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Fonseca 2016

RegionPort
Subregion Portugal > Port
ColourRed
TypeFortified

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Label

Tasting Notes

Lots of ripe fruit here with raisins and wet earth that turn to violets and hot stones. Full-bodied, tannic and powerful with fantastic grip and intensity. Grabs you. Impressive. Drink in 2025.

98
James Suckling, JamesSuckling.com, May 2018

The nose is a bit closed but there are fragrances spring violets at the back. The start of the palate is rich with ripe fleshy black fruits all backed by firm fine tannins. Layers of flavour give complexity dark chocolate and ripe black plum and cherry on the mid palate underpinned by bilberry freshness. There is a vibrant fresh feel at the back a touch of mineral, purity and length. 2036-65

95
Derek Smedley MW, DerekSmedleyMW.co.uk, May 2018

Opaque in the glass with a glint of purple, the nose here is peppery and smoky, with a blend of bramble fruits and tobacco. The palate is generous and plush, with rounded tannins offering ample texture for the expansive black fruit profile. Hints of cocoa and coffee come through adding to the sweetness before savoury spices add a harmony and precision to the acidity. Long and powerful on the finish, this is complex and perfectly balanced.

97
Farr Vintners, Farr Tasting, May 2018

Dark crimson with a slightly chestnut hue. Very much a cloud rather than a rapier on the nose – hedonistic and ripe with masses of sweetness almost masking a rigorous corset of tannins. You really taste the heat here – but in a very ripe fruit way, not in a hot spirit way.
Drink 2036-2066

17.5+
Jancis Robinson MW, JancisRobinson.com, May 2018

More muted and less engaging than some, this is a powerful and slightly introverted wine with seriously impressive detail and a distinguished air. The tannins are present and they warn the taster that unlike the majority of the wines at this tasting Fonseca will require more patience to allow it to slowly come to life.

18.5+
Matthew Jukes, Matthew Jukes' Blog, May 2018

The cornerstone of this wine is Quinta de Panascal in the lower reaches of the Tavora Valley alongside quintas Cruzeiro and Santo António in the Pinhão Valley: closed and rather withdrawn on the nose with an underlying dusting of tannin evident; firm, sweet cassis and berry fruit, dark chocolate intensity at the core, backed by broad yet tight-knit peppery tannins which grip on the finish. All there and very fine. 4900 cases produced. 18+/20

18+
Richard Mayson, richardmayson.com, May 2018
Please note that these tasting notes/scores are not intended to be exhaustive and in some cases they may not be the most recently published figures. However, we always do our best to add latest scores and reviews when these come to our attention. We advise customers who wish to purchase wines based simply on critical reviews to carry out further research into the latest reports.