FONSECA 20 YEAR OLD TAWNY PORT

Fonseca Cellar at Vila Nova de Gaia

FONSECA  200 YEARS OF EXCEPTIONAL PORTS From the legendary 1840, Fonseca's first Vintage Port release, to the superb declared vintages of the last decade, the house has produced a succession of highly acclaimed wines even in the most adverse moments of history.   Fonseca's respect for the vineyard and the unique environment of the Douro Valley expresses itself in the firm's leadership in the field of sustainable and organic viticulture.  It was the first house to offer a Port made entirely from organically produced grapes. Perhaps more than any other Port house, Fonseca has built a loyal community of Port enthusiasts who value its individuality and the inimitable character of its wines.  These include connoisseurs, collectors, sommeliers and restaurateurs as well as those who simply enjoy drinking its wonderfully rich and complex Ports.

FONSECA 20 YEAR OLD TAWNY PORT The NV 20 Year Old Tawny was bottled with a bar top cork in 2013. It comes in at 111.6 grams per liter of residual sugar. A big mouthful, this is a 20 that first coats the palate and then ends with silky texture and concentrated flavor. Very graceful, it is not as impressive in terms of mid-palate density, but it is more than respectable. It shows fine complexity, appropriate to its age category. The finish seals the deal, more lingering and gripping than I expected from the first taste. It is another delicious Tawny from the Taylor Fladgate group this issue, so dig in. All of the Tawnies here have bar top corks. What that typically means is that they are ready to drink and not expected to be aged in the bottle. Barring cork failures, of course, Tawnies are very resistant and can be held a long, long time. They are certainly completely ready to drink now, though. eRobertParker.com #222 Rating: 92 Drink: 2015 - 2050 The Gotham Wine Team