1927 Fonseca

[jdaw1]

Alex, Axel, Enrico, Julian, Phil, Tom, and two Wolfgangs met for luncheon on Wednesday 20^th December 2017 at Otto’s Restaurant (182 Gray’s Inn Road WC1X 8EW).

Links:

• Review of the event as a whole.
• 1927 Ports:
  • Cockburn 1927;
  • Constantino 1927;
  • Croft 1927;
  • Dow 1927;
  • Fonseca 1927;
  • Martinez 1927;
  • Taylor 1927;
  • Warre 1927.
• Non-Ports:
  • 1999 Pol Roger magnum;
  • 1982 Château Gruaud Larose (first bottle);
  • 1982 Château Gruaud Larose (second bottle);
  • 1983 Château Gruaud Larose;
  • 2012 Markus Molitor Zeltinger Sonnenuhr Auslese***;
  • 2015 Keller Pinard Trockenbeerenauslese.

[jdaw1]

F27. Dark dark dark red, 80% opaque. Visually, this could have been Graham 1980. Yes, I know, fifty-three years older than that. Doubtless — doubtless! — I’ll be as handsome at ninety^†, but few will. Huge sweet palate of plums, touched with white pepper. Big, smooth, and sweet. Wonderful old Port.

† Overweight type-I insulin-dependent diabetic: of course I’ll live that long.

[Alex Bridgeman]

Bottled by Berry Brothers. A lovely rich red colour, warm and dark; 90% opaque. Showing little on the nose, but the little it is showing is warm and fruity — and very nice. A beautiful palate, soft entry with poise and balance. The fruit is generous, sweet and ripe and still plentiful. The palate is big and rich; stunning for a port of this age. The aftertaste is amazing — so full of fruit, of rich burnt fruitcake; mouthfilling and immense. This is stunning, stunning port.

48 hours later a 6cl sample bottle was tasted which showed even mor ecomplexity, being sweeter and rounder than the pop 'n' pour version. Pretty damn close to the perfect port. 99/100.

[PhilW]

My notes simply say "wow, wow, wow - full, dark, Fonseca profile, delicious". This was an absolutely fabulous wine, and in excellent condition.
Superb, and as good as pretty much any other port I have tasted.

rating: ex++