Fonseca Vintage Port 2003

Port from Portugal
  • 97 Wine
    Enthusiast
  • 95 Robert
    Parker
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Fonseca Vintage Port 2003 Front Label
Fonseca Vintage Port 2003 Front Label

Product Details


Varietal

Region

Producer

Vintage
2003

Size
750ML

ABV
20.5%

Features
Collectible

Your Rating

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Somm Note

Winemaker Notes

The 1994 vintage of this wine was ranked #1 on the Wine Spectator's Top 10 Wines of 1997

Fonseca vintage ports are renowned for their great fruit richness and voluptuousness, and, while powerful and mouthfilling, for their breed and balance. In the context of each vintage, they combine the tannic dimension and "grip" which give great port its longevity with the structure and complexity that are Fonseca's hallmark. Among the Douro's first growths, Fonseca Vintage Port is clearly the "Pétrus" of Port.

"Sporting an opaque, black-colored robe with dark purple trim, the 2003 Fonseca Vintage Port exhibits a nose of profound depth. Its sweet black mass of dark fruit and spice aromas leads to a character of immense depth, richness, and weight. Full-bodied, viscous, and almost impenetrable, this dense, backward port is powerful and exceptionally long in the finish. Possibly the most masculine Fonseca I've ever encountered, it coats the taster's palate with licorice, jammy black fruits, and notes of chocolate that last for over a minute. This blockbuster will require at least three decades to fully blossom. Anticipated maturity: 2035-2060."
-Wine Advocate

"Wild aromas, with flowers, blackberries and passion fruit. Full-bodied, massive on the palate. Medium-sweet. The finish goes on for minutes. A mega young Port. Fonseca. What do you expect? Score range: 95-100"
-Wine Spectator Barrel Sample

Professional Ratings

  • 97
  • 95

    The 2003 Vintage Port was aged for 21 months in wood and comes in at 92 grams of residual sugar. This is another oldie rereleased now. The Taylor's may be burlier and fresher, the Croft more nuanced and complex, but of the trio of 2003s in this report, this might well be the winner today. (Then again, it might not be; the comparison was certainly fun.) It has the most elegance, freshness and nuance, far younger than the Croft and more ready than the Taylor's. I can only say, I respect whatever choice you make; pick 'em. Personally, I lean to Taylor's in the longer run, but that is the least ready of the three. Best after 2022.

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2007
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2000
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1997
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1994
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1992
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1985
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1970
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1963
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Fonseca

Fonseca

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Fonseca, Portugal
Fonseca Fonseca Estate Winery Image

From the legendary 1840, Fonseca's first Vintage Port release, to the superb declared vintages of the last decade, the house has produced a succession of highly acclaimed wines even in the most adverse moments of history. 

This consistency derives not only from continuity of family involvement, and the knowledge and skill passed down from one generation to the next, but also a close link with the vineyard.  The firm's three estates of Cruzeiro, Panascal and Santo António are the heart of the distinctive character of Fonseca's Vintage Ports. 

Fonseca's respect for the vineyard and the unique environment of the Douro Valley expresses itself in the firm's leadership in the field of sustainable and organic viticulture. It was the first house to offer a Port made entirely from organically produced grapes.

As it approaches its bicentenary, Fonseca can take pride in its past and look forward to the future with confidence. Wine drinkers increasingly seek wines of authenticity and character with a genuine story to tell and made by creative winemakers who understand their terroir and respect the environment.

Perhaps more than any other Port house, Fonseca has built a loyal community of Port enthusiasts who value its individuality and the inimitable character of its wines. These include connoisseurs, collectors, sommeliers and restaurateurs as well as those who simply enjoy drinking its wonderfully rich and complex Ports.

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Port is a sweet, fortified wine with numerous styles: Ruby, Tawny, Vintage, Late Bottled Vintage (LBV), White, Colheita, and a few unusual others. It is blended from from the most important red grapes of the Douro Valley, based primarily on Touriga Nacional with over 80 other varieties approved for use. Most Ports are best served slightly chilled at around 55-65°F.

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Best known for intense, impressive and age-worthy fortified wines, Portugal relies almost exclusively on its many indigenous grape varieties. Bordering Spain to its north and east, and the Atlantic Ocean on its west and south coasts, this is a land where tradition reigns supreme, due to its relative geographical and, for much of the 20th century, political isolation. A long and narrow but small country, Portugal claims considerable diversity in climate and wine styles, with milder weather in the north and significantly more rainfall near the coast.

While Port (named after its city of Oporto on the Atlantic Coast at the end of the Douro Valley), made Portugal famous, Portugal is also an excellent source of dry red and white Portuguese wines of various styles.

The Douro Valley produces full-bodied and concentrated dry red Portuguese wines made from the same set of grape varieties used for Port, which include Touriga Nacional, Tinta Roriz (Spain’s Tempranillo), Touriga Franca, Tinta Barroca and Tinto Cão, among a long list of others in minor proportions.

Other dry Portuguese wines include the tart, slightly effervescent Vinho Verde white wine, made in the north, and the bright, elegant reds and whites of the Dão as well as the bold, and fruit-driven reds and whites of the southern, Alentejo.

The nation’s other important fortified wine, Madeira, is produced on the eponymous island off the North African coast.

YNG300120_2003 Item# 85294

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