Didn’t have time to decant. Deep ruby-purple. Figs and plums, reasonably well balanced. Not as long on the palate as the ‘94 we had the previous evening.
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My last bottle of this great vintage. Nose of cassis and tobacco mainly with a hit of menthol. Palate is chewy, rich, dark fruit, tobacco, dark cherry, a hit of acid and a texture that just clings to the tongue for minutes....
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From 75cl, good cork, decanted off heavy plaques of sediment. 1 hour later: quite closed, much less sweet and less aromatically expressive than expected, just dried fig, elite raisiny fruit and gentle dried spice. Not sure what to make of this, so we transfered most of the bottle into a few small bottles for future visits. Updates and a points score follow. 89-90P tonight. 13.01.2024 update: cooked, pruny scent; cooked figgy palate; hot alcohol. 87P(?)
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Deep intense aromas of cassis, dark and ripe red fruits, lilac and light hints of rose, tobacco and roasted mushroom. Very alive and expressive, smooth dark buttery caramel, toffee, chocolate, anise and cinnamon...long silky evolving finish with some fine peppery hot tannin. A truly excellent wine. Took some hints from others and drank a second bottle after standing it up for 2 weeks. So much of the residual sugar and sediment experienced on the first bottle fell out and made for an even better, more expressive and clean taste. Superb wine and the best I have tasted thus far.
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Sat upright for several weeks, then a 30 minute decant. Nose of blackberry jam, black fig, and sweet black raspberry. Black fruit, Fig Newton, fruitcake, and a strong bittersweet backbone. Black fruits and acidiity lead the finish into black raspberry and olive brine
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Decanted 5+ hours from 375ml bottle. Full bodied, earthy, sweet. Those are the major features I taste (and love). Tasted this against a 94 Dow’s and loved both, but I always prefer port to be a little bit sweeter than Dow’s generally produces. The 94 Dow’s was a good one to contrast this one with because the 92 Fonseca is complex and full of flavors, while the 94 Dow’s is more straight forward. Both great. I’ll be looking to add a bottle or two more of the 92 Fonseca to my cellar, though. I believe this will drink well for a long time to come.
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Guys Port Weekend - Las Vegas; 1/20/2023-1/21/2023 (Las Vegas, Nevada): Amber ruby in color. Aromas of dusty red fruits with strawberry and boysenberry. It is a full-bodied wine, with well-integrated red fruits on the palate. The tannins are noticeable on the mid-palate, but the wine retains a rich and complex flavor profile. Nice long finish.
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{Bought on release, stood up x a week, sound cork, not decanted} Matched with excellent cheeses and chocolate at dinner party with cassoulet. Long, blackcurrents and some background red fruits (cherries?), dense, smooth, spicy with notes of vanilla and toffee. Excellent. Seems about ready to drink.
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Deep, dark garnet in color, essentially opaque with no signs of aging. Full, forward & fragrant nose of ripe fruit aromas of dark cherries, blackberries & dried figs with overtones of spices & floral notes of violets, earthy/dusty notes, toffee, minerals, herbs, cocoa, brown sugar & a hint of cedar in the background. Full bodied with an excellent concentration of well balanced & silky smooth textured, complex, dense & jammy, ripe fruit flavors of blackberries, dark cherries, plums, dried figs & raisins with spices, toffee, minerals, herbs & a slight hint of vanilla. Long lingering smooth finish. Drinks quite well at present with decanting & extended airing. Even at 30 years of age, it has the potential to easily continue for another decade if not longer, at which time it may merit a higher score (96+). Cork was stained on bottom 1/4 but intact. Surprisingly, very little sediment.
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Lunch with Jazz (67 Pall Mall, London): Don’t drink enough port to have much of a comparison, but blackcurrants, fig, vanilla. Xavier calls it ‘deep; powerful, sweet’ and that’s right, some spice, good energy to balance that body and depth, and good length.
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So smooth and figgy out of the gate with a little spice too. Didn't decant and didn't need to. Surprisingly youthful tasting for being 30 yrs old, but I don't get the sense there is too much more of an upside here in terms of complexity, so I would recommend drinking over the next 5 years or so to take advantage of all that fruit.
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Fonseca VP Vertical: Beautiful and expressive nose with dark berries, manure, sewer. Lovely palate with dark plum/cherry fruit and mint but also a hard structure. Both tannins and acidity still feels very young. It does however is starting to show a bit of evolution but it is still a young wine. Beautiful wine.
Hard to be happier than this Fonseca offers. Has been resting comfortably for 26 years in my cellars. My notes of 2018 still can't be beat in describing what I like about this luscious vintage from Fonseca. Had with ripe bosc pears, "fresh" Neals Yard Stilton and crusty French baguette -- is a dream combo of flavors/textures (And an international one, given the sourcing for this feast: Portugal, Mexico (pears), England (Stilton), and Lawrence Kansas (bread).
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Drank right from the cellar. In the nose we get cedar, forest dust, cinnamon, maybe a bit of browned butter. the mouth is smooth and a bit more dense and dusty than the nose. Wonderful.
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Double decanted three hours before service. A little alcohol heat but generally very nice. The fruit is popping out with no trouble. The nose is a little dusty. This is a big, young wine that'll be great for another 20 years.
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Dinner at Basque Kitchen by Aitor (Basque Kitchen, Waterboat House, Singapore): Nice stuff, if rather advanced for a vintage port just approaching the 30-year mark. From a bottle that has been opened for a few days, this was showing very nicely on the night. I really liked the nose, with its notes of molasses and dried muscats, along with some savoury preserved plum aromas, maybe a touch of cherry liqueur, all patted down with touches of earth and gentle spice. Very nice. The palate was full and round in the mouth, with a yummy melange of plums and cherry liqueur, earth and molasses, all very nicely integrated and balanced. The finish ended with a hint of milk chocolate and gentle spiciness. Very resolved and delicious to drink at the moment. While neither the most complex nor the most compelling, this was a very solid, very enjoyable port, good with a series of different cheeses as one would expect.
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Medium-bodied and very sweet but it had very little depth or richness and not as complex as I had hoped it would be. Mostly grapey flavors with oak, mild spices and chocolate. Paired it with a Cuban cigar and was satisfied with the combo.
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Bring a bottle that you've been saving..: This seemed alcoholic to me. Others liked it more than me. It still went well with a moist, creamy, decadent chocolate cake.
4th Saturday Brown Bagger (Eagle Brook CC): Courtesy of R&D. Still pours a youthful red color. Notes of kirsch, cherry cordial, licorice and black fruits. Medium tannin. Cassis, cherry, licorice and spice flavors. Lingering finish. Starting to drink very well.
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On night one: Delicious and woody. Like munching on heavenly liquor-saturated stalk trueats.
On night three (cork on 50% full bottle, no decant): Tremendously more complex and very sophisticated. The wood still a delight, now showing as a wheat-like counterpoint to the wine’s vanilla’d cinnamon. This is true complexity when there are not just multiple aspects but you can’t even tease three out as separate. Extraordinary.
Night six report (cork on 30% full bottle, never decanted): getting a tad oxidized but only if you're looking for it. Cinnamon's turned minty. Still very silky. Should probably finish the bottle this weekend.
Based on this week's tasting, the 1992 Fonseca is in it's window, no need to wait, it will likely even improve for five more years and hold there for another 5-10 now -2032.
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Lovely ruby color. This was a lesson in deferring final judgment of a port until tasting it for more than one day. I first drank this wine after dinner on Thanksgiving with the pumpkin pie and it was rather closed and somewhat bitter with a minimum of fruit. The day after it was quite compelling with a bouquet and flavor of candied apple, cherry, toffee, stale pepper, and dust. A bit hot to the taste with good definition, and depth, and a moderate finish. All together a very nice end to a wonderful turkey dinner, which my wife and I enjoyed by ourselves the the dark winter of covid.
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Decanted from a half bottle and enjoyed immediately as dessert. Complex nose with camphor, cinnamon, baking spices, cordial, burnt apple. On the palate we have smooth fully integrated spices, pruney raisins, alcohol. Great complexity, Peter loved this.
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This needs a full 15 hrs of air to show all it has to offer. Day 1: Mushroom, macerated wood, Alcohol, raisin, sweet sherry notes, Palate has Sweet edge, hints of oxidation (although cork was clean and tight), dry brown sugar, rounded silky mouth feel, Under pinning acidity keeps it vibrant. Showing more sherry then port, Day 2: Subdued nose still, same as prior day but, black liquorish, black pepper, red fruits joined the party. Palate richer and offering more depth of fruit, red/black bush berries steeped in alcohol, Hot, There is an interesting red apple skin finish that lingers for quite some time. For my palate this was more enjoyable in year 20 of its evolution. Purchased upon release and stored accordingly in the bowels of my cellar. Enjoyed on its own as I wait for COVID19 to come knocking on my door. Drink up if you have any. I suggest pulling the cork 24hrs prior to service and just let it audouze someplace cool… Na zdrowie
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UWS Leap year dinner (@ CdW and KvdK): No formal notes, but this is a beautifully mature and round port wine with still lovely dark and red fruits, good sweetness and mild acidity to make it complete.
