Fonseca

Classic Vintage Porto 2009

Region: Portugal / Douro Valley Porto
Grapes: Touriga Nacional, Touriga Franca, Tinta Barroca, Tinta Roriz, Tinto Cão, Tinta Amarela

Overview / 2011 / 2009

Sales tools

Fonseca’s three vineyards—Quinta do Panascal, Quinta de Cruzeiro and Quinta de Santo António—all form the backbone of the famous Fonseca Vintage Portos, produced only in vintages that are “declared” as being of the highest quality. Fonseca is recognized across the Douro as a leader of viticultural practices for Porto and has spearheaded development of organic and sustainable programs across the region. The fruit for Fonseca’s Vintage Portos is trod by foot in granite lagares on the estate. Fermentation is halted by the addition of grape spirits before all the residual sugar has been fermented, creating a sweet, fortified wine. The wine is aged for two years in oak before being bottled unfiltered.

97-99 points

Wine Advocate

2011 vintage

19.5 points

Jancis Robinson's Purple Pages

2011 vintage

view all press reviews

harvest note

The 2009 viticultural year started early, with the first buds appearing within the first few days of March. Vegetative growth was healthy and vigorous but vine fertility was low, with all varieties producing only a small quantity of fruit. The coloring of the grapes (véraison) also started earlier than usual. Relatively cool conditions in July meant that ripening was initially slow, but this accelerated in August with the onset of very hot weather. Both July and August were extremely dry, with hardly any rainfall, and the arid conditions continued into September. The first property to start picking was Quinta do Panascal, where the harvest started on September 10. The two Pinhão Valley properties, Cruzeiro and Santo António, followed a few days later on September 15 and 20 respectively. The reduced yields, resulting from low vine productivity and the very dry summer, resulted in dense and concentrated musts with high levels of tannin, sugar and color.

tasting note

The wine is an opaque black, with a classic Fonseca nose dominated by an exuberant, hedonistic fruitiness, a dark, dense blackberry and blackcurrant that slowly releases a heady spicy and herbal aroma, seductive notes of coffee and cocoa, hints of prune and wild scents of gum cistus. The thick, velvety tannins give the wine a voluptuous density, integrating effortlessly with the sumptuous infusion of blackberry jam, dark chocolate and licorice that coats the palate. The tannins are also present on the finish, which brims with blackberry and blackcurrant flavor.

food pairing

Pairs well with blue cheese such as Stilton or Roquefort and desserts made with dark chocolate or berries. It should be decanted before serving due to sediment in the bottle.

technical data

GRAPES: Touriga Nacional, Touriga Franca, Tinta Barroca, Tinta Roriz, Tinto Cão, Tinta Amarela
APPELLATION: Douro
PH: 4.0
ACIDITY: 4.5 g/l
ABV: 20%
AGING: 2 years in oak
RESIDUAL SUGAR: 101.5 g/l

points of distinction

A Vintage Porto made only in the finest years
Made from fruit grown in Fonseca’s own estate vineyards
A collectible Porto that will develop for decades in the bottle
2009 produced a very concentrated wine

vineyard details +
- Quinta do Panascal
  In 1978, Fonseca acquired Quinta do Panascal, whose reputation goes back to the 18th century, when wines from the Tavora Valley in Cima Corgo, where the vineyard is located, were considered among the finest-quality wines of Portugal. The company later expanded the vineyard by acquiring the neighboring Quinta do Val dos Muros. At present, 109 of its 188 acres are planted, principally to Touriga Nacional, Touriga Franca and Tinta Roriz. In high-quality but non-declared vintages, fruit from Quinta do Panascal is used to produce a single-quinta vintage Porto.
about the grape +
- Tinta Amarela
  Tinta Amarela makes wines with intensely perfumed aromas of blackberry and tea, bold structure, deep color and excellent depth.
- Tinta Barroca
  Used to make Port wines, this high yielding grape has very high sugar content, which makes wines with pronounced floral character, good structure and firm, ripe tannins.
- Tinta Cão
  This grape has blackberry, game and meaty aromas, and contributes longevity and exceptional elegance to the blend of Port wines.
- Tinta Roriz
  Tinta Roriz produces deep-colored grapes of moderate acidity which make bold wines with firm tannins, excellent complexity and distinctive resin-like fragrance.
- Touriga Franca
  This grape has high tannins and is very aromatic; it lends structure and balance to Port wines. It shows intense fresh red fruit, earth and flower aromas, and is very fruity on the palate.
- Touriga Nacional
  Touriga Nacional produces wine with finesse, body and warmth that is dark, concentrated, massively tannic and aromatic. It ages to show the complex aromas typically found in mature vintage port.

“My team and I strive to bring the very best performance out of our vineyards by careful nurturing of the vines, combined with the very best winemaking techniques available.”

– David Guimaraens, Winemaker