2017 Fonseca - Porto Vintage Port

Fonseca was founded in 1822 by Manuel Pedro Guimaraens and today forms part of the same family of houses as Taylor Fladgate, with which it shares access to the same Cima Corgo vineyards while maintaining its own distinct, more opulent style. The house built its reputation on rich, generous vintage Ports that tend to show sooner than some of its more austere peers, without sacrificing the structure needed for decades of further aging. Its wines are drawn primarily from three estates, Quinta de Santo António, Quinta do Cruzeiro, and Quinta do Panascal.

The 2017 vintage was a widely declared year across the Douro, and this bottling is a traditional field blend of Touriga Nacional, Touriga Franca, Tinto Cão, Tinta Roriz, and Tinta Barroca. The wine spent close to twenty months in used French oak before bottling, a relatively short maturation typical of the vintage style, meant to preserve fruit intensity while still allowing some early softening of tannin.

The color runs to an inky purple black with a narrow magenta rim. Dense, woodland dark fruit mingles with brighter red berry tones, joined by leafy, balsamic notes and a touch of cedar. The palate is round and velvety, framed by firm, sinewy tannins and bright acidity that carry a long, layered finish. Pair with roasted lamb or a well-aged Manchego.