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Good. Drinking without any time to breathe. Maybe I’ll decant the next one to compare. Definitely on the light end of the spectrum but still some tannin bite. Drink up in the next few years is my recommendation.
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Port tasting at Mathew's on New Year's Eve, so I bring this. Decanted 5 hours earlier. Dark purple in color. Chocolate orange peel and dried cherries on the nose. However it appeared somewhat closed on the palate. At the tasting I only had one glass of this and could not seem to coax it open. Fortunately when I decanted this I had set aside a glass which I tasted a week later. What a difference! This was now open for business with flavors of honey raisin fig compote and a dash of nutmeg and clove. Surprisingly long finish! Conclusion: May still need time.
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Reviewing on third night. Alluring, juicy cherry. A little bloody. The luxurious, cloth-like finish leaves you gasping for air. Very Byron and Shelley. Drinking now with room to improve.
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N: Notes of oranges, cherries, with undertones of flowers? Intensity lurking?
P: Med body; Rndish entry with SWTISH frt BEAUTIFULLY counterbalanced by an acidity which subtly works its way into & through the LONG, delectably tangy/SWT finish. VERY lovely stuff! My EXC+/Exceptional-. 8,500 cases made. 97 pts WA, 94 WS (Suckling), and 16.5/20 ea Jancis Robinson & Decanter (Mayson).
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First dinner of 2019! (Galletto Ristorante, Modesto Ca.): Not a huge Port fan...this was fairly sweet, viscous, with a array of spices and tobacco...licorice, dusty old cellar barrel, fig and fruitcake spice. Long and intense sweet finish. Went really well with my espresso, of all things!
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This wine is still young and fresh. The color just has some duskiness. This breathes up raisin and cinnamon. This port opens with a sweet kiss. This wine is a black strap of asphalt. It is marked by ripe blackberry, raisin, clove and fig paste. The flavors come through in waves and reverberate and then just stick. This goes on forever. I can still taste it. Still firm. This is glorious wine with room for upside. 94-95
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Still so young and sweet. Layers of red and black fruits with rich and smooth sweetness, almost creamy in texture. 30 second finish. Although huge and impressive now, I think I'll enjoy this even more as it looses its baby fat.
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Well, this puppy has been sitting in my cellar for 23 years now, and each bottle gets better and better. This may be the best or near the best of any Vintage ports I've tasted. Just an incredible balance of flavors and qualities. Nose of cassis and tobacco mainly and still a hit of menthol. Palate is chewy, rich, dark fruit, tobacco, dark cherry, a hit of acid and a texture that just clings to the tongue for minutes.... Alcohol is thoroughly integrated. What a pleasure.
Decanted for an hour the night before then back in the bottle & SO'd in the fridge overnight, med. ruby, similar to prior note but more open; delicious, drink or hold (no rush)
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Second Sunday Group: Bandol (Frank's): Spice, dark fruit, cassis and cherry notes. The palate mirrors the bouquet. Still on the youthful side. 93+ pts.
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Italian Wine Night in Philadelphia (Union League Club's Cellar 62): While I did not take detailed notes on this one, it was from 375ml bottle. I remember it was very young looking and delicious with our dessert course at the Italian wine night, this being the only non-Italian wine consumed in the evening. NR
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Lonny Might Be Turning Sixty (Tilia, Mpls): Drank a small pour over 20 minutes. Well put together and drinking great now too. Kirsch, bright nose, wood spices, blackberry liqueur, raisin, medium body, nice tannins and very good overall balance. 93+ to 94pts.
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Seems to be in a middle phase: it's not youthfully intense or overly tannic--so it's entirely and beautifully drinkable--but it's also not expansive or subtle. Beyond enjoyable and no harm in opening now but it could end up even better in ten years.
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Deep port color with a bit of brown at the edge. Bouquet and flavor showing typical basic port essence, but rather restrained and monotone. Even so, still pleasant. This wine probably suffered from being drunk close to the superb 1994. Most tasters rated it very highly, with a minority siding with me. I do think that there is a tendency to overrate sweet wines.
Decanted for a couple of hrs. then back in the bottle, deep ruby, classic port, dark fruit with spice, med. tannins, long finish; bringing tonight for the cigars at Kelly's Kentucky Derby party
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4th Saturday group uptown tasting (R&C's): Red and black fruit, spice, licorice and rose water notes. Black fruit, cherry, spice and licorice flavors. Long finish. 93-94 pts.
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Opened and let breathe a decanted for four hours. Double decanted back into the bottle at the end of the evening and then drank over 3 days.
Still quite early but has the backbone to be pretty darn good in 10-15 years. Lots of toffee and coffee on the palate. On day 2 the alcohol was a little more prevalent in the profile. Very good Will have my next one 2020+
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375ml. Started hot. Decanted 6 hours. Still hot, but smoother. Thinnish viscosity even after 8 hours..Let it rest over night in a covered glass decanter. Now the magic started. The alcohol evaporated, and the entire liquid thickened up. Tasted mid-day on day 2 (okay, not tasted, but drank the rest...), these notes are reflective of this tasting.
Dark red, almost purple. Nose of plums dominate, but also cassis and prunes. On the palate, there are smooth, rich, medium-to-very sweet flavors of plums with undertones of white chocolate, a bit of white pepper, and a drop of vanilla. The finish lingers for a minute or more. It's velvety on the mouth feel, coating the palate and hanging out, chilling out, then slowly, gradually, fading.
Given how long it took for this settle and the heat to blow off, I suspect it has not years but decades left. At least 20 years of improvement here, probably more.
Very nice port. Very good. Glad I got a handful of half-bottle of this, with four left.
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Rich, pure, and beautiful. Creme de violette, creme de cassis, chocolate, and macerated cherries. With air, I noticed more and more cured meat and pencil shavings. This wine will doubtlessly develop for several more decades. I suspect it will be at its best in 15 years--where the 1977 Fonseca is now--after the fruit has had time to spread. I think the 1977 Fonseca drinks perfectly now, whereas the 1992 Fonseca tastes somewhat dense and narrow. But I could also understand one preferring this wine where it's at now, with its pure flavors of violet and cassis liqueurs.
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Double decanted at 11 am for consumption after dinner. On the nose it smells a bit ripe. The taste however is terrific. Layered, ripe fruit, with rancio notes as well. Agree with other posters that this will continue to improve for years to come. Delicious!
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Better than the 1992 Quinta da Cavadinha by Warre's. But still a little thin. Half bottle cost $99, the most I've ever paid for a wine, especially for a half bottle. Would definitely not buy it again, especially not for that price. I was nonplussed and underwhelmed. Nice mature wine. But not as interesting or complex as a younger port.
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Sampled by use of a Coravin with the pour allowed to sit for two hours before consumption. Aged dark fruit gives way to the comforting taste of brown sugar and nuts. But it is the texture of this wine that is truly spectacular, thick but so lithe and caressing.
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This was a fantastic port. It was a little hot on opening but mellowed out over a week. It was opened for a party then was gassed. I had a glass every night for a week and each one was amazing. Can't wait to open the next one.
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Crumbly cork. Deep ruby color. Nose of sweet tobacco leaf, menthol, red berry compote. Beautifully fresh and juicy on the palate, great focus and length and not a hint of heat.
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IWFSC 802 Dinner (Glenview Country Club, Golf IL): Open an decanted and put back in the bottle at noon. Poured into a carafe at 11 an left over night till 7 am. Back in the btl to be open later that night. This was a big leap of faith and based on prior cellartracker comments this was a winner. All of the alcohol heat associated with a young port was gone and the flavors of strawberry, cocoa, licorice, berries came thru. Smooth on the palate and a lingering flavor that just continued on and on. What a lovely treat.
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Cork was a crumble. Decanted. Beautiful and unusual nose of menthol, cassis and tobacco. Palate is chewy, rich, dark fruit, tobacco, good acid balancing the big fruit that keeps on giving. Still young.
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Second Sunday Group: Douro reds (Frank's): Notes of cherries, cassis and blackberry with floral overtones. Licorice, cherry, currant and kirsch flavors on the palate. Drinking very well.
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Pleasant enough but not firing on all cylinders. Quite sweet, a bit simple. The alcohol was pronounced on the nose but not so on the palate. Not one I'm inclined to seek out again.
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An amazing dinner with lots of Italian wines at DBA (DBA): The cork was popped and this was shut down. It was decanted for 4 hours then double decanted back to the bottle. At that time, it had really opened but showed some hear. Served about 5 hours later, it was in a great place. The nose has black raspberries, slight raisin and slight dark chocolate. Slightly sweet. Nice complexity. Long finish.
