ThePortForum.com

As part of the plan to drink JDAW’s US-located port, a tasting of Taylor, Fonseca, Warre was held on Saturday 18th April 2009 at Petite Abeille, 401 East 20th Street at First Avenue, NY 10010-7501.

Links:

• Review of evening as a whole;
• 1948 Taylor;
• 1963 Taylor;
• 1966 Taylor;
• 1966 Fonseca;
• 1966 Warre;
• 1970 Fonseca;
• 1977 Taylor;
• 1977 Fonseca;
• 1977 Warre;
• 1985 Fonseca;
• 1985 Warre;
• Planning and arrangements;
• Placemats.

This thread is to hold tasting notes and comments on the Fonseca 1970.

F70, decanted 14:50. Glorious red. Lots of heat in mouth. Great length though. Bodes well.

F70: my notes say ‟lovely full-on translucent red”. Nosing of pepper, and meat a moment’s delay allowed me to identify this as lamb. Proudly announcing my specific identification, several others revealed that they had also found lamb. Lamb it is. Tasting like it smelt, plus pepper. A huge and hugely lovely ‟full-on” port.

Reddish purple. One of the darkest of the bunch.

Tons of nutmeg, licorice and dried meats (which I agree with Lamb) rubbed with cinnamon spices.

This is so youthful in every way.

Tons of red berries/currants and raspberries. Was completely untypical of the other Fonsecas at the tasting.

Loads of spice but has an uncharacteristic hotness/black pepper on the palate, but does hint at the fonseca smoothness going down.

Only starting to drink but I feel will be much better in 5-10 years.

96.

Very nice dark colour. Young and gorgeous on the nose. Very fresh with primary fruit. On the palate this shows figs and half dried red cherries. Lovely soft and spicy finish, which is long and delicious. This is not as complete or complex as the 1966, but it is a very good port and will age further nicely I guess. 94 points.

A beautifully dark color belies its age, given away by intricate nose of chocolates, anise, fruits, cinammon, and (per jeff/julian) lamb. This is an amazing, huge wine, super smooth with cherry's and some tannin in the back. Easily could do with another 5 years. 99.