1963 Fonseca

[jdaw1]

On Tuesday 5th May 2015, the evening before The B.F.T., in the year of Fonseca’s 200^th Bicentenary, we gathered in the Boot & Flogger and tasted some Fonsecas.

Links:

• Review of the evening as a whole;
• 1948 Fonseca (AHB);
• 1955 Fonseca (IDJ);
• 1958 Fonseca Guimaraens = † (THRA);
• 1960 Fonseca (IDJ);
• 1963 Fonseca (TC);
• 1966 Fonseca (IDJ);
• 1970 Fonseca (RLC);
• 1975 Fonseca (TC);
• 1977 Fonseca (PW);
• 1980 Fonseca (RLC);
• 1983 Fonseca (CPR);
• 1985 Fonseca single (DRL);
• 1985 Fonseca magnum (JDAW);
• 1992 Fonseca (MPM);
• 1994 Fonseca (CPR);
• Fonseca Waterloo (MPM);
• Fonseca Bicentenary Crusted (MPM);
• Food order;
• Placemats (and parameters by which made);
• Planning and arrangements.

[jdaw1]

F63. Bright red, 30% opaque. Nose high-toned, with mint. Palate very dry. red fruit, but dryness and acidity predominating. Excellent, but drink up.

[flash_uk]

30% opacity, warm red with a slight orange rim. Not much on the nose for me. In the mouth, red fruits, gentle heat at first, mid weight.

[AHB]

Mature brick red in colour, 40% opaque. Very little showing on the nose with a touch of redcurrant jelly and lemon juice. Tart entry, slightly dusty with nice cherries on the palate and a delicate streak of coffee and caramel. The late palate is delicious, balanced and poised. Milky coffee and sweet bubble-gum on the modest finish. Enjoyable port, but modest compared to others tonight. 89/100.

[g-man]

Can someone explain to me how 3 people
drinking the same bottle at the same tasting

go from bright red
to warm red
to brick red?

i just came into a few 63' fonseca and am wondering what the appropriate color should be

[Glenn E.]

Bright and warm could be the same color, but to me brick is different.

[AHB]

It might also depend on the light. The Boot & Flogger does not have consistent lighting across the table and if I was in shadow then I might have seen a different tone of red compared to someone sitting in a pool of halogen light.

[g-man]

ah gotcha.

me thinks my 63' fonseca may be on death row in that case.

[AHB]

me thinks my 63' fonseca may be on death row in that case.

I hope you have a good bottle. Fonseca is consistently the best of the '63s that I drink (apart from Nacional) and most bottles are better than the one this tasting note was about.