1966 Fonseca
1966 Fonseca
As part of the plan to drink JDAW’s US-located port, a tasting of Taylor, Fonseca, Warre was held on Saturday 18th April 2009 at Petite Abeille, 401 East 20th Street at First Avenue, NY 10010-7501.
Links:This thread is to hold tasting notes and comments on the Fonseca 1966.
Links:This thread is to hold tasting notes and comments on the Fonseca 1966.
Re: 1966 Fonseca
F66 decanted 15:00. The red is fantastic: this wine is forty-three years old, and looks twenty. Cougars of New York behold, and weep! And full-bodied red fruit, strawberry with cranberry, that rolls on and on and on. And this is at D+0.
And gentlemen in England now-a-bed
Shall think themselves accurs'd they were not here
- Alex Bridgeman
- Fonseca 1966
- Posts: 15476
- Joined: 12:41 Mon 25 Jun 2007
- Location: Berkshire, UK
Re: 1966 Fonseca
I do just happen to have one knocking about at home. Hmm, nothing in the decanter at the moment...jdaw1 wrote:F66 decanted 15:00. The red is fantastic: this wine is forty-three years old, and looks twenty. Cougars of New York behold, and weep! And full-bodied red fruit, strawberry with cranberry, that rolls on and on and on. And this is at D+0.And gentlemen in England now-a-bed
Shall think themselves accurs'd they were not here
Top Ports in 2023: Taylor 1896 Colheita, b. 2021. A perfect Port.
2024: Niepoort 1900 Colheita, b.1971. A near perfect Port.
2024: Niepoort 1900 Colheita, b.1971. A near perfect Port.
Re: 1966 Fonseca
The decanter needs to be primed, and then washed bottle needs to be rinsed. I’ve just finished the glass containing these two too-small F66 samplettes, and let me tell you, opening one for yourself wouldn’t be the wrong thing to do.AHB wrote:I do just happen to have one knocking about at home. Hmm, nothing in the decanter at the moment...
- Alex Bridgeman
- Fonseca 1966
- Posts: 15476
- Joined: 12:41 Mon 25 Jun 2007
- Location: Berkshire, UK
Re: 1966 Fonseca
I'm convinced. I've finished my chores for the day, cooked large and well seared steaks for all the family and now intend to settle down with a good book and a glass of port.
Now to find where I put that bottle.

Now to find where I put that bottle.




Top Ports in 2023: Taylor 1896 Colheita, b. 2021. A perfect Port.
2024: Niepoort 1900 Colheita, b.1971. A near perfect Port.
2024: Niepoort 1900 Colheita, b.1971. A near perfect Port.
Re: 1966 Fonseca
...and niether would it be wrong to finish it alone in one session. Hmmm, from the PMs exchanged this evening this advice seems to have come too latejdaw1 wrote: let me tell you, opening one for yourself wouldn’t be the wrong thing to do.



"The first duty of Port is to be red"
Ernest H. Cockburn
Ernest H. Cockburn
Re: 1966 Fonseca
F66: Wonderful translucent red. Tasting soft, and huge, like the winner of some giant-teddy-bear contest. With strawberry, and just lively port-ness. Is it the perfect mature port? No, not this bottle, which is an edge lighter than being of the seventh heaven. Still, wonderful port.
Re: 1966 Fonseca
Dark deep red with a touch of purple.
Soft cinnamon, crushed graham crackers, strawberries on the nose.
Fellow tasters mentioned nutmeg too.
Full lush and silky on the mouth. Coats the palate with baked cinnamon strawberries with a touch of currants for acidity. Perfectly integrated and drinking very very well now.
So smooth going down, a sweet spice finish with more of the baked fruit coming up and lingering for a good 30+ seconds.
I think this is perfect drinking now.
98+
Soft cinnamon, crushed graham crackers, strawberries on the nose.
Fellow tasters mentioned nutmeg too.
Full lush and silky on the mouth. Coats the palate with baked cinnamon strawberries with a touch of currants for acidity. Perfectly integrated and drinking very very well now.
So smooth going down, a sweet spice finish with more of the baked fruit coming up and lingering for a good 30+ seconds.
I think this is perfect drinking now.
98+
Disclosure: Distributor of Quevedo wines and Quinta do Gomariz
- RonnieRoots
- Fonseca 1980
- Posts: 1981
- Joined: 07:28 Thu 21 Jun 2007
- Location: Middle Earth
Re: 1966 Fonseca
Probably the darkest of the line-up, with the exception of the Fonseca 1985, which is in a league of its own. I found it difficult to get anything on the nose, except that it was very dense. To taste, incredible! Dark, dense fruit. Very elegant but powerful at the same time. It's still floral, with eucalyptus freshness and spicy, dark chocolate. A long, still tannic finish makes you long for more. Fantastic port, and I now understand what all the fuss is about. 98 points. Easily.
- SushiNorth
- Martinez 1985
- Posts: 1341
- Joined: 06:45 Mon 18 Feb 2008
- Location: NJ & NY
Re: 1966 Fonseca
Beautiful deep red color; hot and some menthol, but not fruit in the nose. The mouth was much happier to have this inside it, as it was beautifully balanced, smooth, and tasted of baked cinammony fruit. I agree with Jeff's suggestion of Rhubarb. 98 pts, and the best of our 1966's this night.