2003 Fonseca

[jdaw1]

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.

[jdaw1]

Fonseca 2003, with complicated decanting. About 25 hours previously half of this had been poured into a half-bottle and refrigerated. Half had been double-decanted into the original bottle, and stored at room temperature. About twenty minutes before tasting the refrigerated part was decanted into a decanter.

F03 at D+25 hours: opaque purple and red, nosing of nectarines. Others thought peaches, or apricots, and I can’t disagree with either of these. To taste sticky full-on young port, and much longer than the ’00. Much more enjoyable port.

F03 at ‘D+20 minutes’: opaque purple and red, slightly darker than the non-refrigerated ’03. But smells closed, much more like the ’00 than the non-refrigerated ’03. No notable smells at all. But to taste smoother and richer and longer and fruitier.

As the evening progressed they tasted more and more similar. This has several possible causes, including changes in the port, in the tasters, or the consumption of bread and cheese and meat.

I think this is better than the ’00, but that might be because this isn’t yet in its dumb stage.

[RonnieRoots]

I like the 2000 slightly better than the 2003, because the 2000 is somewhat fresher, but the 2003 is very good as well. But both really need to be left alone at this stage.