Product description
Fonseca 2017 Vintage Port is released for sale.
The Taylor Fladgate Partnership 2017 Vintage Port Declaration has all the hallmarks of the 2016 Vintage Ports, which were elegant and harmonious, had purity of fruit, a vibrant acidity and firm, beautifully integrated tannins that were of great quality. In contrast, the 2017s are classic ‘old school’ Vintage Ports, deep and intense, with rich, dark, multi-layered fruit and powerful, compact tannins.
A narrow magenta ring around a core of inky purple black. The nose opens with a burst of dark, woodland fruit, dense and succulent, blended with fresher, more vibrant red berry aromas. A slatey minerality holds this exuberant fruitiness in check. At this stage, the nose is still reserved and discreetly aromatic, revealing leafy, balsamic scents and cedary notes of sawn wood. The first impression on the palate, as on the nose, is of tightly packed, dense dark berry fruit, which then explodes on the mid-palate and surges into the long finish. The texture is round and velvety but the taut, sinewy tannins and a strand of crisp acidity provide firmness and structure. The layered, complex fruit typical of Fonseca holds sway over this weighty, powerful wine.
“Great intensity of aromas with vibrant red berries and dates alongside mineral and balsamic notes. Fonseca is always an exuberant style of Vintage Port but the muscular tannins and sharp acidity make the 2017 really promising. Deep, complex and powerful.”
Celia Buridant, Davy’s Wine Merchants
“Picking began at Quinta do Panascal on September 6, the two other quintas in Pinhão that form the 2017 Fonseca Vintage Port, Cruzeiro and Santo António picked on 10 and 17 September respectively. One of the deepest, most opaque color amongst the new Port alumni, it has one of the most backward, almost recalcitrant noses that demands a lot of aeration. It gradually opens to reveal blackberry, melted tar, thyme, clove and violet aromas that are well defined, if maybe just missing the same breeding as Taylor’s. The palate is medium-bodied with supple tannin. This is fresh and detailed, a slightly more structured Fonseca than expected, quite strict at first with good grip and a lightly spiced, precise finish. Powerful and long on the aftertaste, you can feel this Fonseca 60 seconds after the wine has exited. It deserves 10-15 years in bottle. Excellent, but patience required. The most enigmatic of the 2017 Vintage Ports. Total production is 8,100 cases. 95 points.”
Neal Martin, Vinous.com, June 2019.
“Deepest purple. Wild, perfectly ripe small black berries like elderberry but also the lush sweetness of ripe blackberries plus a stony, rocky edge and just a touch charry. Lush, plush and exotic on the palate, deep-pile, compact, smooth tannins, just enough freshness to balance the rich generosity. The finish is beautifully dry-tasting, the tannins melting on the long finish. Drink 2027-2057. 17.5 points.”
Julia Harding MW, JancisRobinson.com, June 2019.
Please enquire regarding other bottle sizes by emailing [email protected].
Offered for sale ‘En Primeur’ under bond. Price shown is per case (6x75cl bottles) and excludes UK duty and VAT which will be charged at the prevailing rate when the wine is released from bond. Onward delivery from bond charges are not included, free delivery on orders above £100 does not apply. Reward Card points are not accruable or redeemable on ‘En Primeur’ or In Bond sales.