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Dark dense red, browning slightly at the edges. Initial nose - reticent. Alcohol and a little plum. In the mouth. Sweet, quite viscous. Not much fruit - some more plum, figs. A little liquorice. A little medicinal. Finishes slightly bitter. Dark chocolate. Acidity cuts through the sweetness. Finish fairly short. It is quite good, but some way short of where I'd hoped. Perhaps slightly corked?
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This was really great, and I enjoyed it more than the more ballyhooed '94 I had a few weeks earlier. It is just starting to develop mature flavors but seems to be showing more flesh and a more seamless veneer at the moment. It's really beautifully put together, with luxe, refined tannins somewhere between silk and cashmere and rich, syrupy fruit that's still showing plenty of fresh primary sweetness even as it is starting to reveal some deeper, more sun-dried flavors. It reminds me of the '97 in its fullness and fruit purity but those extra few years of maturity have given it a deeper, more maroon complexion, less vibrantly red.
Bright ruby, very little fade; intense brambly nose. Very lifted and heady; lovely mouthfeel, nuanced fruit and then a kick of intensity on the finish.
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Decanted 8 hours. The Cork came out in about 1000 pieces. Was alittle hot at the start, but near the end of the bottle (12-14 hours or so) it settled down into a lovely drink with lush blue and black berry fruit flavors. Tannins were still rightfully strong and actually added alot of back bone to this fine port. Finished the bottle in one night so didnt get to see what day 2 might have tasted like. All in all a great port that could easily use another 10 years of cellar time. 94+
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From 375ml. Typical vintage Fonseca where the fruit is almost over the top but is smooth with an underlying complexity of black and red fruits that holds your palate in heaven for nearly a minute.
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Popped, poured, breathed in glass for two hours, consumed over next 90 minutes. Still incredibly youthful, but very enjoyable. Needs lots of air. Lots of upside potential here.
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Tasted at the June 2012 IWFSC monthly dinner at The Racquet Club. Served with mignardees at the end of the meal. Purchased on release and opened 24 hours before service. The color is still a very deep purple without any signs of bricking. The palate is really fruity, with great plum flavors. The alcohol was tamed with the advanced opening. This is still a baby but with 24 hours opening it drinks really well.
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C: black/purple N: typical port nose that is very spicy with clove, cinnamon, coffee, black raspberries, and of course, a lot of sweetness. P: strong, black fruits, mostly blackberry, fig, honey F: long, lingering, and sweet.
Drank from 375ml "juice box". Firm, tight cork. 1/4" max staining. Beautiful wine that is still rather young, but still very approachable now. Beautifully balanced with strong palate that extends from initial sip, through mid-palate, to the finish. While fortified, alcohol is in check and does not overcome the flavors of the wine. Intoxicating flavors.
I've had many Fonseca Vintage Ports, and this is true to Fonesca's style. Beautiful black fruits, balance and intensity. This is why I buy vintage port, especially from Fonseca. Beautiful.
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It was the first Fonseca '92 I have tasted, so I will start with a modest 94 points. Again I know why I love Fonseca vintage port most of all. It is a fortified but rather dry bordeaux style wine; a discreet glass of wine. Still young, everything seems to be in balance, but I think that dept will evolve further within a few year. Lots of life for the next 10 to 15 years.
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Sampled 9/16/11 from 375ml. Cork was really tight and broke in bottle because it was so tight. Very modest amount of sediment. Young Fonseca with not a ton of nuances showing yet. Still fully capable of being enjoyed now, but you sense that it will be better in this size format in another half dozen years.
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A sample of what an aged vintage port of a good year can deliver. Round, rich but not heavy, full of fruit with balanced sweetness, integrated alcohol and a very long finish.Stil a long life ahead but a great pleasure already. Showed how worth it is to wait decades to drink a good vintage port. A joy!
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Aromas of blackberry, black cherry, chocolate, cigar box, sweetness. Concentrated and rich fruit. Balanced. Smooth, but with just a tad of heat on the finish - very, very long finish. The last time I tasted this wine was in the mid to late 90's at the Ritz Carlton in Phoenix. Bruce Guimaraens poured the wine - obviously it was very closed in then. We talked for a while - nice guy.
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Champagne, Fonseca and two Ohio Chards: Despite the outstanding score, this was not a correct bottle. Cloudy and purple/ruby in color. The nose is chocolate covered raisins. Black raspberries on the palate, with a long finish. I think we all assumed this would be much older than it was. I would still give it 92 points but something was amiss. Apparently the cork came out easily and completely clean. I suspect that despite good storage the cork allowed too much air in.
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Fonseca Offline @ Joost B.'s (Netherlands): Again the nose opens a little funky. Something numerous wines were suffering from on this evening. There's also beef stock, veggies, dried herbs, asian spice. Modest in sweetness, enormous length. I feel this is a beautiful wine, but at the moment it comes across rather unforgiving. Dumb-phase? 17/20
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Rhone Rangers tasting (Vinens verden, Odense): Black color with a red hue. Concentrated and intense aromas of thick cherry sauce, raisins and alcohol. Sweet and very enjoyable taste with sugary flavours of honey, cherries, cheery sauce, figs and raisin. Some caramel on the finish. Very nicely balanced where the alcohol leaves room for more sweet and dried fruit flavours.
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Drank from 375. Decanted 4 hours. Opaque burgundy-red color. An intenese, penetrating nose of cocoa, cherries, coffee, and sweet spices filled the room as the wine was decanted. Four hours later the aroma was no less intense. Very full, rich and complete on the palate with ripe tannins supporting the fruit. Very long cocoa-laden finish with surprisingly little alcoholic heat. A stunning glass of port.
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Cork was a crumble. Decanted and it has great spice on the nose. Already nicely integrated and balanced flavors. Great texture and richness on the tongue. Some menthol and earth as it developed in first hour. Still a lot of heat and clearly young. But a real winner in terms of richness/balance.
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Wonderful complexity in all respects. Colors from purple to garnet upon swirling. A slightly bretty funk blew off to reveal a nose that hinted at the range of secondary flavors developing on the palate. Incredibly smooth from the attack through the subtle but almost endless finish. Great now, much life and possible improvement ahead.
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Taylor vs Fonseca @ The Warwick (NYC): Dark, much like its companion 1992. More fresh fruit than the companion. Nice chewy, spicy cherry. Nice weight, but young and unformed. Taylor? WRONG.
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What a wonderful port... for me, hard to resist at this stage, although I know that all the purists would curse me to hell for saying so and not waiting 100 years or something before trying it. Purest red current fruits, endless finish, absolute joy to drink if you like a slightly tart style of port. Improving steadily, too.
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TN: Fonseca Vintage Porto 1992 , bottled in 1994. imported by Kobrand, Inc. 20.5 percent abv. Don't remember where I got this or what I paid for it. I think it was Cost Plus Wine Warehouse at Eastern Market, Detroit, and a good value. It's been in my passive cellar ever since it was purchased on release.
Couldn’t resist a second bottle of VP for Christmas celebrations. Opened this after the 1985 Taylor that I also reported on here.
Fonseca-Guimaraens didn't make a 1991 Fonseca VP, to my understanding, but just made their second wine: Fonseca-Guimaraens. Others declared a 1991 but not a 1992--this probably could have been a consecutive declaration if that wasn't against the traditions of the trade, as I believe both vintages were of very high quality in general.
Confusingly, the label changed for this vintage, looking more like the label of Fonseca-Guimaraens, and the name is readily seen at the top of the label. It's a label much like what you see on their Bin 27.
I haven't tasted this wine yet, and so figured at nearly 15 years it's time to pop one. ________
Cork transects horizontally and is dealt with by pushing parts of it into the bottle, removed by subsequent straining. [Sometimes I use a garden-variety port funnel for this task and other times use a funnel that Starbucks sells as a coffee-filter, which is a bit finer and works equally well with more surface area available.] Opened December 25, 2006 (Monday). Double-decanted; good amounts of rather muddy crust. Dark blackish-purple with a slight fading at the very edge, with plenty of sheeting.
Upon opening the nose is so dense that it would be impossible to write a note, except to say it is intensely plummy, hitting mostly bass notes on the register, unlike, say, Taylor, which gets up way into the treble. I'd have to say that this wine SMELLS dark purple, if that makes any sense.
At 24 hours, color is similar. But the nose has started to develop: it is powerfully plummy and figgy, with a hint of vanilla (probably from the cask aging). and a lttle glossy plastic. There is some leather and some liquorice, and a suggestion of smoke. If Taylor tastes to me in many ways like a Cabernet Sauvignon-rich Medoc, this gives a suggestion of a Merlot-dominated Right Bank wine. The empty glass gives off a sweet herbaceousness, a bit similar to ripe tomatoes.
