Fonseca Port

fonseca-vintage-portFonseca is one of the oldest and largest port shippers. First trading in 1815, the firm recruited Manoel Pedro Guimarãens. In 1822 he set sail for England; by travelling he could avoid persecution in Portugal as an outspoken liberal, and sell wines from London that Fonseca shipped. Manoel juggled a successful business with supporting fellow exiles of civil war. When Maria II emerged victorious, he was rewarded with the title of Knight, then Knight Commander, of the Order of Christ.

Around 1860 Manoel’s two eldest sons joined the firm, now M.P. Guimarãens & Son. Together they acquired the Fonseca trademark from the original owners’ heirs and, almost forty years later, the next generation joined: Frank (Pedro Francis Fladgate Guimarãens) came to Oporto to supervise vintage production. He remained in the position for more than 50 years, and since then the role has been passed to his great-nephew Bruce, then Bruce’s son David, Guimarãens. Fonseca is now owned by Taylor Fladgate but David, the sixth generation of Guimarãens, remains as head winemaker.

They are the only House with a perfect 100 points by critics on not one but four separate vintages in the last century, known globally for their wines’ intensity of fruit, opulence, structure and balance to last for decades. Wine experts praise the House; Robert Parker wrote: “Fonseca is one of the great port lodges, producing the most exotic and complex port… one might call it the Pomerol of Vintage Ports.” James Suckling also endorsed them, stating that Fonseca are “perhaps the most consistently great of all.”.

44 products found.

Fonseca Port, 1966

Vintage Port
Top Shoulder Level
Unlabelled | Embossed Wax Capsule
PLEASE ALLOW 7 DAYS FOR DELIVERY

The Fonseca 1966 vintage port has a russet rim around an intense brick-red centre. The nose is elegant and restrained, with very fine dark berry fruit at the core, still linear and undeveloped. The fruit is enveloped in a subtle aura of floral scent and notes of aromatic wood. Dense and firm on the palate, still delivering a fresh and youthful fruitiness and vinosity alongside warm flavours of liquorice and black coffee. Still reserved and showing wonderful poise and finesse, the Fonseca 1966 is without any doubt one of the finest Ports of this exceptional year.

Fonseca is one of the great port lodges, producing the most exotic and most complex port.
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Price: $370.49 USD
Stock: 4 in Stock

Fonseca Port, 1965

Guimaraens Single Quinta Port

Deep red, the colour of black cherry juice; 70% opaque. Dusty apples on the nose, with some spicy tobasco. Sweet in the mouth, red jelly beans but little fruit. The jelly beans come through strongly on the mid-palate. A hot aftertaste with lots of ginger that lasts a long time before dark cherry skins and black chocolate make up the finish. This is a nice port.


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Price: $578.49 USD
Stock: 3 in Stock

Fonseca Port, 1965

Guimaraens Single Quinta Port

Deep red, the colour of black cherry juice; 70% opaque. Dusty apples on the nose, with some spicy tobasco. Sweet in the mouth, red jelly beans but little fruit. The jelly beans come through strongly on the mid-palate. A hot aftertaste with lots of ginger that lasts a long time before dark cherry skins and black chocolate make up the finish. This is a nice port.


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Price: $578.49 USD
Stock: 5 in Stock

Fonseca Port, 1960

Vintage Port
UK Bottled by Christopher and Co

The 1960 Fonseca has settled into the most glorious of old Vintage Ports. After more than 55 years bottle-ageing, these wines have a superb combination of lovely mature fruit combined with the elegance that only this length of time in bottle can give. Outstanding.


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Price: $383.49 USD
Stock: 4 in Stock

Fonseca Port, 1958

Guimaraens Vintage Port

The Fonseca 1958 Port is golden and nearly tawny in colour. On the nose dark cherry and elegant aromas. Rather full bodied on the palate, sweet, complex and balanced with burnt sugar. Elegant finish.


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Price: $773.49 USD
Stock: 1 in Stock

Fonseca Port, 1955

Vintage Port
Unlabelled

The 1955 was the only year declared by Fonseca in the 50s. An underrated, indeed almost forgotten, vintage that deserves to be rediscovered.

Notes on the year
The year was marked by an excellent ripening season with hot weather in July and August meaning that the crop was perfectly mature towards the end of September. Most of the well known shippers declared 1955.

