1985 Fonseca

[Alex Bridgeman]

Deep red and youthful in appearance - perhaps in early maturity; 80% opaque. Wonderful nose full of ripe, sweet fruit. Restrained but fruity on entry, like it's holding back a little and acting a touch coy, but the fruit builds up well until huge levels ride over the swell of a big surge of tannins. Lively, peppery tannin on the aftertaste before a very long finish of chewy fruit. A superb showing of an amazing port. 96/100.

The review thread contains a list of all the ports on show at the 2014 Berry Brothers Port Walk.

[LGTrotter]

Poorly decanted, mine had lumps in it. This could not disguise the excellence of the port; big hearted and open handed. The spirit was a bit heavy but there is so much fruit in this wine it seems to have no tannin, but it does. Just delicious. No hurry to drink it but I can't imagine how it might get better.

[djewesbury]

Excellent; soft, with structure that gives a suggestion of continuing capacity to age and integrate magnificently. Really very beautiful. Would love to get my hands on those bottles with my name on them…!

[idj123]

Excellent; soft, with structure that gives a suggestion of continuing capacity to age and integrate magnificently. Really very beautiful. Would love to get my hands on those bottles with my name on them…!

Now found!

This showed far better than on a previous occasion and just as I was thinking the T85 to be very good (and again better than previously), I tasted this beauty! Lovely soft red fruit but packing a great punch and a long finish.

[flash_uk]

40% opacity, red-purple.

That's it for my note! I must have been so overwhelmed that I lost the power to write. I can recall coming back to this one for several top-ups...along with the F77, GC70, T85, QH70...

[AW77]

a fuller body than the '85 Croft, much better that the F85 we had at the tasting in September (when Glenn came over for the harvest tour). Really good.