Fonseca 2003

'In exceptional years Fonseca will make the decision to declare a classic vintage port. Only the finest wines, selected for their great intensity, depth and aging potential, are bottled under these vintage labels. On average this happens three times a decade. Renowned for their voluptuous rich fruit, mouthfilling density, tannic structure and grip, they are wines of breed, balance and great complexity.'

Region Description

Vintage Port, a fortified Portuguese wine, is the best known and most sought after type of port. Made from a mixture of red grapes, it is produced only in good years when conditions are favorable for the production of a fine wine. The decision to declare a vintage is made by each individual port house and all the grapes included come from top vineyards in that vintage. Vintage ports are aged in barrels for a maximum of two and half years and then require another 10 to 30 years in the bottle before they are ready. Since they are aged in barrels for only a short time, they retain their dark red color and full-bodied strong fruit flavor. Younger vintage ports remain exuberant and powerful, while the older varieties have more finesse and integration, a result of the slow maturation process. To maintain its intensity, Vintage Port is neither fined nor filtered and throws a great deal of sediment as it matures and must be decanted. The flagship style of port, Vintage Port represents only 2-3 % of the total Port production. (See PORT for more information on the region and fortification process.)