Fonseca, Guimaraens Vintage Port
| Country | Portugal |
|---|---|
| Grape variety | Blend of several grape varieties |
| Brand/Winery | Fonseca |
| Color | Red |
| Flavor profile | Complex, Rich, Robust |
| Area | Douro |
| Vinification |
The vintage will be remembered as unusually dry and the Fonseca properties in the Pinhão area recorded rainfall of about a third less than the ten year average. The rain held off until early spring and this was beneficial in producing a crop with no sign of disease, although yields were relatively low. The dry conditions and a very hot start of the summer brought forward the véraison (colouring of the grapes) and led to an early start of the ripening season. In late July and August, conditions were more evenly, with warm conditions, without extreme heat. Ripening was well balanced and at harvest time the crop was in excellent condition, with perfectly healthy, shrivel-free bunches. As expected, given the early start to the ripening season, the first grapes were ready to pick, with excellent phenolic and sugar ripeness, by the end of the first week of September. Picking started at Fonseca's Quinta do Panascal in the Távora Valley on the 12th with cool night time temperatures producing balanced fermentations and long extraction times. Picking was suspended briefly during a short period of heavy rain on the 15th and 16th of September and, although perfect weather conditions resumed, harvesting at Fonseca's Pinhão Valley properties, Cruzeiro and Santo António, was delayed until the end of the month. Excellent wines were made until right at the end of the harvest in early October. |
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