1985 Fonseca

Tasting notes for individual Ports, with an index sorted by vintage and alphabetically.
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Tasting notes for individual Ports, with an index sorted by vintage and alphabetically.
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winesecretary
Fonseca 1980
Posts: 1900
Joined: 15:35 Mon 13 May 2019

1985 Fonseca

Post by winesecretary »

Feeling the lack of VP in my life recently, and to commemorate one year of ownership of our now marital home, I popped and poured one of the recent bargains from Harvey Nicks.

Good Lord Above this is delicious drinking in all its phases from the initial cool grapey minty delicious fruitiness to the tuberose scented deeply satisfying black fruits.

Arguably the port of the 1980s on this showing.

Consumed in part 4 Feb 2023
akzy
Warre’s Otima 10 year old Tawny
Posts: 537
Joined: 21:42 Tue 13 Nov 2018
Location: Three Bridges

Re: 1985 Fonseca

Post by akzy »

I'd like to add that I had a free one of these as one was faulty. The "faulty" one was purely excellent. Still very fruity and high on sugar and needing a good several year still!
winesecretary
Fonseca 1980
Posts: 1900
Joined: 15:35 Mon 13 May 2019

Re: 1985 Fonseca

Post by winesecretary »

Am consuming the rest of it now. I think it is ready to drink - this is the third I have had the last 12 months and they were all happy-making. But it will last 20-30 years more.
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JacobH
Quinta do Vesuvio 1994
Posts: 3300
Joined: 16:37 Sat 03 May 2008
Location: London, UK
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Re: 1985 Fonseca

Post by JacobH »

akzy wrote: 00:23 Sun 05 Feb 2023 I'd like to add that I had a free one of these as one was faulty. The "faulty" one was purely excellent. Still very fruity and high on sugar and needing a good several year still!
The only time this happened to me was with some SQVP through one of the Tesco sales. Much to my surprise and dismay they actually turned up to collect the faulty bottles (probably one leaking cork which had damaged all the other labels). I really hope someone got to enjoy them!
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akzy
Warre’s Otima 10 year old Tawny
Posts: 537
Joined: 21:42 Tue 13 Nov 2018
Location: Three Bridges

Re: 1985 Fonseca

Post by akzy »

I should clarify that faulty here is that the bottle had a minor leak. The wine was completely ok.
Glenn E.
Graham’s 1977
Posts: 4172
Joined: 22:27 Wed 09 Jul 2008
Location: Seattle, WA, USA

Re: 1985 Fonseca

Post by Glenn E. »

I've always had this wine, the 1987 Vargellas, and the 1985 Graham as my top 3 from the 1980s. It's a fabulous wine and will likely out-live all of us.
Glenn Elliott
Mike J. W.
Taylor’s LBV
Posts: 158
Joined: 17:41 Sun 31 Jan 2021
Location: New Jersey, USA

Re: 1985 Fonseca

Post by Mike J. W. »

Glenn E. wrote: 19:28 Mon 06 Feb 2023 I've always had this wine, the 1987 Vargellas, and the 1985 Graham as my top 3 from the 1980s. It's a fabulous wine and will likely out-live all of us.
I'd swap the '83 Graham's for the '85 Graham's, but you can't go wrong with either. I'd also throw the '86 Graham's Malvedos into the mix. I'd rank them in order as:
1. '85 Fonseca
2. '87 Taylor's Vargellas
3. '83 Graham's
4. '86 Graham's Malvedos
5. '85 Graham's
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mosesbotbol
Warre’s Otima 10 year old Tawny
Posts: 598
Joined: 19:54 Wed 18 Jul 2007
Location: Boston, USA

Re: 1985 Fonseca

Post by mosesbotbol »

Mike J. W. wrote: 02:01 Fri 10 Feb 2023
Glenn E. wrote: 19:28 Mon 06 Feb 2023 I've always had this wine, the 1987 Vargellas, and the 1985 Graham as my top 3 from the 1980s. It's a fabulous wine and will likely out-live all of us.
I'd swap the '83 Graham's for the '85 Graham's, but you can't go wrong with either. I'd also throw the '86 Graham's Malvedos into the mix. I'd rank them in order as:
1. '85 Fonseca
2. '87 Taylor's Vargellas
3. '83 Graham's
4. '86 Graham's Malvedos
5. '85 Graham's
I'd add '85 Gould Campbell to the list.
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Mike J. W.
Taylor’s LBV
Posts: 158
Joined: 17:41 Sun 31 Jan 2021
Location: New Jersey, USA

Re: 1985 Fonseca

Post by Mike J. W. »

Mike J. W. wrote: 02:01 Fri 10 Feb 2023
Glenn E. wrote: 19:28 Mon 06 Feb 2023 I've always had this wine, the 1987 Vargellas, and the 1985 Graham as my top 3 from the 1980s. It's a fabulous wine and will likely out-live all of us.
I'd swap the '83 Graham's for the '85 Graham's, but you can't go wrong with either. I'd also throw the '86 Graham's Malvedos into the mix. I'd rank them in order as:
1. '85 Fonseca
2. '87 Taylor's Vargellas
3. '83 Graham's
4. '86 Graham's Malvedos
5. '85 Graham's
Thinking about this some more, I'd add the Dow 1980 to the list at #5 and move the '85 Graham's to #6.
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