1963 Fonseca

[Alex Bridgeman]

Another of the 36 bottles sourced from the pipe sold at Bonham's in February 2016, which had been bottled and stored under identical conditions. This bottle had a base of neck fill and was sealed with a cork which was branded "Fonseca Vintage 1963 Bottled 1965".

A lovely glowing red cedar colour, clearly mature and ready to be drunk. Smelling of cedar wood and rose oil; gentle and fruity. Initially the alcohol showed very strongly on the nose but a little more time in the glass allowed the alcohol to integrate fully. On the palate this is sweet and refined with plenty of mature cranberry and leather tones. Plenty of complexity in the wine and hints of a dry undertone reveal that the tannins are not yet gone. The acidity is spot on, keeping the wine fresh on the palate but not distracting from the fruit. The aftertaste does still show a touch of the alcohol, but is quickly replaced by a gentle peppercorn and redcurrant jelly finish of generous length. This is a lovely port which is drinking perfectly today - elegant, mature and refined. 91/100. Drunk 21-Oct-17. Decanted 8 hours.