1985 Fonseca

[winesecretary]

Feeling the lack of VP in my life recently, and to commemorate one year of ownership of our now marital home, I popped and poured one of the recent bargains from Harvey Nicks.

Good Lord Above this is delicious drinking in all its phases from the initial cool grapey minty delicious fruitiness to the tuberose scented deeply satisfying black fruits.

Arguably the port of the 1980s on this showing.

Consumed in part 4 Feb 2023

[akzy]

I'd like to add that I had a free one of these as one was faulty. The "faulty" one was purely excellent. Still very fruity and high on sugar and needing a good several year still!

[winesecretary]

Am consuming the rest of it now. I think it is ready to drink - this is the third I have had the last 12 months and they were all happy-making. But it will last 20-30 years more.

[JacobH]

I'd like to add that I had a free one of these as one was faulty. The "faulty" one was purely excellent. Still very fruity and high on sugar and needing a good several year still!

The only time this happened to me was with some SQVP through one of the Tesco sales. Much to my surprise and dismay they actually turned up to collect the faulty bottles (probably one leaking cork which had damaged all the other labels). I really hope someone got to enjoy them!

[akzy]

I should clarify that faulty here is that the bottle had a minor leak. The wine was completely ok.

[Glenn E.]

I've always had this wine, the 1987 Vargellas, and the 1985 Graham as my top 3 from the 1980s. It's a fabulous wine and will likely out-live all of us.

[Mike J. W.]

I've always had this wine, the 1987 Vargellas, and the 1985 Graham as my top 3 from the 1980s. It's a fabulous wine and will likely out-live all of us.

I'd swap the '83 Graham's for the '85 Graham's, but you can't go wrong with either. I'd also throw the '86 Graham's Malvedos into the mix. I'd rank them in order as:
1. '85 Fonseca
2. '87 Taylor's Vargellas
3. '83 Graham's
4. '86 Graham's Malvedos
5. '85 Graham's

[mosesbotbol]

I've always had this wine, the 1987 Vargellas, and the 1985 Graham as my top 3 from the 1980s. It's a fabulous wine and will likely out-live all of us.

I'd swap the '83 Graham's for the '85 Graham's, but you can't go wrong with either. I'd also throw the '86 Graham's Malvedos into the mix. I'd rank them in order as:
1. '85 Fonseca
2. '87 Taylor's Vargellas
3. '83 Graham's
4. '86 Graham's Malvedos
5. '85 Graham's

I'd add '85 Gould Campbell to the list.

[Mike J. W.]

I've always had this wine, the 1987 Vargellas, and the 1985 Graham as my top 3 from the 1980s. It's a fabulous wine and will likely out-live all of us.

I'd swap the '83 Graham's for the '85 Graham's, but you can't go wrong with either. I'd also throw the '86 Graham's Malvedos into the mix. I'd rank them in order as:
1. '85 Fonseca
2. '87 Taylor's Vargellas
3. '83 Graham's
4. '86 Graham's Malvedos
5. '85 Graham's

Thinking about this some more, I'd add the Dow 1980 to the list at #5 and move the '85 Graham's to #6.