2009 Fonseca
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Tasting notes
The Fonseca 2009 has a very sweet, typically opulent bouquet of black plum, blackberry, chimney soot and a touch of pencil shavings that is very complex and alluring. The palate is full-bodied with powerful ripe blackberry, allspice, clove and balsamic notes, a roiling, powerful, assertive Fonseca with a sweet, dark chocolate-tinged finish that grips the mouth, but it needs two decades to mellow and demonstrate the finesse to balance the intensity. This is a wonderful 2009 Vintage Port, though I suspect that the 2011 will ultimately prove even better. Tasted May 2013.
Critic scores
Average Score
Neal Martin
Jancis Robinson MW
More reviews and scores
Full, deep, saturated ruby. The aromas of plum, cherry and licorice show an almost roasted ripeness. Large-scaled, superripe and verging on exotic; the wine's huge tannins are buffered by very sweet, deep black cherry and dark berry fruit flavors. I find this port a bit blurry compared to the vintage's best examples. Tasted three times, with similar results.
Blackish purple. Heady, opulent nose – really very winning indeed already! But on the palate there seems to be just a slight hole in the middle, a lack of sheer fruit weight. Long and vibrato on the finish though until an extremely dry note on the very end. This reminds me of a fortified version of a 2003 right-bank bordeaux. (JR)
The Fonseca 2009 has a very sweet, typically opulent bouquet of black plum, blackberry, chimney soot and a touch of pencil shavings that is very complex and alluring. The palate is full-bodied with powerful ripe blackberry, allspice, clove and balsamic notes, a roiling, powerful, assertive Fonseca with a sweet, dark chocolate-tinged finish that grips the mouth, but it needs two decades to mellow and demonstrate the finesse to balance the intensity. This is a wonderful 2009 Vintage Port, though I suspect that the 2011 will ultimately prove even better. Tasted May 2013. Jun 2013, www.robertparker.com