1985 Fonseca Vintage Port

Derek T. · Post by **Derek T.** » Tue May 16, 2006 4:59 pm

1st bottle from 3 cases of 6 purchased through Fine & Rare Wines. Sold as "Ex-cellars" which I am told means that it has only just been released by the shipper.

The cork broke 2/3rds of the way down. It was quite wet, almost to the top, but not leaking.

On Decanting
Huge blackcurrant and dark chocolate smell. Very dark ruby red colour. Slightly hot but good long fruity taste. Extremely smooth and thick in the mouth.

9 Hours
Colour now darker. Slight spirit on the nose - not much fruit now but still hints of dark chocolate. Smooth fruity initial taste then big tannin kick and squeeky teeth. Long mouth watering finish. No significant change detected drinking over the next 3 hours.

33 Hours
More fruit on the nose now. Similar taste to the previous evening and still bone dry tannins and mouth watering finish. No heat evident at any stage.

My verdict is that this is a great wine that is far too young to drink. Luckily I have 17 more so I can test my theory on a regular basis over the next few years 8)

Derek

Ted D · Post by **Ted D** » Tue May 16, 2006 9:07 pm

I agree.
massive wine, great, just a baby

Glad I've got a few, but I'm in no hurry to open another, although they ARE quite pleasurable at this stage

Ted

Post by **Roy Hersh** » Wed May 17, 2006 12:36 am

Derek,

Thanks for writing up your experience with this VP, one of my favorite youngsters and one I have touted for years and obviously here on FTLOP, early and often.

The aguardente (spirit) that still shows is just youthful exuberance and will definitely integrate with time as shown by your extended decanting (or drinking window) proved. I find this delicious (decanted properly) to drink and enjoy now and it is at 21 extremely young to say the least. However, this will become a great 75 year old Port with no question. I am pleased to know you have stocked up!

Ted,

You have been missed. Seriously, where have you been? I hope all is well with your family! Email me when you have a moment.

nicos neocleous · Post by **nicos neocleous** » Mon May 22, 2006 10:07 am

Derek,

Thanks for the TN. These have a long life ahead...

Nicos

craigketo · Post by **craigketo** » Thu Nov 30, 2006 5:11 pm

I bought a bottle, and I am eager to drink it on Saturday with a friend while watching football. I can get another for future consumption, since it sounds like it's a bit young. This will be my first VP experience. How long should I decant the sucker for? What is the proper serving temperature?

Post by **Roy Hersh** » Thu Nov 30, 2006 5:40 pm

Hi Craig,

Let me be the first to welcome you here to the Forum and the FTLOP website. Hopefully you have already signed up for the newsletter and will enjoy your experience here and reading each issue!

Let me respond to your questions: I would suggest about an 8 hour decant time for the Fonseca '85 and don't find it as tannic and difficult to enjoy now, as some other Forumites. But regardless of how far you do let the decanting go, have a look at this which will offer you some options for decanting: http://www.fortheloveofport.com/article ... anting.htm

Additionally, ther e are personal preferences to serving temperature of Port and with Vintage Port I'd suggest room temperature, while others prefer it to be a few degrees cooler ... say 65-68 degrees F. I hope this helps and I am sure you are going to love your bottle. Please do report back here and provide some insights ... whether you like or love it or you prefer your single malts or even a real tasting note if you'd like. Either way, we look forward to having you join us and know that you'll find this a friendly place to visit!

Post by **Andy Velebil** » Thu Nov 30, 2006 5:48 pm

Craig,

Welcome to the site. Please be sure to let us know how it goes.

craigketo · Post by **craigketo** » Thu Nov 30, 2006 7:22 pm

Thanks for the kind welcome, gentleman. I'll be sure to post whatever tasting notes myself and my co-taster come up with. Roy, I've been getting the newsletter for awhile now. I actually read your decanting section before, but I had forgotten, so I re-read it now.

The bottle itself ran me $85 in a PA state store. It was in a cellar in one of their high end stores. (PA has an alcohol advocate, if you will, as the Liquor Control Board chairman, so he's made tons of upgrades.... we now have "Premium Stores" that are open on Sundays and have walk in cellars.) I hope it was kept in good condition previous to when I acquired it.

Hopefully I will like it and continue to drink vintage port. I've loved the tawnies that I have tried. I did open a bottle of 1998 Cockburns LBV to see what it tasted like tonight... so far it tastes like mostly nothing. Not sure if it needs to open or not. I didn't decant.

Otherwise, I love my beer. Stouts are a favorite, as are IPAs and Belgians. I love Stone, Rogue, and Ommegang. There are too many to list. I'd actually love to run my own microbrewery and/or brewpub. For now, I am in banking.

I am also a fan of fine spirits. Peaty single malts, sweet bourbons, and potato or rye vodka are a few that I love.

Stuart Chatfield · Post by **Stuart Chatfield** » Fri Dec 01, 2006 5:04 am

I met Alex at the BBR annual tasting last night and they had this one on offer.

I thought it was excellent and gave it 4/5 on the Broadbent scale. However, my notes indicate that I would not give it a long life. It was far paler and lighter than the Taylor, Graham and Dow I've tried in the last few weeks and had a hot spirity finish. However, I liked its depth of taste, length and an almost viscous texture.

