Fonseca Vintage Port 2011
-
Robert
Parker -
Wine
Spectator -
Wine
Enthusiast -
James
Suckling -
Wine &
Spirits
Product Details
Your Rating
Somm Note
Winemaker Notes
Dense, brooding and massive dark blackberry and blackcurrant aromas. Compact and concentrated, this shows exceptional purity: the hallmark of 2011. Has an array of heady herbal aromas, discreet notes of exotic wood, marzipan and plum, and graphite-laced minerality. Solid, well-integrated tannins give volume and firmness to dense black fruit flavors, with dark chocolate and licorice notes. Shows the classic opulence of Fonseca.
Pairs well with blue cheeses like Stilton or Roquefort and desserts of dark chocolate or berries. Should be decanted before serving due to sediment.
Professional Ratings
-
Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The Fonseca 2011 is typically more forthcoming on the nose compared to the bashful Croft: a strident bouquet with lifted scents of freshly picked blackberries, kirsch, crushed stone and a dash of Hoi Sin and oyster sauce. It is very well-defined, very focused and direct. The palate is silky smooth with not a rough edge in sight, though not a typically voluptuous Fonseca because of the keen thread of acidity and the structure that lends this mighty Port wonderful backbone. A slight viscosity on the finish lacquers the tongue and indicates a core of sweet fruit is ticking away underneath that will surely explode several years after bottling. A tincture of salted licorice on the aftertaste is very attractive. This will turn out to become an outstanding Fonseca, the growing season taming its exuberance with spectacular results.
Range: 97-99 -
Wine Spectator
Massive, concentrated and powerful, this offers lush, heady flavors of dark plum, blackberry and cherry tart, with touches of anise. Shows plenty of grip as well, featuring a long, rich finish of dark chocolate, toffee and cream.
-
Wine Enthusiast
A powerful, spicy wine, this is luscious on the palate, with peppered berry fruits and ripe tannins. The structure shows richly, offering a smooth texture and a dry core. This Port has weight, density and a dark character on the finish. For serious aging.
-
James Suckling
Very grapy and leafy with hints of spices on the nose. Full body, medium sweet with fine, chewy tannins. Powerful, long finish with nuts and shaved chocolate. This young Fonseca has grip. 6,000 cases produced of this foot-trodden wine. Try in 2022.
-
Wine & Spirits
The 2011 is hugely powerful, presenting a solid wall of schist tannins with the gentleness of perfect ripeness. The wine shows no seams, just a vast, dynamic blackness, a meaty, tarry, berry fruit drama that will play out for decades.
Other Vintages
2017-
Wine
Enthusiast -
Robert
Parker -
Wine
Spectator -
James
Suckling - Decanter
-
Wine &
Spirits
-
James
Suckling -
Robert
Parker -
Wine
Enthusiast -
Tasting
Panel -
Wine
Spectator - Decanter
-
Wine
Enthusiast -
Wine
Spectator -
Robert
Parker
-
Wine
Enthusiast -
Wine
Spectator -
Wine &
Spirits -
Robert
Parker
-
Wine
Enthusiast -
James
Suckling -
Robert
Parker -
Wine &
Spirits
-
Robert
Parker -
Wine
Spectator
-
Wine &
Spirits -
Robert
Parker -
Wine
Spectator
-
Wine
Spectator -
Robert
Parker
-
Robert
Parker
-
Wine
Spectator -
Robert
Parker
-
Robert
Parker
-
Wine
Spectator -
Robert
Parker
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.
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.
The home of Port—perhaps the most internationally acclaimed beverage—the Douro region of Portugal is one of the world’s oldest delimited wine regions, established in 1756. The vineyards of the Douro, set on the slopes surrounding the Douro River (known as the Duero in Spain), are incredibly steep, necessitating the use of terracing and thus, manual vineyard management as well as harvesting. The Douro's best sites, rare outcroppings of Cambrian schist, are reserved for vineyards that yield high quality Port.
While more than 100 indigenous varieties are approved for wine production in the Douro, there are five primary grapes that make up most Port and the region's excellent, though less known, red table wines. Touriga Nacional is the finest of these, prized for its deep color, tannins and floral aromatics. Tinta Roriz (Spain's Tempranillo) adds bright acidity and red fruit flavors. Touriga Franca shows great persistence of fruit and Tinta Barroca helps round out the blend with its supple texture. Tinta Cão, a fine but low-yielding variety, is now rarely planted but still highly valued for its ability to produce excellent, complex wines.
White wines, generally crisp, mineral-driven blends of Arinto, Viosinho, Gouveio, Malvasia Fina and an assortment of other rare but local varieties, are produced in small quantities but worth noting.
With hot summers and cool, wet winters, the Duoro has a maritime climate.