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At Bonham’s on 18 February 2016 was sold most of a pipe of Fonseca 1963, not moved since original purchase (lots 324 to 343).

So, on Wednesday 15th June 2016, we gathered in the Boot & Flogger to compare six of these, which were joined by a selection of other English-bottled Vintage Ports.

Links:

• Review of the evening as a whole;
• The six Fonseca 1963s:
  • 1963 Fonseca, α = alpha;
  • 1963 Fonseca, β = beta;
  • 1963 Fonseca, γ = gamma;
  • 1963 Fonseca, δ = delta;
  • 1963 Fonseca, ε = epsilon;
  • 1963 Fonseca, ζ = zeta;
• The other English-bottled Vintage Ports:
  • 1955 Mackenzie;
  • 1963 Berry Bros & Rudd;
  • 1963 Martinez;
  • 1963 Warre;
  • 1970 Fonseca;
  • 1970 Warre;
  • 1970 Smith Woodhouse;
• And one colheita:
  • 1937 Warre colheita;
• Food order.
• Placemats;
• Planning and arrangements.

55% opacity, full red. Dried fruit and bubblegum on the nose. Full, syrupy, mild heat early and mid palate. Fruit - strawberry very present, finish lacks structure, tannins gone.

Deep red, very dark appearance - the tone of a good port from 1985. A faint nose at first showing fierce dark fruit and a tiny touch of VA. 90 minutes later this showed fresh black cherries. Sweet black cherries on entry, saccharine sweetness rather than the natural sweetness of ripe fruit. The dark cherry fruit dominates the initial aftertaste with definite black chocolate tannins showing on the finish.

Reassuringly familiar to the previous bottle drunk 6 years previously, but still an astonishing port for its age and the fact this comes from an unregarded shipper. 88/100.