A 'rich' port, rich and with lots of stuff going on beneath the surface, with firm acidity and firm, abundant, ripe tannins There's an energetic, stony, lengthy finish, with all of the scent components echoed. However, I think the finish has a way to go yet, and I'm expecting more expressiveness at 48 hours and even beyond.
On Wednesday 12/27 the edge colors have become greener and the aromas more searching. The nose has taken on lots of depth, with the above notes plus some definite cigar box and caramel notes. Plums or prunes still are the most prominent, but are becoming integrated with the other sensations. The high notes are there, but are quite ethereal. Caramel and cigar-box dominate the palate, with a touch of tannin, and the finish is still very long and dynamic, with a touch of herbaceousness. I'd call this one at about 94-96/100, but there's more development to come, I think.
Thursday 12/28 shows a wine with integrated fig and plum, with herbaceous notes predominating: chocolate and cigarbox, with perhaps a touch of weediness, not at all unpleasant, in a caramel envelope. Seems to be about at maximum depth right now. Anise is now reappearing as an entry note, with the rest of the flavors now harmoniously integrated; tannin is very gentle. A solid 94, with some upside possibilities for later bottles. Now on Friday the 29th, the fruit has died down enough so there's a nice note of lead pencil there.
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Saturated ruby out to the rim. Slightly dusty nose of sour cherries, vanilla, fruit-cake. Sweet and rich with a mouth-coating satiny texture; fruits tending towards very ripe sour cherries or red currents. Fairly long finish. Can drink now, or hold; certainly has 15 or 20 years of evolution ahead of it.
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Our second half bottle of the evening. Nose of sweet dark fruit, cherry and raisin, more of the same on the palate, very sweet but balanced by the fruit, big and intense, complex, long, long finish.
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4/3/2024 - M.Batard wrote: 92 Points
Didn’t have time to decant. Deep ruby-purple. Figs and plums, reasonably well balanced. Not as long on the palate as the ‘94 we had the previous evening.
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3/22/2024 - skurtz Likes this wine: 93 Points
So damn tasty, consistent with my previous notes.
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3/18/2024 - JWG wrote: 97 Points
My last bottle of this great vintage. Nose of cassis and tobacco mainly with a hit of menthol. Palate is chewy, rich, dark fruit, tobacco, dark cherry, a hit of acid and a texture that just clings to the tongue for minutes....
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1/5/2024 - honest bob wrote:
From 75cl, good cork, decanted off heavy plaques of sediment. 1 hour later: quite closed, much less sweet and less aromatically expressive than expected, just dried fig, elite raisiny fruit and gentle dried spice. Not sure what to make of this, so we transfered most of the bottle into a few small bottles for future visits. Updates and a points score follow. 89-90P tonight. 13.01.2024 update: cooked, pruny scent; cooked figgy palate; hot alcohol. 87P(?)
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12/28/2023 - europat55 wrote: 90 Points
1970-2000 Fonseca Vintage Ports Vertical (Palo Alto, California): Nose: 91; Palate: 89
My #7; Group's #6; Tasted blind
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11/15/2023 - KimberJ Likes this wine: 93 Points
Bright raisin. Smooth.
Sear and see Orlando
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7/8/2023 - cacastine Likes this wine: 94 Points
Deep intense aromas of cassis, dark and ripe red fruits, lilac and light hints of rose, tobacco and roasted mushroom. Very alive and expressive, smooth dark buttery caramel, toffee, chocolate, anise and cinnamon...long silky evolving finish with some fine peppery hot tannin. A truly excellent wine. Took some hints from others and drank a second bottle after standing it up for 2 weeks. So much of the residual sugar and sediment experienced on the first bottle fell out and made for an even better, more expressive and clean taste. Superb wine and the best I have tasted thus far.
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6/18/2023 - VAGenius wrote: 93 Points
Sat upright for several weeks, then a 30 minute decant. Nose of blackberry jam, black fig, and sweet black raspberry. Black fruit, Fig Newton, fruitcake, and a strong bittersweet backbone. Black fruits and acidiity lead the finish into black raspberry and olive brine
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4/2/2023 - Brolawa wrote:
H3. Drank over three nights in Cimarron. Fruit stayed consistent.
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2/25/2023 - scottesterly Likes this wine: 94 Points
Decanted 5+ hours from 375ml bottle. Full bodied, earthy, sweet. Those are the major features I taste (and love). Tasted this against a 94 Dow’s and loved both, but I always prefer port to be a little bit sweeter than Dow’s generally produces. The 94 Dow’s was a good one to contrast this one with because the 92 Fonseca is complex and full of flavors, while the 94 Dow’s is more straight forward. Both great. I’ll be looking to add a bottle or two more of the 92 Fonseca to my cellar, though. I believe this will drink well for a long time to come.
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1/20/2023 - theportguy wrote: 92 Points
Guys Port Weekend - Las Vegas; 1/20/2023-1/21/2023 (Las Vegas, Nevada): Amber ruby in color. Aromas of dusty red fruits with strawberry and boysenberry. It is a full-bodied wine, with well-integrated red fruits on the palate. The tannins are noticeable on the mid-palate, but the wine retains a rich and complex flavor profile. Nice long finish.
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1/14/2023 - Musigny1955 Likes this wine: 93 Points
{Bought on release, stood up x a week, sound cork, not decanted} Matched with excellent cheeses and chocolate at dinner party with cassoulet. Long, blackcurrents and some background red fruits (cherries?), dense, smooth, spicy with notes of vanilla and toffee. Excellent. Seems about ready to drink.
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12/10/2022 - Vinnut Likes this wine: 95 Points
Deep, dark garnet in color, essentially opaque with no signs of aging. Full, forward & fragrant nose of ripe fruit aromas of dark cherries, blackberries & dried figs with overtones of spices & floral notes of violets, earthy/dusty notes, toffee, minerals, herbs, cocoa, brown sugar & a hint of cedar in the background. Full bodied with an excellent concentration of well balanced & silky smooth textured, complex, dense & jammy, ripe fruit flavors of blackberries, dark cherries, plums, dried figs & raisins with spices, toffee, minerals, herbs & a slight hint of vanilla. Long lingering smooth finish. Drinks quite well at present with decanting & extended airing. Even at 30 years of age, it has the potential to easily continue for another decade if not longer, at which time it may merit a higher score (96+). Cork was stained on bottom 1/4 but intact. Surprisingly, very little sediment.
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11/2/2022 - ManhattanBeach Likes this wine:
Lunch with Jazz (67 Pall Mall, London): Don’t drink enough port to have much of a comparison, but blackcurrants, fig, vanilla. Xavier calls it ‘deep; powerful, sweet’ and that’s right, some spice, good energy to balance that body and depth, and good length.
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10/24/2022 - VAGenius Likes this wine:
Had after Thanksgiving dinner. No detailed notes. Drinking well now - there's no reason to hold.
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10/9/2022 - Everything Ahead wrote: 94 Points
So smooth and figgy out of the gate with a little spice too. Didn't decant and didn't need to. Surprisingly youthful tasting for being 30 yrs old, but I don't get the sense there is too much more of an upside here in terms of complexity, so I would recommend drinking over the next 5 years or so to take advantage of all that fruit.
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6/9/2022 - tjin Likes this wine: 90 Points
Muddy brick red color. A good amount of red fruit with notes of figs, chocolate, and baking spice. Full-bodied and tannic.
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3/21/2022 - rwpalmer wrote: 90 Points
I found this bottle to be a bit chunky and dry on the finish. More impressive than charming. Bottle variation?
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3/10/2022 - canan wrote: 95 Points
Fonseca VP Vertical: Beautiful and expressive nose with dark berries, manure, sewer.
Lovely palate with dark plum/cherry fruit and mint but also a hard structure. Both tannins and acidity still feels very young.
It does however is starting to show a bit of evolution but it is still a young wine. Beautiful wine.
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1/29/2022 - JWG wrote: 98 Points
Hard to be happier than this Fonseca offers. Has been resting comfortably for 26 years in my cellars. My notes of 2018 still can't be beat in describing what I like about this luscious vintage from Fonseca. Had with ripe bosc pears, "fresh" Neals Yard Stilton and crusty French baguette -- is a dream combo of flavors/textures (And an international one, given the sourcing for this feast: Portugal, Mexico (pears), England (Stilton), and Lawrence Kansas (bread).
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1/15/2022 - MLR Likes this wine: 92 Points
Drank right from the cellar. In the nose we get cedar, forest dust, cinnamon, maybe a bit of browned butter. the mouth is smooth and a bit more dense and dusty than the nose. Wonderful.
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12/10/2021 - Border Boss Likes this wine: 93 Points
Double decanted three hours before service. A little alcohol heat but generally very nice. The fruit is popping out with no trouble. The nose is a little dusty. This is a big, young wine that'll be great for another 20 years.
