Showing 1-6 out of 6 items
Hide All Tasting Notes
Taylor Fladgate,
For laying down,
When tasting the 2003s for the first time, we kept going back to this wine, as we so often do with Taylor which is surely the most cerebral and complex of all the Vintage Ports. Effortlessly eschewing the excesses of the vintage, 2003 Taylor's Vintage is superb. Dense and inky, with a nose of woodsmoke, cassis, leather and meat, it is richly textured, firmly tannic, with peppery grip and a long, rewarding finish. This is, without doubt, a Vintage Port of the highest quality.
Quinta do Noval,
For laying down,
Noval’s 2003 is an extraordinary effort, the altitude of its vineyards lending a freshness and linearity to the wine above and beyond the exigencies of such a hot growing season. The Touriga Nacional performed brilliantly in 2003, adding backbone and velvety depth. The fruit profile is exceptionally generous, and the tannins, while certainly ripe, bestow a magisterial grip on the back of the palate.
Croft,
Ready, but will keep,
Purplish crimson. Tarry nose. Very fresh impact on the front palate – very sweet and gorgeous. Where are the tannins? Answer: only on the very end of the palate, and then they are very fine. This is nice wine, I’m just not sure it’ll last that long. Clean and refreshing. The Fladgate Partnership’s new acquisition and the first time Croft has been foot trodden for 40 years.
Jancis Robinson MW - jancisrobinson.com – May 05
Jancis Robinson MW - jancisrobinson.com – May 05
Warre,
For laying down,
The altitude of Quinta de Cavadinha dictated an October harvest for this wine, perhaps evidenced by its real finesse and elegance on the palate and graceful supporting acidity. A deliciously concentrated core of sweet fruit, more approachable than both the Dow and the Graham, has created a wine with an infectious joie de vivre!
Simon Field MW, Wine Buyer
Simon Field MW, Wine Buyer
Fonseca,
For laying down,
The 2003 Fonseca has a rich, well-defined bouquet of black cherries, aniseed, kirsch and dark chocolate that is heady and seductive. The palate is full-bodied with sweet ripe fig and mulberry notes forming the entry. There is fatness here, a viscosity that coats the mouth, although fortunately there is acidity to keep everything in balance. Warm on the finish, a hint of eau-de-vie lingers after the Port has departed. This is a harlot of a Port, but there is nothing wrong with that once in a while – just not every year! Anticipated maturity: 2035-2060. Tasted May 2013.
Neal Martin - eRobertParker.com #207 Jun 2013
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.
Pierre Rovani - Wine Advocate #161 Oct 2005
Neal Martin - eRobertParker.com #207 Jun 2013
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.
Pierre Rovani - Wine Advocate #161 Oct 2005
Quinta do Vesuvio,
For laying down,
As a general rule, the further one travels up the Douro, the better the quality and concentration found in the fruit, though as a result of the drier conditions, the quantities are greatly reduced. The Symington Group took the plunge in 1989 and purchased Quinta do Vesuvio, which despite its remoteness, has to be the grandest quinta. Although released most years, quantities can be scarce of this impressive, long-lived wine, which frequently rates among the very best for sheer finesse and depth.
Quinta de Vesuvio’s wine, entirely foot-trodden in granite lagares, has all the unity of purpose and clarity of execution that one would expect from a Single Quinta. For me, it is the hauntingly distinctive aromas of violets which mark it out, followed on the palate by a wealth of berry fruits, firm but unobtrusive tannins and a long satisfying finish. Drink now to 2025.
Quinta de Vesuvio’s wine, entirely foot-trodden in granite lagares, has all the unity of purpose and clarity of execution that one would expect from a Single Quinta. For me, it is the hauntingly distinctive aromas of violets which mark it out, followed on the palate by a wealth of berry fruits, firm but unobtrusive tannins and a long satisfying finish. Drink now to 2025.
Showing 1-6 out of 6 items