Vintage Port 2024 Fonseca

Tasting Note Vintage Port 2024

Aromas of black fruit emerge first, with a dense, slightly jam-like character, overlaid by exotic and spicy notes. Although the residual sugar is 96 g/l, the Fonseca Vintage Port 2024, with a total acidity of 4.5 g/l and a pH of 3.66, tastes fresh rather than syrupy-sweet. The tannins are fine-grained, offering a long finish. It is still young and unevolved, and this is clearly evident.

Grape Varieties

Fonseca Vintage Port 2024 corresponds to Port Blend; in the case of Douro, this means the grape varieties were harvested and fermented together, rather than separately. Up to 80 grape varieties are permitted in this regional blend. Varieties that use the Port designation:

• Touriga Franca: The most widely grown variety
• Touriga Nacional
• Tinta Roriz: Known as Tempranillo in Spain
• Tinta Barroca and Tinta Cão

Cellaring Potential

Best enjoyed between 2034 and 2070. Fonseca Vintage Ports continue to improve in quality as they age in the bottle for decades, supported by the wine's tannins and concentration. Store the bottle on its side at a temperature of 16°C or lower. Decant thoroughly before serving, and serve slightly chilled at 12-16°C.

About Fonseca

Fonseca built its name on Vintage Port, and on a full-bodied style rather than a restrained one, with rich fruit aromas that gain vibrancy as the wine ages in bottle. Three quintas feed the blend: Quinta do Cruzeiro and Quinta de Santo António in the Pinhão Valley, Quinta do Panascal in the Távora Valley. Each has a job. Cruzeiro gives the core of black fruit and tannin, Panascal wraps it in juicy, velvety texture, Santo António adds exotic aromas on top. Panascal was among the first vineyards in the Douro to gain organic certification, and David Guimaraens developed the estate's Sustainable Vineyard Model together with vineyard manager António Magalhães. The company dates to an 1815 partnership, with a first vintage Port sold in 1840. Headquarters sit in Vila Nova de Gaia, in centuries-old underground cellars now open to visitors.

Terroir & Climate

The slate soil is gravelly and lies on slopes so steep that machinery cannot access them. All grapes are harvested by hand, which may sound romantic, but is in fact the only practical option. Cruzeiro and Santo António are located within Pinhão Valley, in the Cima Corgo heart of the Douro, and have served as the source for the Fonseca Vintage blend for a century. Panascal is located in Távora Valley. The slate soil drains hard and forces roots deep, which concentrates the fruit's flavor.

Winemaking

Fonseca produces its own distilled spirits from grapes grown on-site, which are used in the production of fortified wines. This is important because externally sourced neutral brandy tastes different from brandy made from grapes grown in the same slate soil. Since ageing takes place in seasoned vats rather than new barrels, you won't detect any vanilla or toasted notes from the oak. What you'll taste is the fruit's natural flavor and structure.

Food Pairing

With 96 grams of residual sugar per liter, Fonseca Vintage Port requires a salty or bitter element to balance it.

• Blue cheese, Roquefort, or Stilton: The saltiness helps balance the sweetness
• Dark chocolate, the more bitter, the better
• Walnuts and almonds, plain, served alongside

Sweet against savoury. This contrast makes the taste of this Douro Port stand out even more than any sweet dessert.