NV Fonseca Tawny 30YO (bottled 1982)

[RAYC]

Tasted 7 July 2011 at TCP as part of the AbV II tasting

Links:

Review of the evening as a whole

San Leonardo 10yr Tawny (bottled 2010)
Barão de Vilar 20 yr Tawny (bottled 2010)
Fonseca 30 yr Tawny (bottled 1982)
1934 Dalva House Reserve (colheita, bottled 1973)
1986 Warre Colheita (bottled 2007)
Buller's Fine Old Malmsey (NV, Aus Rutherglen)
1969 Domaine Mas Mouriane Maury
1994 Dow VP

Planning and Arrangements
Placemats

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Reported to have thrown some fine dusty sediment on decanting.

Very brown but not at all cloudy, I felt this this took a bit of concentration to enjoy - fragrant complex nose with a hint of cloves followed by a moment of awkwardness mid-palate, nevertheless this resolved with nice length and without discernable heat or overbearing acidity - the overall impression was very pleasing. I'm not sure i'd call this gluggable though. Suffered in glass, with marked deterioration by end of tasting.

Not one of my picks for the evening, but a creditable 2nd from THRA and DRT and third from WS1, leaving it 4th of 8 overall.

[DRT]

I liked this. It survived the 29 years in the bottle very well and was very tasty.

I have a 40yr that I bought at the same time as this one which I am now very much looking forward to opening

[WS1]

the wine with the best buquet of the night; subtle fruit flavours, very fragrant umami nose. Really very balanced and great. Only problem of the wine it faded fairly quickly and the aftertaste was not in line with the very good impression in the Nose and on the palate.