Fonseca Vintage 1985

Vintage Notes:

The 1985 harvest was preceded by an exceptionally cold, wet winter, with night-time temperatures in early January well below freezing. Berry set was excellent and the bunches formed perfectly. The summer was hot throughout the region, with no rain in July and August.

Fonseca began picking earlier than many other producers, and the harvest took place in ideal conditions before the rain at the end of September. Fermentation conditions were ideal, giving musts of exceptional colour and density.

Tasting Note:

Deep dark ruby with a broad red rim turning brick at the edge. A generous, seductive nose steeped in blackcurrant and cherry. Dense, lush black fruit interwoven with dark chocolate, liquorice and roasted coffee.

Exotic, resinous herbal aromas emerge an hour after decanting. Later the fruit becomes juicier and creamier, with rich raspberry-jam flavours layered over the dark-fruit base.

The full, round palate is supported by thick, well-integrated tannins, offering an abundance of delicious chocolate and blackcurrant flavour that lingers in a long, velvety finish. A wine between youth and maturity.

Press Notes:

"Full-bodied. Powerful. Still opaque; smooth, sweetly fleshy. Well endowed with fruit, alcohol and tannins for longevity. My style of wine. Magnificent. Drink 1998-2030. Potentially outstanding." (Michael Broadbent MW, The Great Vintage Wine Book II, 5 Stars)

"One of the great successes of the vintage. Dense ruby/purple, with an aroma of an oriental spice box, the 1985 is an expansive, sweet wine with broad flavours, fabulous depth, concentration and balance."(Robert Parker, The Wine Buyers Guide, 90 Points).