Tasting Note
Medium to deep red, with a remarkably youthful ruby edge. Incredible richness and almost young grapey fruit character. As it breathes it opens to reveal spicy mature dark fruit aromas. On the palate it fills the mouth with round, marzipan richness mixed with full chocolate flavour.
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Price: $1,033.48 USD
Stock: 1 in Stock

Fonseca Port, 1947

Single Quinta Vintage Port

This is a special treat at the end of the evening. Murky copper coloured with a rich intense raisoned nose with bay leaf and hints of brandy butter and caramel. The palate is full and powerful but with a surprising freshness and lift. Dense and flavoursome with rich dark coffee, cloves, chocolate and toffee apple flavours. Absolutely lovely with endless length.


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Price: $1,683.47 USD
Stock: 1 in Stock

Fonseca Port, 1945

Vintage Port
Level very top shoulder, embossed capsule, fragile label

Renowned as one of the great Port producers, Fonseca's vintage wine is among the best in virtually every widely declared vintage. The house style is flamboyantly rich, even exotic, and the wines are usually sweeter and fuller in body than those from most other producers.

The 1945 Fonseca is a top wine from one of the top vintages of the 20th century, a hot year with low yield. In the glass, the gorgeous wine has bittersweet chocolate on the aroma as well as surprising fruit; a dollop of chocolate permeated the array of flavors while the tannic structure was richer and rounder than the Taylor ’48.
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Price: $2,398.46 USD
Stock: 1 in Stock

Fonseca Port, 1934

Vintage Port, DOC Douro
Base of neck
Peatling & Cawdron Bottling

The house of Fonseca traces its origins to the early nineteenth century. The first evidence of the firm trading in Port is an entry dated 8th April, 1815, in the ledgers of the Real Companhia Velha, the royal monopoly company. This records the purchase of 32 pipes of Port by the firm’s founder, João dos Santos Fonseca. His first documented sale occurred on 14th September, 1815, followed in 1816 by his first overseas shipment.

Fonseca Ports are known for their intense and complex aromatics. A 1934 Fonseca will likely offer aromas of dried fruits (such as figs and dates), nuts (like almonds and walnuts), and spices.
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Price: $2,073.47 USD
Stock: 1 in Stock

Fonseca Port, 1934

Vintage Port, Douro
Very Top Shoulder

The house of Fonseca traces its origins to the early nineteenth century. The first evidence of the firm trading in Port is an entry dated 8th April, 1815, in the ledgers of the Real Companhia Velha, the royal monopoly company. This records the purchase of 32 pipes of Port by the firm’s founder, João dos Santos Fonseca. His first documented sale occurred on 14th September, 1815, followed in 1816 by his first overseas shipment.

Fonseca Ports are known for their intense and complex aromatics. A 1934 Fonseca will likely offer aromas of dried fruits (such as figs and dates), nuts (like almonds and walnuts), and spices.
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Price: $1,943.47 USD
Stock: 1 in Stock

Fonseca Port, 1934

Vintage Port, Douro
Excellent Level

The house of Fonseca traces its origins to the early nineteenth century. The first evidence of the firm trading in Port is an entry dated 8th April, 1815, in the ledgers of the Real Companhia Velha, the royal monopoly company. This records the purchase of 32 pipes of Port by the firm’s founder, João dos Santos Fonseca. His first documented sale occurred on 14th September, 1815, followed in 1816 by his first overseas shipment.

Fonseca Ports are known for their intense and complex aromatics. A 1934 Fonseca will likely offer aromas of dried fruits (such as figs and dates), nuts (like almonds and walnuts), and spices.
more >>>

Price: $1,943.47 USD
Stock: 1 in Stock

Fonseca Port, 1934

Vintage Port, DOC Douro
Excellent Level

The house of Fonseca traces its origins to the early nineteenth century. The first evidence of the firm trading in Port is an entry dated 8th April, 1815, in the ledgers of the Real Companhia Velha, the royal monopoly company. This records the purchase of 32 pipes of Port by the firm’s founder, João dos Santos Fonseca. His first documented sale occurred on 14th September, 1815, followed in 1816 by his first overseas shipment.

Fonseca Ports are known for their intense and complex aromatics. A 1934 Fonseca will likely offer aromas of dried fruits (such as figs and dates), nuts (like almonds and walnuts), and spices.
more >>>

Price: $1,943.47 USD
Stock: 1 in Stock

Fonseca Port, 1934

Vintage Port, DOC Douro
Excellent Level

The house of Fonseca traces its origins to the early nineteenth century. The first evidence of the firm trading in Port is an entry dated 8th April, 1815, in the ledgers of the Real Companhia Velha, the royal monopoly company. This records the purchase of 32 pipes of Port by the firm’s founder, João dos Santos Fonseca. His first documented sale occurred on 14th September, 1815, followed in 1816 by his first overseas shipment.

