Fonseca Vintage Port 1997

Fonseca Vintage Port 1997

Producer: Fonseca Guimaraens | Appellation: Vintage Port, Douro, Portugal
Vintage: 1997 | Classification: Vintage Port
Blend: Traditional Douro field blend, predominantly Touriga Nacional, Touriga Franca, Tinta Barroca, Tinto Cão and Tinta Roriz
Drinking Window: 2010–2045+ | Aging Potential: 40–50+ years

The Wine

Fonseca Vintage Port 1997 is a powerful and beautifully concentrated expression from one of the Douro Valley’s most celebrated Port houses. Fonseca is particularly renowned for producing Vintage Ports with intense fruit, richness, depth and remarkable longevity.

The 1997 vintage produced classic, full-bodied Vintage Ports with impressive concentration and structure. After almost three decades in bottle, the wine is moving into a rewarding mature phase, where its youthful black fruit has begun to develop the complex dried-fruit, spice and chocolate characteristics associated with aged Vintage Port. The palate remains rich and powerful, with a balance of sweetness, acidity and firm but increasingly polished tannins.

Tasting Notes

Nose: Intense aromas of black cherry, blackberry, plum and cassis mingle with violet, dark chocolate, liquorice, dried fruit, spice and subtle balsamic notes.

Palate: Full-bodied, rich and concentrated, with layers of ripe black fruit, plum, blackberry and dark chocolate. Notes of liquorice, coffee, spice and dried fig add complexity, supported by firm, well-integrated tannins.

Finish: Exceptionally long and persistent, with dark fruit, chocolate, spice, liquorice and developing nutty and dried-fruit complexity.

Producer Details

Fonseca is one of the great names of Vintage Port, with a history dating back to the early 19th century. The house is celebrated for producing Ports of exceptional concentration and aromatic intensity, often marked by a distinctive combination of powerful dark fruit, floral notes and silky richness.

Vintage Port is produced only in declared exceptional vintages and is designed for extended bottle ageing. Fonseca’s wines are particularly renowned for their ability to evolve over several decades while retaining remarkable depth and vitality.

Wine Details

Vinification: Traditionally fermented in lagares before fortification with grape spirit, followed by a relatively short period of maturation in wood and extensive ageing in bottle.

Alcohol Content: ~20% ABV

Cellaring: Drinking beautifully now, with significant further ageing potential. Decant carefully for several hours before serving to remove sediment and allow the wine to open fully.

Food Pairing Suggestions

Ideal with:

– Stilton and other blue cheeses
– Roquefort
– Mature hard cheeses
– Dark chocolate desserts
– Chocolate fondant
– Black Forest gâteau
– Dried fruit and nut desserts
– Fig and walnut tart