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10/15/2021 - Jack wrote: 94 Points
Delish.
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10/15/2021 - swade wrote: 94 Points
10/26/18 descriptors apply. Amazing. So glad I bought more and this was one of those bottles and it did not disappoint. A black velvet rope. 94
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10/2/2021 - Paul S wrote: 93 Points
Dinner at Basque Kitchen by Aitor (Basque Kitchen, Waterboat House, Singapore): Nice stuff, if rather advanced for a vintage port just approaching the 30-year mark. From a bottle that has been opened for a few days, this was showing very nicely on the night. I really liked the nose, with its notes of molasses and dried muscats, along with some savoury preserved plum aromas, maybe a touch of cherry liqueur, all patted down with touches of earth and gentle spice. Very nice. The palate was full and round in the mouth, with a yummy melange of plums and cherry liqueur, earth and molasses, all very nicely integrated and balanced. The finish ended with a hint of milk chocolate and gentle spiciness. Very resolved and delicious to drink at the moment. While neither the most complex nor the most compelling, this was a very solid, very enjoyable port, good with a series of different cheeses as one would expect.
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7/26/2021 - Sanlucar Likes this wine: 92 Points
Medium-bodied and very sweet but it had very little depth or richness and not as complex as I had hoped it would be. Mostly grapey flavors with oak, mild spices and chocolate. Paired it with a Cuban cigar and was satisfied with the combo.
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3/8/2021 - galewskj wrote:
Bring a bottle that you've been saving..: This seemed alcoholic to me. Others liked it more than me. It still went well with a moist, creamy, decadent chocolate cake.
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2/27/2021 - AllRed wrote: 94 Points
4th Saturday Brown Bagger (Eagle Brook CC): Courtesy of R&D. Still pours a youthful red color. Notes of kirsch, cherry cordial, licorice and black fruits. Medium tannin. Cassis, cherry, licorice and spice flavors. Lingering finish. Starting to drink very well.
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2/13/2021 - Miceri Likes this wine: 90 Points
Served a bit too warm, rich, appearing much younger than 28 years, currently neither young fruit nor tertiary, in between
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2/13/2021 - Rollerball wrote:
On night one: Delicious and woody. Like munching on heavenly liquor-saturated stalk trueats.
On night three (cork on 50% full bottle, no decant): Tremendously more complex and very sophisticated. The wood still a delight, now showing as a wheat-like counterpoint to the wine’s vanilla’d cinnamon. This is true complexity when there are not just multiple aspects but you can’t even tease three out as separate. Extraordinary.
Night six report (cork on 30% full bottle, never decanted): getting a tad oxidized but only if you're looking for it. Cinnamon's turned minty. Still very silky. Should probably finish the bottle this weekend.
Based on this week's tasting, the 1992 Fonseca is in it's window, no need to wait, it will likely even improve for five more years and hold there for another 5-10 now -2032.
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12/26/2020 - winemaker Likes this wine: 99 Points
Double decanted 4 hours prior to dinner. This is an outstanding port. Harmonious. Layered and long. Damn near perfect.
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11/26/2020 - tcosgriff Likes this wine: 94 Points
Lovely ruby color. This was a lesson in deferring final judgment of a port until tasting it for more than one day. I first drank this wine after dinner on Thanksgiving with the pumpkin pie and it was rather closed and somewhat bitter with a minimum of fruit. The day after it was quite compelling with a bouquet and flavor of candied apple, cherry, toffee, stale pepper, and dust. A bit hot to the taste with good definition, and depth, and a moderate finish. All together a very nice end to a wonderful turkey dinner, which my wife and I enjoyed by ourselves the the dark winter of covid.
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11/7/2020 - skurtz Likes this wine: 93 Points
Decanted from a half bottle and enjoyed immediately as dessert. Complex nose with camphor, cinnamon, baking spices, cordial, burnt apple. On the palate we have smooth fully integrated spices, pruney raisins, alcohol. Great complexity, Peter loved this.
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3/29/2020 - Oechsle Likes this wine: 93 Points
This needs a full 15 hrs of air to show all it has to offer.
Day 1: Mushroom, macerated wood, Alcohol, raisin, sweet sherry notes, Palate has Sweet edge, hints of oxidation (although cork was clean and tight), dry brown sugar, rounded silky mouth feel, Under pinning acidity keeps it vibrant. Showing more sherry then port,
Day 2: Subdued nose still, same as prior day but, black liquorish, black pepper, red fruits joined the party. Palate richer and offering more depth of fruit, red/black bush berries steeped in alcohol, Hot, There is an interesting red apple skin finish that lingers for quite some time. For my palate this was more enjoyable in year 20 of its evolution. Purchased upon release and stored accordingly in the bowels of my cellar. Enjoyed on its own as I wait for COVID19 to come knocking on my door. Drink up if you have any. I suggest pulling the cork 24hrs prior to service and just let it audouze someplace cool… Na zdrowie
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3/6/2020 - skurtz Likes this wine: 94 Points
Half bottle, decanted for Katie's birthday party. Amazing and classy with key lime pie for dessert.
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2/29/2020 - Zweder wrote: 93 Points
UWS Leap year dinner (@ CdW and KvdK): No formal notes, but this is a beautifully mature and round port wine with still lovely dark and red fruits, good sweetness and mild acidity to make it complete.
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2/22/2020 - Rwhfly Likes this wine: 89 Points
Good. Drinking without any time to breathe. Maybe I’ll decant the next one to compare. Definitely on the light end of the spectrum but still some tannin bite. Drink up in the next few years is my recommendation.
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2/13/2020 - mnh Likes this wine: 96 Points
Excellent
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12/31/2019 - mhudes Likes this wine:
Port tasting at Mathew's on New Year's Eve, so I bring this. Decanted 5 hours earlier. Dark purple in color. Chocolate orange peel and dried cherries on the nose. However it appeared somewhat closed on the palate. At the tasting I only had one glass of this and could not seem to coax it open. Fortunately when I decanted this I had set aside a glass which I tasted a week later. What a difference! This was now open for business with flavors of honey raisin fig compote and a dash of nutmeg and clove. Surprisingly long finish! Conclusion: May still need time.
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12/2/2019 - Rollerball wrote: 94 Points
Reviewing on third night. Alluring, juicy cherry. A little bloody. The luxurious, cloth-like finish leaves you gasping for air. Very Byron and Shelley. Drinking now with room to improve.
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11/17/2019 - Ara Kafafian Likes this wine: 93 Points
Medium body, notes of dark berries, tar and licorice dominate this port. Drinking smoothly now.
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10/25/2019 - KenK Likes this wine: 94 Points
Dried cherry, nuts, camel, red candy apple aromas. Nice spicy red flavors with holiday spices, long long finish. Starting to mellow.
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7/31/2019 - JWG wrote: 97 Points
Just as beautiful as the 2018 bottle we opened. See last year's notes, which describe this close to perfection Fonseca. I love it.
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3/30/2019 - srh Likes this wine:
Winebar [1 Rosé, 3 Whts, & 8 Reds] from 03/29/19 + 5 Shared Reds (Vintage Wines Ltd., San Diego, CA): Dr. Tom, WAY more than anyone else, your periodic port contributions have educated me in an area where I had *ZERO* prior experience. :)
Open for 3+ hrs in a sm tasting glass
N: Notes of oranges, cherries, with undertones of flowers? Intensity lurking?
P: Med body; Rndish entry with SWTISH frt BEAUTIFULLY counterbalanced by an acidity which subtly works its way into & through the LONG, delectably tangy/SWT finish. VERY lovely stuff! My EXC+/Exceptional-. 8,500 cases made. 97 pts WA, 94 WS (Suckling), and 16.5/20 ea Jancis Robinson & Decanter (Mayson).
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3/20/2019 - mnh Likes this wine: 95 Points
Lovely stage. Great ruby color and full fruit.
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1/5/2019 - Mrbuzz Likes this wine: 92 Points
First dinner of 2019! (Galletto Ristorante, Modesto Ca.): Not a huge Port fan...this was fairly sweet, viscous, with a array of spices and tobacco...licorice, dusty old cellar barrel, fig and fruitcake spice. Long and intense sweet finish. Went really well with my espresso, of all things!
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1/2/2019 - wineguy75 Likes this wine: 96 Points
On sweeter side of vintage port. really enjoyable now and will only get better with time. some heavy sediment at the bottom of the bottle.
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12/31/2018 - Tartiflette Does not like this wine: 87 Points
Opened, decanted and drank over a week. Fruit too dominant and lacks acidity to match. After a week it even became undrinkable.
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12/18/2018 - skurtz Likes this wine: 94 Points
Decanted at 1862, amazing consistent with my previous notes. With blue cheese for dessert.