Fonseca Ports are known for their intense and complex aromatics. A 1934 Fonseca will likely offer aromas of dried fruits (such as figs and dates), nuts (like almonds and walnuts), and spices.
more >>>

Price: $1,943.47 USD
Stock: 1 in Stock

Fonseca Port, 1927

Vintage Port, DOC Douro
Very Top shoulder
Slightly bin soiled label

Review by AHB - Portforum.com "A lovely rich red colour, warm and dark; 90% opaque. Showing little on the nose, but the little it is showing is warm and fruity — and very nice. A beautiful palate, soft entry with poise and balance. The fruit is generous, sweet and ripe and still plentiful. The palate is big and rich; stunning for a port of this age. The aftertaste is amazing — so full of fruit, of rich burnt fruitcake; mouthfilling and immense. This is stunning, stunning port.".

48 hours later a 6cl sample bottle was tasted which showed even mor ecomplexity, being sweeter and rounder than the pop 'n' pour version.
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Price: $3,503.45 USD
Stock: 1 in Stock

Fonseca Port, 1922

Vintage Port, DOC Douro

Pale tawny brown at the core, fading to amber with olive highlights at the rim. Faultless nose, extraordinarily complex, with notes of cedar, tobacco and orange flower perfectly intertwined, a sumptuous mellow undertone of molasses and butterscotch and a halo of fresh, minty herbal scent. An hour after decanting, the wine opened up an exotic spice chest of nutmeg, black pepper, cumin and, tobacco, later joined by coffee, aromatic wood and dried rose petal. Dense, thick, almost treacly palate, holding the spirit firmly in place and underpinned by a crisp acidity. A luscious infusion of treacle and toffee lingering into the endless finish.
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Price: $3,113.45 USD
Stock: 1 in Stock

Fonseca Port, 2018

Guimaraens Single Quinta Vintage Port, DOC Douro
37.5cl HALF Bottle

Fonseca will release a 2018 Guimaraens Vintage Port, the first bottling under the Guimaraens label since 2015. Adrian Bridge remarked, “I am delighted that we are releasing Guimaraens Vintage from 2018. The Guimaraens concept is unique, a wine with the same make up and character as the classic Fonseca Vintages but made in a more approachable, early drinking style.” David Guimaraens added, “I believe that the 2018 is one of the finest recent examples of a Guimaraens Vintage, with its rich, dense woodland fruit and sturdy but well integrated tannins.”

TASTING NOTE
Impenetrable purple-black at the centre, with a narrow band of violet on the rim.
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Price: $32.43 USD
Stock: Out of Stock

Fonseca Port, 1986

Guimaraens Vintage Port

In undeclared vintages Fonseca bottle Guimaraens, provided the quality of the fruit is sufficient. This has a good depth of colour, with a moderate red-tawny hue. The nose has exotic notes of musky scent and spiced woods, together with some chocolate edged fruit. The palate has an impressive texture and sweetness immediately apparent on entry. Good fruit and a nice backbone of soft tannins. Elegant, with a touch of complexity, with balance, very much in the house style.


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Price: $167.70 USD
Stock: Out of Stock

Fonseca Port, 1977

Vintage Port
Excellent provenance
Damaged label

Fonseca is one of the great port lodges, producing the most exotic and most complex port. If Fonseca lacks the sheer weight and power of a Taylor, Dow or Warre, or the opulent sweetness and intensity of a Graham, it excels in its magnificently complex, intense bouquet of plummy, cedary, spicy fruit and long, broad, expansive flavors. With its lush, seductive character, one might call it the Pomerol of Vintage ports. When it is young, it often loses out in blind tastings to the heavier, weightier, more tannic wines, but I always find myself upgrading my opinion of Fonseca after it has had 7-10 years of age.
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Price: $188.50 USD
Stock: Out of Stock

Fonseca Port, 1955

Vintage Port
Unlabelled Half bottle - Branded Capsule

The 1955 was the only year declared by Fonseca in the 50s. The year was marked by an excellent ripening season with hot weather in July and August meaning that the crop was perfectly mature towards the end of September. Noted as quite possibly the first port wine made/blended by a woman, Dorothy Guimaraens. Most of the well known shippers declared 1955.

Tasting Note
Medium to deep red, with a remarkably youthful ruby edge. Incredible richness and almost young grapey fruit character. As it breathes it opens to reveal spicy mature dark fruit aromas. On the palate it fills the mouth with round, marzipan richness mixed with full chocolate flavour.
more >>>

Price: $292.50 USD
Stock: Out of Stock