.]

That's a very good question. In general 375's probably don't sell as well or as quickly as 750's. Also, while the liquor store is a big, well-known, well-stocked one, this particular branch is in an area that probably buys very little port anyway.