Fonseca Port has become a legendary port house with its Vintage Ports. No other port house has ever achieved four 100-point scores for a Vintage Port. This 2017 Vintage achieved 98 points, earning it another high rating. The aging potential of this Fonseca 2017 Vintage is also phenomenal.
Grapes from the exceptional year 2017
We're often asked what makes a Vintage Port so special. First of all, the grapes for a Vintage Port come from a single, exceptional harvest year. On average, a Vintage Port can only be produced once every three years, although Fonseca's grapes are of such high quality that it can sometimes be produced more often. The grapes used for a Vintage Port undergo a rigorous, hand-selected process. Only the finest grapes are considered for this exceptional port. Unlike other ports, all Vintage Ports, including this Fonseca Vintage 2017, are bottle-aged. This bottle-aging can continue for decades. This is because the port is bottled unfiltered. This does, however, create lees at the bottom of the bottle, sometimes making the port appear somewhat cloudy. Therefore, if you plan to serve a Vintage Port, it's advisable to store it upright a day beforehand or decant it shortly before serving.
A port with great aging potential
A Vintage port can be enjoyed very young, but when aged for several years (think ten years at least), the flavors become much more concentrated. We tasted this 2017 Vintage in its early stages. The nose opens with a burst of dark forest fruits, intermingled with fresher, more vibrant aromas of red berries. A slate-like minerality restrains this exuberant fruitiness. At this stage, the nose is still reserved, discreet, and aromatic, also revealing balsamic notes and cedar-like notes of sawn wood. On the palate, the dark berries explode. The texture is round and velvety, but the taut, firm tannins and healthy acidity provide firmness and structure. As this port ages, the flavors will gradually unfold further.
One last tidbit
It's also good to know that once the bottle is opened, the shelf life of a Vintage Port will be shorter than that of any other port. The flavor will deteriorate after a few days, while a non-Vintage Port can be enjoyed for several months. Incidentally, it's not a bad thing to finish this Vintage Port faster...
2017
