1955 Fonseca

Tasting notes for individual Ports, with an index sorted by vintage and alphabetically.
Forum rules
Tasting notes for individual Ports, with an index sorted by vintage and alphabetically.
Post Reply
User avatar
jdaw1
Cockburn 1851
Posts: 23568
Joined: 15:03 Thu 21 Jun 2007
Location: London
Contact:

Re: 1955 Fonseca

Post by jdaw1 »

F55: 70% opaque. Very red. Rich soft red-fruited sweetness early and mid-palate, then heat late-palate. Later the heat softened, improving the wine.

In the first flight competition (Ad, BPFHB, C, D, Fr, F, GB, and G) scoring 15½ points, being ranked second by six people, third by three, and third-equal by an indecisive RAH, for the Silver Medal of this flight.
User avatar
DRT
Fonseca 1966
Posts: 15779
Joined: 23:51 Wed 20 Jun 2007
Location: Chesterfield, UK
Contact:

Re: 1955 Fonseca

Post by DRT »

My 6th TN of the evening says "Fabulously thick with lots of fruit and huge length. Simply delicious."

Those of you who know me well will appreciate how hard I must have been concentrating to use that many words in a TN so far into the first flight!

This was my third favourite for the first flight and overall.
"The first duty of Port is to be red"
Ernest H. Cockburn
User avatar
Alex Bridgeman
Graham’s 1948
Posts: 14868
Joined: 13:41 Mon 25 Jun 2007
Location: Berkshire, UK

Re: 1955 Fonseca

Post by Alex Bridgeman »

More red than most of the other '55s shown at this tasting; 40% opaque. Nosing of dirty rhubarb and sweet quince. Sweet and caressing entry, silky mouthfeel and with a lovely peppery core to the sweet fruit. Air helps the sweet fruit to come through, but there is still a dry edge from the faint tannins. Aftertaste is sweet, full of almonds and marzipan followed by a finish of graprefruits sweetened with brown sugar. 89/100.
Top Ports in 2023: Taylor 1896 Colheita, b. 2021. A perfect Port.

2024: Niepoort 1900 Colheita, b.1971. A near perfect Port.
User avatar
Chris Doty
Graham’s Malvedos 1996
Posts: 843
Joined: 12:30 Fri 29 Jan 2010

Re: 1955 Fonseca

Post by Chris Doty »

Almost a table wine red color. This was one of only a small number of 'complete' wines at this tasting, still managing to balance fruit, spice, alcohol, and tannin. The only thing keeping it from an exceptional score is that the alcohol dominates the finish, and lingers in the mouth for much longer than I would prefer. Still, a very elegant drop that is holding its age well in check. 89 points
Glenn E.
Graham’s 1977
Posts: 4163
Joined: 22:27 Wed 09 Jul 2008
Location: Seattle, WA, USA

Re: 1955 Fonseca

Post by Glenn E. »

Color: Middling dark and red.
Nose: Notably, smells like Port. Can't say that about all of the glasses in this flight.
Palate: Nice, still has tannins.
Finish: Warm, some tannins, and a green note.

Score: 88 points. Concensus ranked it 2nd of the first flight, behind the Graham and ahead of the Ferreira.
Glenn Elliott
Post Reply