Fonseca 20 Year Old Tawny Port

Fonseca 20 Year Old Tawny Port, Portugal    

Fonseca 20 Year Old Tawny is deep amber in colour with russet highlights. Its superb bouquet is a complex marriage of ripe, plummy, mature fruit, warm spicy overtones of cinnamon and butterscotch and subtle oak nuances. 

During the January following each vintage, Fonseca sets aside a reserve of very concentrated, powerful vintage quality red ports, selected primarily from the firm's own quintas and judged according to their ageing potential. As tawny ports age, they grow lighter in colour, as they throw their deposit in the cask rather than in the bottle. The process of racking contributes to the oxidation process whereby the wine's fruit qualities gradually diminish and its nutty characteristics are acquired. 

Critics' Tasting Notes:

"Lovely hint of ruby to the soft tawny colour. Gorgeous fudge and walnut character, hints of a pleasing shellac. Beautifully sweet and pure red fruit, coffee and lovely bitter orange and cocoa. Long and beautifully balanced."

93/100 points, Tom Cannavan, January 2020

"It confirms what I always think, with old Tawnies, the 20 year old is the best value for money quality. Delicious evolution with incredible, almost spicy acidity. Almonds fill the mouth and follow in the aftertaste. Sugar and caramel syrup, with delicious oxidation. Lots of life and vibration. Dried fruits are the protagonists, such as dried figs and apricots. According to the great winemaker David Guimaraens, the 20 year old Tawny has to start sweet and finish dry in the mouth. Mission accomplished!"

93/100 points, Revista Ageda (Brazil), November 2022