Notes from Fonseca:

Fonseca has been part of the first category of Vintage Port wine producers since the mid-19th century. Fonseca Vintage Port wines are known for their lush fruitiness that develops great opulence and complexity with age. Their wines appeal to the enthusiast and connoisseur, perhaps more than the Vintage Ports of any other house, because they are the result of inspired production and a deep knowledge of viticulture and terroir.

Vintage Port wines represent the best of the products of an exceptional year. Unlike Port wines that age in wood, Vintage Port wines will continue to age and improve in bottle for decades, inscribing in their character both the characteristics of the vineyard and the influence of the winemaker.

The company's Vintage Port wines come from its own estates: Cruzeiro and Santo António in the Pinhão valley, which have contributed to the company's Vintage Port blend for 100 years, as well as the Panascal estate in the Távora valley.

Tasting Notes: A narrow magenta rim around a purple-black core. The nose opens with an explosion of dense, juicy berries, mixed with fresher, more vibrant red berry aromas. A schisty minerality keeps this lush fruitiness in evidence. At this stage, the nose is still reserved and discreetly aromatic, revealing leafy balsamic fragrances and notes of sawed cedar wood.

The first impression on the palate and nose is of dense and very concentrated fruit, which meanwhile explodes on the palate and persists on the long finish. The texture is enveloping and velvety, but the taut, robust tannins and crisp, continuous acidity provide firmness and structure. The complex, layered fruit typical of Fonseca dominates this massive, powerful wine.