ThePortForum.com

There is something rather civilised about working extremely hard to some tough deadlines but at 5.00pm on Friday being able to sit down and unwind with a glass of Fonseca 1985. It's been a tough week but this does help to start the weekend properly.

Deep red and mature, opaque centre. Sweet blackberry fruit and damp, earthy sous bois on the nose. Slightly aggressive entry with lots of acidity dominating the impact. Slowly the sweet fruit and subdued tannins emerge but never match the intensity of the acidity. The black cherry fruit and black chocolate dominate the aftertaste before a big burst of pepper, that fades to a very long menthol finish. Not the greatest of glasses of this port. 86/100. Drunk 12 Feb 2016.

This is a rather niggardly score for a Fonseca 85 which doesn't sound actually faulty. Still a bit grumpy from a busy week maybe? Perhaps the Fonseca 85 been downgraded while I wasn't looking. I wonder if this was one of the recent shipments from Portugal.

It wasn't a recent shipment, but was a port that had been bought on release and cellared in one location since shipping. However, I did keep wondering whether it was just a tiny bit corked as I kept picking up a harsh woodiness that I associate with either very slight TCA or just a style of tannin in some middle aged ports.