1963 Fonseca
1963 Fonseca
To celebrate the Quinquagenary of AHB, he arranged a horizontal of 1963s in Wokingham at The Cantley House Hotel (evenings of Friday 11th and Saturday 12th October 2013) and The Walter Arms (lunch on Saturday 12th), and two evening Champagne tastings for our better halves. Sadly the venue was not able to accommodate all he would have liked to have invited. Diaries had been blocked since early 2012, and bottles had been gathered for most of a decade before that. A splendid weekend indeed.
Partial links:
• Review of the event as a whole, which starts with a full set of links;
• Placemats (and parameters by which constructed).
Partial links:
• Review of the event as a whole, which starts with a full set of links;
• Placemats (and parameters by which constructed).
Re: 1963 Fonseca
Some links:
• Review which includes links to the Champagnes; Placemats and their Parameters;
• Fri evening 1963s: VS QH GC Ck G | Kh Pç Mg Av F | RV Rs S Dl Cn;
• Sat aftern’n 1963s: Sb RVi RCV Ad RO | Dm BBR T Cr Ni | Mk Fd O Mz;
• Sat evening 1963s: MC W D N NN | A B&I Df PS Cv | GB Cá CáF B Fr;
• Others: 1863 Burmester, 1977 Warre (tappitt hen), Martinez Crusted bottled 1973, 1966 Château Batailley (magnum).
• Review which includes links to the Champagnes; Placemats and their Parameters;
• Fri evening 1963s: VS QH GC Ck G | Kh Pç Mg Av F | RV Rs S Dl Cn;
• Sat aftern’n 1963s: Sb RVi RCV Ad RO | Dm BBR T Cr Ni | Mk Fd O Mz;
• Sat evening 1963s: MC W D N NN | A B&I Df PS Cv | GB Cá CáF B Fr;
• Others: 1863 Burmester, 1977 Warre (tappitt hen), Martinez Crusted bottled 1973, 1966 Château Batailley (magnum).
Re: 1963 Fonseca
F63. Dark red, 40% opaque. early evening slightly acrid, with strong acidity mid- to late-palate. Rather unbalanced. But late evening delicious: soft red fruits, good length, though lighter than it presumably was in its youth.
This wine was the opposite of the Krohn ’63: it started weak, and grew and grew. By midnight an excellent wine. I scored as of 9:30pm, had I scored as of midnight this would have done well.
This wine was the opposite of the Krohn ’63: it started weak, and grew and grew. By midnight an excellent wine. I scored as of 9:30pm, had I scored as of midnight this would have done well.
Re: 1963 Fonseca
Red fruit on the nose. Medium weight initially but grows on the palate with waves of delicious sweetness.
This was very good Port, but not up to the standard of the best examples of F63.
My vote for wine of the night.
This was very good Port, but not up to the standard of the best examples of F63.
My vote for wine of the night.
"The first duty of Port is to be red"
Ernest H. Cockburn
Ernest H. Cockburn
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Re: 1963 Fonseca
Although this wine won the WOTN in this flight, I marked it down for being way past its best. The Fonseca spicy nose was very much in evidence, and on the palate it was fine, but struggled to contain the spirit. Thinning and beginning to dry out.
I may be drunk, Miss, but in the morning I shall be sober and you will still be ugly - W.S. Churchill
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Re: 1963 Fonseca
1963 Fonseca Vintage Port
A nice dark cola color. The nose was a touch waxy (sappy) yet still had youthful fruit. Soft fruit slowly built into a large bodied fruit driven Port. Plenty going on here and the long finish was seamless. A solid VP with many years left ahead of it.
95 Points
A nice dark cola color. The nose was a touch waxy (sappy) yet still had youthful fruit. Soft fruit slowly built into a large bodied fruit driven Port. Plenty going on here and the long finish was seamless. A solid VP with many years left ahead of it.
95 Points
Re: 1963 Fonseca
glorious, clear, dark ruby red; a bit medicinal in the nose, quite complex; mixed fruit basket; great, very long finish; mouth filling structure, round, complex; full bodied; my wine of this session and one of my all time favourite ports. 

"Sometimes too much to drink is barely enough"
Mark Twain
Mark Twain
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- Fonseca 1966
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Re: 1963 Fonseca
Deep red in colour, very dark at the centre - 80% opaque. Slightly medicinal on the nose, perhaps just sweetened sour cranberries. Full bodied, still slightly closed but showing lovely development on the palate. Deep and brooding, this has lots of dark fruit and cocoa tannins. Long and persistent on the aftertaste, but overly sweet causing it to lack balance and elegance - but perhaps more time will bring this round. 92/100. Drunk 11-Oct-13. Decanted 7½ hours.
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.