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11/30/2018 - d'Artagnan wrote: 94 Points
Lunch du retour de Gaël, l'enfant prodigue (État Major): Fruité, ample et généreux, beaucoup de fraîcheur, c’est un porto complet et profond, encore très jeune. 93-94 pts
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10/26/2018 - swade wrote: 94 Points
This wine is still young and fresh. The color just has some duskiness. This breathes up raisin and cinnamon. This port opens with a sweet kiss. This wine is a black strap of asphalt. It is marked by ripe blackberry, raisin, clove and fig paste. The flavors come through in waves and reverberate and then just stick. This goes on forever. I can still taste it. Still firm. This is glorious wine with room for upside. 94-95
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5/18/2018 - mxpbuy Likes this wine: 95 Points
Still so young and sweet. Layers of red and black fruits with rich and smooth sweetness, almost creamy in texture. 30 second finish. Although huge and impressive now, I think I'll enjoy this even more as it looses its baby fat.
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5/5/2018 - skurtz Likes this wine: 93 Points
Just gorgeous, a smooth and delicious birthday treat. Consistent with my previous notes.
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4/30/2018 - JWG wrote: 97 Points
Well, this puppy has been sitting in my cellar for 23 years now, and each bottle gets better and better. This may be the best or near the best of any Vintage ports I've tasted. Just an incredible balance of flavors and qualities. Nose of cassis and tobacco mainly and still a hit of menthol. Palate is chewy, rich, dark fruit, tobacco, dark cherry, a hit of acid and a texture that just clings to the tongue for minutes.... Alcohol is thoroughly integrated. What a pleasure.
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2/17/2018 - jsmorris707 Likes this wine: 96 Points
Decanted for an hour the night before then back in the bottle & SO'd in the fridge overnight, med. ruby, similar to prior note but more open; delicious, drink or hold (no rush)
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2/11/2018 - AllRed wrote: 93 Points
Second Sunday Group: Bandol (Frank's): Spice, dark fruit, cassis and cherry notes. The palate mirrors the bouquet. Still on the youthful side. 93+ pts.
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1/30/2018 - oldwines Likes this wine:
Italian Wine Night in Philadelphia (Union League Club's Cellar 62): While I did not take detailed notes on this one, it was from 375ml bottle. I remember it was very young looking and delicious with our dessert course at the Italian wine night, this being the only non-Italian wine consumed in the evening. NR
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12/30/2017 - skurtz Likes this wine: 93 Points
Fantastic, fully integrated red fruit, spices, and cordial. Great for dessert on a cold winter night.
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12/25/2017 - winemaker Likes this wine: 96 Points
Big, rich and powerful VP. Layered and complex with nice Rancio notes. Really good. Glad I have more!
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10/2/2017 - rocknroller wrote: 93 Points
Lonny Might Be Turning Sixty (Tilia, Mpls): Drank a small pour over 20 minutes. Well put together and drinking great now too. Kirsch, bright nose, wood spices, blackberry liqueur, raisin, medium body, nice tannins and very good overall balance. 93+ to 94pts.
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9/21/2017 - skurtz Likes this wine: 94 Points
At 1862, with the cheese course. What a beautiful subtle port. Ample fruit and complexity. Light to medium bodied.
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9/16/2017 - Rollerball wrote: 93 Points
Seems to be in a middle phase: it's not youthfully intense or overly tannic--so it's entirely and beautifully drinkable--but it's also not expansive or subtle. Beyond enjoyable and no harm in opening now but it could end up even better in ten years.
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5/26/2017 - BradboBaggins wrote: 89 Points
Surprisingly mature.
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5/7/2017 - tcosgriff Likes this wine: 91 Points
Deep port color with a bit of brown at the edge. Bouquet and flavor showing typical basic port essence, but rather restrained and monotone. Even so, still pleasant. This wine probably suffered from being drunk close to the superb 1994. Most tasters rated it very highly, with a minority siding with me. I do think that there is a tendency to overrate sweet wines.
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5/6/2017 - jsmorris707 Likes this wine: 96 Points
Decanted for a couple of hrs. then back in the bottle, deep ruby, classic port, dark fruit with spice, med. tannins, long finish; bringing tonight for the cigars at Kelly's Kentucky Derby party
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2/25/2017 - AllRed wrote: 93 Points
4th Saturday group uptown tasting (R&C's): Red and black fruit, spice, licorice and rose water notes. Black fruit, cherry, spice and licorice flavors. Long finish. 93-94 pts.
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1/20/2017 - mxpbuy Likes this wine: 94 Points
Lovey and still on the young side. Give it another half decade to fully evolve and allow the silkier and more subtle elements to come through.
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12/28/2016 - Oskiwawa wrote: 91 Points
Opened and let breathe a decanted for four hours. Double decanted back into the bottle at the end of the evening and then drank over 3 days.
Still quite early but has the backbone to be pretty darn good in 10-15 years. Lots of toffee and coffee on the palate. On day 2 the alcohol was a little more prevalent in the profile. Very good Will have my next one 2020+
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12/24/2016 - WineGold wrote: 94 Points
375ml. Started hot. Decanted 6 hours. Still hot, but smoother. Thinnish viscosity even after 8 hours..Let it rest over night in a covered glass decanter. Now the magic started. The alcohol evaporated, and the entire liquid thickened up. Tasted mid-day on day 2 (okay, not tasted, but drank the rest...), these notes are reflective of this tasting.
Dark red, almost purple. Nose of plums dominate, but also cassis and prunes. On the palate, there are smooth, rich, medium-to-very sweet flavors of plums with undertones of white chocolate, a bit of white pepper, and a drop of vanilla. The finish lingers for a minute or more. It's velvety on the mouth feel, coating the palate and hanging out, chilling out, then slowly, gradually, fading.
Given how long it took for this settle and the heat to blow off, I suspect it has not years but decades left. At least 20 years of improvement here, probably more.
Very nice port. Very good. Glad I got a handful of half-bottle of this, with four left.
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12/7/2016 - Didman wrote: 93 Points
Very nice, but maybe not the richness of the really great vintages. Still, nothing to turn up ones nose at.
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12/3/2016 - rmalloy Likes this wine: 96 Points
Rich, pure, and beautiful. Creme de violette, creme de cassis, chocolate, and macerated cherries. With air, I noticed more and more cured meat and pencil shavings. This wine will doubtlessly develop for several more decades. I suspect it will be at its best in 15 years--where the 1977 Fonseca is now--after the fruit has had time to spread. I think the 1977 Fonseca drinks perfectly now, whereas the 1992 Fonseca tastes somewhat dense and narrow. But I could also understand one preferring this wine where it's at now, with its pure flavors of violet and cassis liqueurs.
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11/13/2016 - jsmorris707 Likes this wine: 94 Points
From memory of party last night, decanted fro 3 hrs then SO'd all day for late night, improved with the air & was a night end to a great party
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8/6/2016 - wineguy75 Likes this wine: 95 Points
A lot of sediment, decanted through coffee filter. 2hr decant. Excellent for price point.
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5/22/2016 - winemaker Likes this wine: 95 Points
Double decanted at 11 am for consumption after dinner. On the nose it smells a bit ripe. The taste however is terrific. Layered, ripe fruit, with rancio notes as well. Agree with other posters that this will continue to improve for years to come. Delicious!
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4/8/2016 - Ombibulous Does not like this wine:
Better than the 1992 Quinta da Cavadinha by Warre's. But still a little thin. Half bottle cost $99, the most I've ever paid for a wine, especially for a half bottle. Would definitely not buy it again, especially not for that price. I was nonplussed and underwhelmed. Nice mature wine. But not as interesting or complex as a younger port.
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2/7/2016 - jeagle wrote: 96 Points
Sampled by use of a Coravin with the pour allowed to sit for two hours before consumption. Aged dark fruit gives way to the comforting taste of brown sugar and nuts. But it is the texture of this wine that is truly spectacular, thick but so lithe and caressing.
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1/13/2016 - FransS wrote: 90 Points
Gee, showing more ripeness than I expected (and tasted before), missing a bit body, maybe not completely representative.
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1/6/2016 - Winerut Likes this wine: 96 Points
This was a fantastic port. It was a little hot on opening but mellowed out over a week. It was opened for a party then was gassed. I had a glass every night for a week and each one was amazing. Can't wait to open the next one.
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12/25/2015 - cubswinws Likes this wine: 94 Points
Really lovely at present but this has decades ahead of it.
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11/24/2015 - dougsmith Likes this wine: 94 Points
Crumbly cork. Deep ruby color. Nose of sweet tobacco leaf, menthol, red berry compote. Beautifully fresh and juicy on the palate, great focus and length and not a hint of heat.
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9/27/2015 - TexasBob Likes this wine: 92 Points
Lost my detailed notes, but remember that though he alcohol was a bit distracting, it has lovely blackberry syrup and woodsy notes.
