ThePortForum.com

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.

Opened at 0730 am EST today .

Cork was seeped all the way through and this made a great case for opening.

Clear reddish purple with no signs of bricking at all.

Initial wiff of stewed prunes filled the room as it was popped open.

A decent amount of sludge through the filter.

First taste is very very hot, youthful and powerful. This has no signs of fading at all.

Loads of sweet black cherries, honey, spirits. Not as smooth as I'm used to seeing in the fonsecas.

I hope the alcohol integrates better towards tasting time.

Fonseca 1977, at D+9h, provided by JHG. Much more translucent than the ’70, but same hue of black-red, no blue, no brown, and fading to pink at the edge. Nosing of dark berry fruits, then specified as blackberry and cranberry and tannin. Half an hour later, raisons. To taste the same heat on entry as the ’70, lighter, and less sticky. Softer and more mature blind one might guess it to be a decade older than the ’70. Red fruit, including strawberry.

My initial judgement was that it was a shade lighter than perfect softer, more delicate, more feminine than the ’70. But it grew in strength through the evening, to finish as my WOTN. Also 10-10. Delicious.

Translucent red with a purplish tone through out.

Feint grass notes
with nice bright reddish currants and cranberries on the nose. The fruit is backed by milk chocolate, raisins and nutmeg spice.

Tbird mentioned chocolate mint on the palate and I saw it too. Tons of finesse, silky smooth, with a lovely milk chocolately finish that drops behind a brown sugar note that goes on and on.

As the night progressed around the 12 hour mark, this started packing on weight and fruit. Such great balance with everything integrated perfectly.

As this was the bottle that showed seepage in the case, I'm excited about the prospects of the other bottles.
This feels like it'll keep for many more drinking years.

10-10.
I'd give it pretty close to 100 pts by the end of the night.