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2003 Fonseca, Port, Portugal

  • Red
  • Luscious
  • Full Bodied
  • Touriga Nacional, Touriga Francesa, Tinto Cão, Tinta Barroca, Tinta Roriz
Not ready (Drink 2025 - 2063)
Mark Squires
94/100
Product: 20038008701

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2003 Fonseca, Port, Portugal

Description

The 2003 Fonseca has a rich, well-defined bouquet of black cherries, aniseed, kirsch and dark chocolate that is heady and seductive. The palate is full-bodied with sweet ripe fig and mulberry notes forming the entry. There is fatness here, a viscosity that coats the mouth, although fortunately there is acidity to keep everything in balance. Warm on the finish, a hint of eau-de-vie lingers after the Port has departed. This is a harlot of a Port, but there is nothing wrong with that once in a while – just not every year! Anticipated maturity: 2035-2060. Tasted May 2013.
Neal Martin -  eRobertParker.com #207 Jun 2013

Sporting an opaque, black-colored robe with dark purple trim, the 2003 Fonseca Vintage Port exhibits a nose of profound depth. Its sweet black mass of dark fruit and spice aromas leads to a character of immense depth, richness, and weight. Full-bodied, viscous, and almost impenetrable, this dense, backward port is powerful and exceptionally long in the finish. Possibly the most masculine Fonseca I’ve ever encountered, it coats the taster’s palate with licorice, jammy black fruits, and notes of chocolate that last for over a minute. This blockbuster will require at least three decades to fully blossom.
Pierre Rovani - Wine Advocate #161 Oct 2005
Colour Red
Sweetness Luscious
Vintage 2003
Maturity Not ready (2025 - 2063)
Grape List Touriga Nacional, Touriga Francesa, Tinto Cão, Tinta Barroca, Tinta Roriz
Body Full Bodied
Producer Fonseca

Critics reviews

Mark Squires 94/100
The 2003 Vintage Port comes in with 92 grams per liter of residual sugar. This is a big boy in terms of voluptuous fruit, but (at least as double decanted overnight), it is drinkable now, even if it still tightens noticeably as it sits in the glass. Make no mistake, thoughit is nowhere near peak. This rather dry Fonseca is big and fat, yet there is also some concept of balance here, surprisingly. This very warm vintage wasn't exactly shy. The concentration easily counters the power, and it steadily acquired better balance as it sat and aired. In terms of complexity, there's no there there yet, if you'll allow the Gertrude Stein summary. In that sense, at least, it is far too young and needs another decade. Winemaker David Guimaraens told me that he thinks his grandchildren will be able to enjoy it, so there is no rush. Cellar this for another decade, at the least, more like 20 years if you like them softer and more complex. This will still improve, but it has some more questions to answer in the cellar. The price reflects current availability. Korbrand, the importer, indicated limited stocks are available in the USA as well as Portugal. There may be an official re-release as well.Mark Squires - 31/08/2017
Drink 2027 - 2037
Mark Squires, RobertParker.com (Aug 2017)

About this wine

Touriga Nacional

Touriga Nacional is a highly regarded grape variety indigenous to Portugal, often considered the country's flagship red grape. Known for its intense aromas and flavours, the wines typically feature dark fruits such as blackberries, blueberries, and plums, along with distinctive floral notes like violets and hints of spices, herbs, and chocolate. These generally have high tannin levels, good acidity, and deep, dark colour, contributing to their structure and ageing potential.
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Porto

Porto

Rich, saccharine, intensely-flavoured and, at their best, wonderfully majestic and harmonious, these are wines to be savoured on their own, or with a fine chunk of cheese after a meal. Port comes from the stunning Douro region of Portugal, about 50 miles east of Oporto, and is made in two different styles: bottle-aged and cask-aged.
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Fonseca

Fonseca was founded in 1822 when Manuel Pedro Guimaraens acquired control of the Fonseca & Monteiro Company. As a condition of the sale, Fonseca insisted that his name be retained.
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