ThePortForum.com

Fonseca, apparently.

Firstly, apologies for the lack of scientific rigour. Clearly postgrad Geochemistry fail. I can only guess at timings and tastings as my initial yeurch (hence switch off) was wrong.

On opening, a week or so ago, young, big, hot. Alcohol significant. Plums blackberries liquorice and hot hot hot.

Decanted into feverfew tonic (is there any better tonic?) 200ml bottles (3 bottles - clearly didn't enjoy first glass) and placed in fridge for some days.

Second tasting. Third day. Still hot. Not really enjoying. Gets basics of tannin acidity and fruit but so disjointed and alcohol still so prominent.

Today. In fridge for perhaps a week. Allowed to warm up. Lovely. Smooth. Young, yes but dark fruit (blackberries still) and liquorice. Big broad rich. Integrated. Difficult (impossible) to resist. What a difference a week makes.

Perhaps I will buy some more.

You give me new hope, I have only got as far as the hot disjointed phase with this wine. That there is something good if I wait a while longer is splendid news given that it is 13 quid a bottle and times being what they are.

And what pray is 'yeurch'? I have tried google without success.

LGTrotter wrote:And what pray is 'yeurch'? I have tried google without success.

"Yeurch" is a standard descriptor but rarely used by wine writers these days. It is a technical term used to summarise the involuntary response and bodily shudder experienced when you first taste something unexpectedly unpleasant. Imagine biting into an apple and finding half a worm poking out of the apple in your hand. Your whole body convulses and you involuntarily shout "yeurch" and so provide everyone around you with a brief but accurate tasting assessment of your apple.

Exactly!

I had a little sip of the remains this morning, purely in the interests of science (the sacrifices I make). It is now a bit flat, lacking ripe fruit, getting a bit bruised. Perhaps to be expected given the time it has been open. Not hot though, and good acidity. I had a large G+T palate primer last night. Perhaps that, or my low expectations, or perhaps I was lucky and hit a window, improved last night's sampling. I would expect a Fonseca Crusted to be quite decent, and at the price I still have hopes. Perhaps it needs more time. I will experiment further.

Six and a half years later