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6/9/2015 - iwfsc Likes this wine: 98 Points
IWFSC 802 Dinner (Glenview Country Club, Golf IL): Open an decanted and put back in the bottle at noon. Poured into a carafe at 11 an left over night till 7 am. Back in the btl to be open later that night. This was a big leap of faith and based on prior cellartracker comments this was a winner. All of the alcohol heat associated with a young port was gone and the flavors of strawberry, cocoa, licorice, berries came thru. Smooth on the palate and a lingering flavor that just continued on and on. What a lovely treat.
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1/26/2015 - JWG wrote: 94 Points
Cork was a crumble. Decanted. Beautiful and unusual nose of menthol, cassis and tobacco. Palate is chewy, rich, dark fruit, tobacco, good acid balancing the big fruit that keeps on giving. Still young.
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1/11/2015 - AllRed wrote: 96 Points
Second Sunday Group: Douro reds (Frank's): Notes of cherries, cassis and blackberry with floral overtones. Licorice, cherry, currant and kirsch flavors on the palate. Drinking very well.
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11/27/2014 - John McCabe wrote: 92 Points
Pleasant enough but not firing on all cylinders. Quite sweet, a bit simple. The alcohol was pronounced on the nose but not so on the palate. Not one I'm inclined to seek out again.
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11/27/2014 - REWindsor wrote: 98 Points
Incredible power and balance. Good fir another Thirty years. Unctuous, nutty and dark fruits. An incredible port. Thick ling finish. Complex.
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10/12/2014 - Loren Sonkin wrote: 93 Points
An amazing dinner with lots of Italian wines at DBA (DBA): The cork was popped and this was shut down. It was decanted for 4 hours then double decanted back to the bottle. At that time, it had really opened but showed some hear. Served about 5 hours later, it was in a great place. The nose has black raspberries, slight raisin and slight dark chocolate. Slightly sweet. Nice complexity. Long finish.
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9/8/2014 - Dimples wrote: 88 Points
Dark dense red, browning slightly at the edges. Initial nose - reticent. Alcohol and a little plum. In the mouth. Sweet, quite viscous. Not much fruit - some more plum, figs. A little liquorice. A little medicinal. Finishes slightly bitter. Dark chocolate. Acidity cuts through the sweetness. Finish fairly short. It is quite good, but some way short of where I'd hoped. Perhaps slightly corked?
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5/14/2014 - Keith Levenberg wrote: 96 Points
This was really great, and I enjoyed it more than the more ballyhooed '94 I had a few weeks earlier. It is just starting to develop mature flavors but seems to be showing more flesh and a more seamless veneer at the moment. It's really beautifully put together, with luxe, refined tannins somewhere between silk and cashmere and rich, syrupy fruit that's still showing plenty of fresh primary sweetness even as it is starting to reveal some deeper, more sun-dried flavors. It reminds me of the '97 in its fullness and fruit purity but those extra few years of maturity have given it a deeper, more maroon complexion, less vibrantly red.
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10/5/2013 - lesz Likes this wine: 92 Points
excellent bottle.
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8/22/2013 - Bobc7had Likes this wine: 94 Points
Drinking beautifully.
Opened for my daughters 21st! and everyone enjoyed.
Good for at least another 10 years
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8/1/2013 - Jhcwine wrote: 90 Points
Very sweet, with obvious age. But over extracted. Almost cloying. Not my style.
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7/12/2013 - Tartiflette wrote: 92 Points
Still very young for my taste. Dark red and fat liquid. Very good fruit but this doesn't seem to have the potential to become really good.
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4/30/2013 - vespasian wrote: 92 Points
Bright ruby, very little fade; intense brambly nose. Very lifted and heady; lovely mouthfeel, nuanced fruit and then a kick of intensity on the finish.
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3/5/2013 - GNorton Likes this wine: 94 Points
Decanted 8 hours. The Cork came out in about 1000 pieces. Was alittle hot at the start, but near the end of the bottle (12-14 hours or so) it settled down into a lovely drink with lush blue and black berry fruit flavors. Tannins were still rightfully strong and actually added alot of back bone to this fine port. Finished the bottle in one night so didnt get to see what day 2 might have tasted like. All in all a great port that could easily use another 10 years of cellar time. 94+
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2/23/2013 - mxpbuy Likes this wine: 96 Points
From 375ml. Typical vintage Fonseca where the fruit is almost over the top but is smooth with an underlying complexity of black and red fruits that holds your palate in heaven for nearly a minute.
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12/16/2012 - rsbeck wrote: 92 Points
Popped, poured, breathed in glass for two hours, consumed over next 90 minutes. Still incredibly youthful, but very enjoyable. Needs lots of air. Lots of upside potential here.
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12/16/2012 - vino vidi vici wrote:
Light and elegant. Blueberries predominate - beautiful, classy wine. Loved it.
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12/2/2012 - RussK Likes this wine: 92 Points
Russk CDC at villagio. Boca Phil brought. Very nice. Not too hot. Nicely balanced. 92+
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7/12/2012 - cardsandwine Likes this wine:
My first bottle of this vintage in 3 years and it did not disappoint. Lush and balanced sweetness on the palate with a long finish.
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6/13/2012 - Border Boss wrote: 95 Points
Tasted at the June 2012 IWFSC monthly dinner at The Racquet Club. Served with mignardees at the end of the meal. Purchased on release and opened 24 hours before service. The color is still a very deep purple without any signs of bricking. The palate is really fruity, with great plum flavors. The alcohol was tamed with the advanced opening. This is still a baby but with 24 hours opening it drinks really well.
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2/23/2012 - jlgnml wrote: 95 Points
IWFSC Board of Governors Luncheon (Restaurant Michael Winnetka IL): Port lover here. Sweetness, youthful, power on the palate, age worthy.
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12/31/2011 - BuffaloLou wrote: 96 Points
C: black/purple
N: typical port nose that is very spicy with clove, cinnamon, coffee, black raspberries, and of course, a lot of sweetness.
P: strong, black fruits, mostly blackberry, fig, honey
F: long, lingering, and sweet.
Drank from 375ml "juice box". Firm, tight cork. 1/4" max staining. Beautiful wine that is still rather young, but still very approachable now. Beautifully balanced with strong palate that extends from initial sip, through mid-palate, to the finish. While fortified, alcohol is in check and does not overcome the flavors of the wine. Intoxicating flavors.
I've had many Fonseca Vintage Ports, and this is true to Fonesca's style. Beautiful black fruits, balance and intensity. This is why I buy vintage port, especially from Fonseca. Beautiful.
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11/13/2011 - AllRed wrote: 94 Points
Sunday Brown Bag Tasting (Rich & Dana's): Aromas of cherries, blackberry and black currants. Flavors of blackberry, cherry and prune with a very long finish.
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10/9/2011 - FransS wrote: 94 Points
It was the first Fonseca '92 I have tasted, so I will start with a modest 94 points.
Again I know why I love Fonseca vintage port most of all.
It is a fortified but rather dry bordeaux style wine; a discreet glass of wine.
Still young, everything seems to be in balance, but I think that dept will evolve
further within a few year. Lots of life for the next 10 to 15 years.
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9/17/2011 - mxpbuy wrote: 94 Points
Sampled 9/16/11 from 375ml. Cork was really tight and broke in bottle because it was so tight. Very modest amount of sediment. Young Fonseca with not a ton of nuances showing yet. Still fully capable of being enjoyed now, but you sense that it will be better in this size format in another half dozen years.
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5/28/2011 - losvinhos wrote: 95 Points
A sample of what an aged vintage port of a good year can deliver. Round, rich but not heavy, full of fruit with balanced sweetness, integrated alcohol and a very long finish.Stil a long life ahead but a great pleasure already. Showed how worth it is to wait decades to drink a good vintage port. A joy!
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5/19/2011 - Chainthroer wrote: 94 Points
Aromas of blackberry, black cherry, chocolate, cigar box, sweetness. Concentrated and rich fruit. Balanced. Smooth, but with just a tad of heat on the finish - very, very long finish. The last time I tasted this wine was in the mid to late 90's at the Ritz Carlton in Phoenix. Bruce Guimaraens poured the wine - obviously it was very closed in then. We talked for a while - nice guy.
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1/29/2011 - Invinoverytas wrote: 93 Points
Wonderful bottle (375m). Still many years of life remaining.
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8/9/2010 - Loren Sonkin wrote:
Champagne, Fonseca and two Ohio Chards: Despite the outstanding score, this was not a correct bottle. Cloudy and purple/ruby in color. The nose is chocolate covered raisins. Black raspberries on the palate, with a long finish. I think we all assumed this would be much older than it was. I would still give it 92 points but something was amiss. Apparently the cork came out easily and completely clean. I suspect that despite good storage the cork allowed too much air in.
