1963 Fonseca

[Alex Bridgeman]

Shared by Derek and I in anticipation and hope of the safe arrival of Maximilian. Mrs Wiseman was unable to keep to our schedule so the head-wetting was a little early. This was a bottle which was dripping, the cork was so damaged. The bottle had been rewaxed but was still ullaged to just above the shoulder by the time it was opened.

Pale red, clearly showing some age, pale chestnut coloured rim. Unpleasant on the nose, showing VA or perhaps some bottle stink. Very sweet in the mouth but with little more than bubble gum and candy floss flavours. Holding on the tongue for a long time does allow some sugar almond and caramel flavours. Lovely sweet candy floss aftertaste, spun sugar and coffee. A decent enough drink, but not a massive blockbuster - disappointing. 84/100. Drunk 4 March 2009.

[JacobH]

A decent enough drink, but not a massive blockbuster - disappointing. 84/100. Drunk 4 March 2009.

You seem to be having some back luck at the moment with under-performing Fonseca ’63!I hope the next one you open is more successful!

[Alex Bridgeman]

The bad luck is probably of my own making. All the bottles chosen recently have had low fills and a defect of some sort with the cork. Culling the weak to leave space for the strong.

Perhaps sometime soon I will open one with high fills and which would be expected to perform as it should.

[DRT]

It is interesting that you have had such bad luck with leakers recently. Previous discussions here have suggested that some slight seapage is not always a big problem but you seem to have been particularly unlucky. Were these bottles that had been leaking for a long time?

[Alex Bridgeman]

These were bottles which were seeping (leaking - as in drips liquid enough to run down the side of the bottle when stood upright - in the case of the bottle you and I shared) and had a low fill level. My guess is that they had been leaking for a few years and the air had got into the bottle.

I'm not overly concerned. The reason they were opened was because they had been seeping and were likely to be in poor condition. Because of my building work I have had to move all of my bottles around and the result is that I have been able to inspect them quite closely. I don't think that I am seeing more frequent leaks - just becoming more willing to open them and drink them to get them out of the collection sooner rather than later.

[DRT]

I wasn't thinking you had more leaks, just that you were having more bad bottles from leaks than other experiences reported here seem to have had. From what you describe these were bottles that had little chance of showing well. I was thinking more of bottles with recent signs of mild seepage.

Do you have any leaky Nacional 63s that you need help with?

[Alex Bridgeman]

Do you have any leaky Nacional 63s that you need help with?

No. Do you?

[DRT]

Do you have any leaky Nacional 63s that you need help with?

No. Do you?

Unfortunately not.

Perhaps if you list your leakers we could think up a theme for an off-line? - kill two birds with one stone, so to speak?