TN: 1962 J.M. da Fonseca Moscatel Setúbal Superior

[*sweetstuff]

TN: 1962 Moscatel Setúbal Superior, J.M. da Fonseca (Portugal); 18% pabv; $50/500 ml, private transaction; Broadbent Selections, San Francisco, CA.

Barbara's birthday dinner one day late at W Restaurant, Sidney, OH. Chef David Weygant prepared a wonderful one-off dinner for the two of us. This was the dessert wine and was shared all around the restaurant and with the staff.

Stored most likely in bulk in the region of production and bottled there about ten years ago.

Decanted quite cleanly off moderate grayish sediment. Deep lively amber-brown, with a touch of duskiness, with a medium-heavy body.

Glossy, shiny, grapy fruit on the nose with a powerful, complex caramel underlayment. Shows successively notes of linseed oil, pine (turpentine), a touch of ethyl acetate, and smoke. Great depth.

Rich and sweet; full balancing acidity;full and sleek in the mouth with a smoky, earthy, slightly bitter hint (I attribute this to the soil as it's often present in these wines), and an enormous, sleek, nearly everlasting finish. Beautiful match with créme brulée and a chocolate whipped-cream brownie. Kept developing over two or more hours. Superb. 95/100.

Cross-posted from eRobertParker/Squires.

Note that this wine is not made by the Port house Fonseca, and is from a different region than the source of porto. J.M. da Fonseca is a very large private house making many different styles of Portuguese wines.