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Boxing Day, 26th December 2008, a modest selection of Fonsecas were sampled, really for the joy of doing so. There are several threads pertaining to this tasting.

• Review of the evening as a whole;
• Fonseca 1970;
• Fonseca 1977;
• Fonseca 1997;
• Fonseca 2000;
• Fonseca 2003;
• Placemats;
• Planning and arrangements.

Fonseca 1970: decanted 10am (for a 4pm start). The decanter-priming sample was lovely black-red, almost confusable with a 1985 from the same house. Left for five minutes in the glass whilst things were done produced a huge nose of plums and soft port. No heat. In the mouth very soft, until Tayloresque heat comes late, though at the front of the mouth. heat slightly overpowering the soft mature port.

Six hours more in the decanter and this will be Grade-A splendid.

Meanwhile, no pictures because the camera needs charging and I can’t find the charger.

Fonseca 1970, at D+6h, provided by JDAW. Splendid colour, semi-opaque, black and red, no blue, no brown. Nose less full than at D+0, nonetheless of plums and soft port. JHG rightly said ‟cinnamon”, but then I realised that it smelt of vanilla vanilla ice cream, not vanilla pods. To taste briefly a little hot at entry, then full-strength sweet soft port. There was a a modicum of wood, in the initial attack perhaps, but otherwise perfect. MW found passionfruit; JES chocolate. Massively long, going on and on and on. 10-10.

Initially I thought this the WOTN, I preferring its more masculine style relative to the more delicate and feminine ’77. Later, however, the ’77 grew in strength as the wood showed more strongly in the ’70, so my preference switched to the ’77. Both Grade A excellent port.

Drink now to 2025. But during that time resample as often as possible.