It may be that it was decanted badly, maybe too late. On the whole the decanting was not geat last night, an odd phenomena for BBR which we ticked them off for. To be served Dow 83 polluted with half a glass of crust was a misfortune, but to tip that in the sink and have it topped up with Taylors 77 plus a load of crud was careless......and heresy

Just a heads up, in case Alex posts his notes on last night, that I will soon, but have a busy few days at work so will provide my notes late next week.

Philip Harvey · Post by **Philip Harvey** » Fri Dec 01, 2006 6:50 am

Derek - Thanks for the TN. I have just one bottle which is on my Christmas tasting line-up. Never tried one before.

Stuart - Berry's have Fonseca '85 on their website at £658 per case dp which looks a bit toppy. Were they offering a further discount yesterday?

Philip

Post by **Roy Hersh** » Fri Dec 01, 2006 4:45 pm

Hi Stuart,

I can promise you that what you are describing in terms of the spirit but more importantly that light color was either:

* opened and poured without decanting except for sediment as this is ALWAYS a very dark dark colored wine ... right up there with the Graham's which I love.

* a less than perfect bottle.

IF I were to surmise, the issue was probably the first one I listed, but clearly you did not experience the greatness of this wine. When it is on ... it is unquestionably a 5 for 5, for my palate.

Derek T. · Post by **Derek T.** » Fri Dec 01, 2006 4:50 pm

Stuart,

I have only had 1 bottle of this wine but my experience was very different to yours. I found it very dark and very young. Perhaps you should give it another try from a different source. My bottles are ex-cellars released in 06. Did BBR reveal the provenance of theirs?

Derek

David Spriggs · Post by **David Spriggs** » Fri Dec 01, 2006 11:42 pm

Hi Stuart,

Yes, The paler color is completely different from my experience. I've had many bottles from several sources - Kobrand and gray market versions in the US and more recently several cases from Farr Vintners in the UK (from bonded storage since release). All of these have been very dark and extremely young. Some of them have been more closed than others, but all of them have "dark and brooding" as a theme.

-Dave-

Stuart Chatfield · Post by **Stuart Chatfield** » Mon Dec 04, 2006 11:22 am

Thanks.

I did not get to these until quite late in the tasting - shame as it would have been useful, I think, to try it again an hour later. My experience of the neighbouring bottles indicate they probably did not have their top somelier opening them that night! I couldn't see the usual tell-tale signs of the draining board down there piled high with used decanters!

I am not writing it off - I thought it was very good, but the pale colour was a surprise for me.

I will try it again as I suspect that, provided it is as good as I hoped, it would be good value to invest in now for future drinking.

Al B. · Post by **Al B.** » Fri Dec 08, 2006 2:47 am

My notes from the walkbout will get posted in due course, I promise, I just need to find the time to do it. But if I refer back to the Fonseca '85, I did not think very much of the wine and described it as "pleasant, but not a masterpiece".

However, I am also aware that Berry's only decanted the wine roughly 2 hours before I tasted it (3 for Stuart).

Alex

Philip Harvey · Post by **Philip Harvey** » Sat Dec 16, 2006 1:11 pm

Derek

I am currently sipping a glass of Fonseca '85 and your note tallies with mine almost exactly:

-HUGE blackcurrant and chocolate smell on decanting

-Big tannins still and 'squeaky teeth'

-not a hint of spirit protruding at any stage

-delicious now but needs another 10 years at the very least to really shine

-in short, sheer class

Unluckily, this is my only bottle. Now where's that auction catalogue....

Post by **Roy Hersh** » Sat Dec 16, 2006 10:31 pm

How long was your bottle decanted Philip?

Philip Harvey · Post by **Philip Harvey** » Sun Dec 17, 2006 1:09 pm

That was at 12 hours

The glass I'm drinking now therefore has been decanted for about 38hrs, 24 of those in the fridge in a half bottle. Some of the youthful exuberance has blown off since yesterday and there's a slightly gamey tone developing, but once again very similar to Derek's note at the same stage - very dry tannins and keen acidity. This could well be a candidate for my retirement party.

craigketo · Post by **craigketo** » Thu Dec 21, 2006 4:10 pm

I had my bottle of 85 Fonsecea back on December 2nd while watching college football all day and helping a friend do some outside Christmas decorating. Luckily, he didn't fall off the ladder at any point.

upon opening: 12:15 pm
Raisiny, maybe dried fig, thick.

2:15
Not much different

3:19
less viscous, fruitier, grapier, according to my co tester, more full tongue flavor vs back of tongue flavor

4:15
lighter, more alcohol sting

6:15
lighter, fruity

7:06 co taster - alcohol is coming out, very much so

9:19 pm
fruit forward, best yet

10:15 pm
spendid

11:56 pm

last sip, possibly best yet, but maybe only because it was the last sip

I'm not sure what I expected, but it was good. I think I expected to be more forward with it's flavors. It tasted closed, even after it had opened up a bit.

I do keep on hand a bottle of Noval 20 year old Tawny for sipping once in awhile. I love that stuff, although I know it's a totally different animal.

So there you have it. My first tasting note. Not amazingly professional, but who cares.

Derek T. · Post by **Derek T.** » Thu Dec 21, 2006 5:26 pm

Craig,

It is always good to see someone losing their TN virginity 8)

Thanks for the note - I have only had 1 bottle of this and although I enjoyed it I do think this wine is not yet ready to show its best. Luckily I have 17 more to allow me to track its progress

Derek

For The Love Of Port

1985 Fonseca Vintage Port

1985 Fonseca Vintage Port

1985 Fonseca

finally posting tasting notes