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7/9/2010 - jkoenen wrote: 89 Points
Fonseca Offline @ Joost B.'s (Netherlands): Again the nose opens a little funky. Something numerous wines were suffering from on this evening. There's also beef stock, veggies, dried herbs, asian spice. Modest in sweetness, enormous length. I feel this is a beautiful wine, but at the moment it comes across rather unforgiving. Dumb-phase? 17/20
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2/26/2010 - Terkel wrote: 94 Points
Rhone Rangers tasting (Vinens verden, Odense): Black color with a red hue. Concentrated and intense aromas of thick cherry sauce, raisins and alcohol. Sweet and very enjoyable taste with sugary flavours of honey, cherries, cheery sauce, figs and raisin. Some caramel on the finish. Very nicely balanced where the alcohol leaves room for more sweet and dried fruit flavours.
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11/17/2009 - la turque wrote: 98 Points
Brilliant!! Alas, my last bottle. I will try to get my hands on more of this.
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7/12/2009 - Krugsters wrote:
Excellent. Threw off a lot of sediment.
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5/24/2009 - tomandlu wrote: 94 Points
Drank from 375. Decanted 4 hours. Opaque burgundy-red color. An intenese, penetrating nose of cocoa, cherries, coffee, and sweet spices filled the room as the wine was decanted. Four hours later the aroma was no less intense. Very full, rich and complete on the palate with ripe tannins supporting the fruit. Very long cocoa-laden finish with surprisingly little alcoholic heat. A stunning glass of port.
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2/22/2009 - JWG wrote: 94 Points
Cork was a crumble. Decanted and it has great spice on the nose. Already nicely integrated and balanced flavors. Great texture and richness on the tongue. Some menthol and earth as it developed in first hour. Still a lot of heat and clearly young. But a real winner in terms of richness/balance.
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8/30/2008 - Jack wrote: 97 Points
Wow!! Popped and poured.
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7/25/2008 - Jack wrote: 95 Points
Excellent.
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6/19/2008 - petitblanc wrote: 94 Points
Wonderful complexity in all respects. Colors from purple to garnet upon swirling. A slightly bretty funk blew off to reveal a nose that hinted at the range of secondary flavors developing on the palate. Incredibly smooth from the attack through the subtle but almost endless finish. Great now, much life and possible improvement ahead.
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4/26/2008 - la turque wrote: 95 Points
Dark, rich, sweet and brooding. Will get way better with time.
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4/17/2008 - la turque wrote: 95 Points
Dark, sweet, rich, silky and brooding. Very very lovely port. Approachable now, but will hugely improve with age.
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12/6/2007 - mdefreitas wrote: 93 Points
Taylor vs Fonseca @ The Warwick (NYC): Dark, much like its companion 1992. More fresh fruit than the companion. Nice chewy, spicy cherry. Nice weight, but young and unformed. Taylor? WRONG.
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7/8/2007 - spartacus111 wrote: 92 Points
Cork crumbled upon opening. Decanted. Mostly alcohol on nose. Raisins and a hot finish on tasting. Mostly closed at the moment.
3 hours -- nice fruit on the nose, alcohol is much better integrated, full bodied with some hints of cocoa starting to come through.
4.5 hours -- starting to open up a bit. Cocoa and a little tobacco.
Next Day: Still closed and unyielding.
I still think this has a ways to go and wouldn't open another one for 3-5 years.
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4/13/2007 - KPB wrote: 93 Points
What a wonderful port... for me, hard to resist at this stage, although I know that all the purists would curse me to hell for saying so and not waiting 100 years or something before trying it. Purest red current fruits, endless finish, absolute joy to drink if you like a slightly tart style of port. Improving steadily, too.
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12/29/2006 - sweetstuff wrote: 94 Points
TN: Fonseca Vintage Porto 1992 , bottled in 1994. imported by Kobrand, Inc. 20.5 percent abv. Don't remember where I got this or what I paid for it. I think it was Cost Plus Wine Warehouse at Eastern Market, Detroit, and a good value. It's been in my passive cellar ever since it was purchased on release.
Couldn’t resist a second bottle of VP for Christmas celebrations. Opened this after the 1985 Taylor that I also reported on here.
Fonseca-Guimaraens didn't make a 1991 Fonseca VP, to my understanding, but just made their second wine: Fonseca-Guimaraens. Others declared a 1991 but not a 1992--this probably could have been a consecutive declaration if that wasn't against the traditions of the trade, as I believe both vintages were of very high quality in general.
Confusingly, the label changed for this vintage, looking more like the label of Fonseca-Guimaraens, and the name is readily seen at the top of the label. It's a label much like what you see on their Bin 27.
I haven't tasted this wine yet, and so figured at nearly 15 years it's time to pop one.
________
Cork transects horizontally and is dealt with by pushing parts of it into the bottle, removed by subsequent straining. [Sometimes I use a garden-variety port funnel for this task and other times use a funnel that Starbucks sells as a coffee-filter, which is a bit finer and works equally well with more surface area available.] Opened December 25, 2006 (Monday). Double-decanted; good amounts of rather muddy crust. Dark blackish-purple with a slight fading at the very edge, with plenty of sheeting.
Upon opening the nose is so dense that it would be impossible to write a note, except to say it is intensely plummy, hitting mostly bass notes on the register, unlike, say, Taylor, which gets up way into the treble. I'd have to say that this wine SMELLS dark purple, if that makes any sense.
At 24 hours, color is similar. But the nose has started to develop: it is powerfully plummy and figgy, with a hint of vanilla (probably from the cask aging). and a lttle glossy plastic. There is some leather and some liquorice, and a suggestion of smoke. If Taylor tastes to me in many ways like a Cabernet Sauvignon-rich Medoc, this gives a suggestion of a Merlot-dominated Right Bank wine. The empty glass gives off a sweet herbaceousness, a bit similar to ripe tomatoes.
A 'rich' port, rich and with lots of stuff going on beneath the surface, with firm acidity and firm, abundant, ripe tannins There's an energetic, stony, lengthy finish, with all of the scent components echoed. However, I think the finish has a way to go yet, and I'm expecting more expressiveness at 48 hours and even beyond.
On Wednesday 12/27 the edge colors have become greener and the aromas more searching. The nose has taken on lots of depth, with the above notes plus some definite cigar box and caramel notes. Plums or prunes still are the most prominent, but are becoming integrated with the other sensations. The high notes are there, but are quite ethereal. Caramel and cigar-box dominate the palate, with a touch of tannin, and the finish is still very long and dynamic, with a touch of herbaceousness. I'd call this one at about 94-96/100, but there's more development to come, I think.
Thursday 12/28 shows a wine with integrated fig and plum, with herbaceous notes predominating: chocolate and cigarbox, with perhaps a touch of weediness, not at all unpleasant, in a caramel envelope. Seems to be about at maximum depth right now. Anise is now reappearing as an entry note, with the rest of the flavors now harmoniously integrated; tannin is very gentle. A solid 94, with some upside possibilities for later bottles.
Now on Friday the 29th, the fruit has died down enough so there's a nice note of lead pencil there.
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7/14/2006 - Rupert wrote: 92 Points
Blind tasting of vintage pairs (Alba Restaurant, London): A touch of vanilla, and a tad drier than the predeceding Grahams. Gorgeous now.
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7/14/2006 - PSide wrote:
On decanting in the morning, deep dark purple, and an intense nose of hedgrow berries marred by an unpleasant reductive note.
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12/4/2005 - KPB wrote: 92 Points
Saturated ruby out to the rim. Slightly dusty nose of sour cherries, vanilla, fruit-cake. Sweet and rich with a mouth-coating satiny texture; fruits tending towards very ripe sour cherries or red currents. Fairly long finish. Can drink now, or hold; certainly has 15 or 20 years of evolution ahead of it.
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11/9/2005 - Jack wrote: 90 Points
A little hot and out of balance but still very good.
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1/3/2005 - mnh wrote:
Still needs time
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11/20/2001 - mnh wrote:
developing beautifully
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7/29/2000 - dbg wrote:
still awesome, unbelievably smooth for youth, fantastic richness,
concentration and purity of fruit, great finish with smooth sweet
tannins
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7/7/2000 - bestdamncab Likes this wine: 94 Points
Our second half bottle of the evening. Nose of sweet dark fruit, cherry and raisin, more of the same on the palate, very sweet but balanced by the fruit, big and intense, complex, long, long finish.
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10/16/1998 - dbg wrote:
awesome, unbelievably smooth for youth, fantastic concentration and
purity of fruit, wine of the night
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9/23/1997 - Xavier Auerbach wrote: 95 Points
Half bottle, barrel sample. Soaring bouquet of figs and blackcurrants, deep; powerful, sweet, ripe tannins; enormous length. Formidable VP.
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2/15/1997 - dbg wrote:
Decanted 24 hrs prior to drinking
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5/1/1969 - mnh wrote:
Great potential
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