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Wine Description
The Story
Fonseca has belonged to the first rank of Vintage Port producers since the mid-nineteenth century. Fonseca Vintage Ports are noted for their luscious fruitiness which develops great opulence and complexity with age. Wines born of inspired winemaking and a thorough understanding of viticulture and terroir, they appeal, perhaps more than any other house's Vintage Ports, to the enthusiast and connoisseur.
Vintage Ports represent the finest produce of a single exceptional year. Unlike Ports which age in wood, Vintage Ports will continue to age and improve in bottle for decades, their character bearing the imprint of both vineyard and wine maker.
A constant thread that runs through the history of Fonseca is the family's close involvement with the making of the firm's Vintage Ports. Throughout the 20th century, the making of Fonseca Vintage Ports was overseen by only four family members, Frank, Dorothy, Bruce and David Guimaraens and this has helped to make Fonseca one of the most stylistically consistent of Vintage Port producers.
The firm's Vintage Ports are drawn from its own quintas or estates: Cruzeiro and Santo António in the Pinhão Valley, which have contributed to the firm's Vintage Port blend for 100 years, as well the Távora Valley property of Panascal. Fonseca is unique among Port houses in making three different types of Vintage Port.
Fonseca Vintage Ports are released only when a year produces outstanding wines with long term ageing potential. These classic Vintage Ports are a blend of wines from Cruzeiro, Santo António and Panascal. Cruzeiro contributes concentrated black fruit flavours and firm tannic 'grip'. Panascal adds an opulent luscious fruitiness and a dense velvety texture. Finally, Santo António brings complexity and vibrancy with its fine scented character and fresh acidity.
Although they can be enjoyed when young, Fonseca Vintage Ports will continue to improve in bottle for many decades. They have the stamina and aromatic potential to last for over a hundred years. Attracting the highest scores and auction prices, they are favoured not only by fine wine enthusiasts but also by collectors and investors.
Wine Information
Fonseca Vintage 1948/ The choice between the Fonseca 1945 and 1948 as the highlight of the 40s is not an easy one. Both are superb. However the 1948 has been selected as it demonstrates the remarkable resilience of the powerful and complex fruitiness typical of Fonseca Vintage Ports.
Notes on the year
A cool wet spring delayed the flowering and produced a poor berry set in some areas. A hot June was followed by a cold July and a return to hot weather in August and September, brought on by dry east winds. During the harvest, hot days alternated with cool nights. Only nine shippers declared.
Tasting Note
9.30 Fine London brick with good depth of colour, still good dark strawberry shades. Fine vibrant fruit and weight, plump notes, sweet spice. Great structure and power, clean, sweet centre with real weight, some luscious strawberry and cherry, fine length. 12.00 Soft nose. Good vibrancy of fruit but centre with overlaid spice and apricot. Hints of pepper, raspberry, clean, good length, fine elegant structure with powerful finish. 17.30 Now spicy, pineapple note, creamy, firm weight, tar edged finish.
Vintage 1948
Port Vintage Report: A classic Vintage. Hot year. Harvest under very hot weather (reaching 45° C). Many dried and very sweet grapes, at Cima Corgo, so much so that it was difficult to control fermentation in some cases. Low quantity. Very sweet and full-bodied wine. Suckling says it is one of those “magic wines”, made to last one hundred years or more.
Declared by some but not all Port houses, 1948s are classic Vintage Ports, with rich and individual wines that are unfortunately rather hard to find now. Fully mature for years, well cellared the best wines can be expected to have a 100 year life. The 48’s are characterised by a rich coffee/caramel flavour and are incredibly concentrated and rich, almost syrup like in their intensity.
Recommended glass shape
Average Bottle Price
| 2014 | 2010 | 2005 | 2000 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 845€ +40.4% | 602€ +2.2% | 589€ +39.9% | 421€ |
This data comes from the FINE Auction Index, a composite of average prices for wines sold at commercial auctions in 20 countries. The average prices from each year have been collected since 1990. This chart plots the index value of the average price of the wines.