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Fonseca Guimaraens Vintage Port

Fonseca Guimaraens Vintage Port 2012

£38.50

A rich and spicy Port, with dense blackberry and dark cherry fruit.

  • In certain years when there is no classic Fonseca Vintage Port, a Guimaraens Vintage Port may be made instead.
  • When Guimaraens Vintage Ports were first released in the 1930's they were made in the same years as the classic Fonseca Vintage Ports but blended from slightly less powerful components, much like the second wines of the Bordeaux châteaux.
  • Guimaraens Vintage Ports share the origins, heritage and complex fruity style of the classic Fonseca vintages and are drawn from the produce of the same three estates.
  • They differ only in that they are more approachable, ready to drink earlier and more accessibly priced.
  • Fonseca has belonged in the first rank of Vintage Port producers since the nineteenth century. Its Vintage Ports are noted for their luscious fruitiness which displays great opulence and complexity.
    • Vintage: 2012
    • Type/Colour: Ruby
    • Alcohol: 20%
    • Bottle Size: 75cl
    • Group: Port
    • Sustainable: Yes

'Mid-way between a single quinta and not-quite-a-vintage Port, this is rich, sweet and easy to drink, but with more structure and concentration than is immediately apparent. Spicy, peppery and showing a little bit of fiery spirit, this has dark, creamy fruit flavours and a complex, chocolatey finish. 93 Points' - Tim Atkin MW, www.timatkin.com, August 2016

The Port house of Fonseca originated in the 18th century as the Fonseca & Monteiro Company, but did not acquire the Guimaraens suffix until the early 19th century when, in 1822, the business was acquired by a Manuel Pedro Guimaraens through the acquisition of a majority of the Fonseca shares. Control was thus ceded to the incoming Guimaraens, although as a condition of the takeover the outgoing Fonseca stipulated that his name should remain attached to the company, as it has done to this day. Fonseca Guimaraens remains one of the most important Port houses, the top wines occasionally challenging for wine of the vintage along with Taylor's and the better wines from the Symington stable, particularly Graham's. David Guimaraens not only oversees winemaking, but has also been instrumental in improving practice in the vineyard, with attentive selection of vines, enhancing the selection at harvest and introducing new carriers to protect the fruit as it travels from vineyard to winery.