What's the key to a perfect fall pairing? Port, say Wine Enthusiast Magazine Lifestyle and Entertaining Contributing Editors Mike DeSimone and Jeff Jenssen. They teach you how to prepare a Port-braised duck dish served over mashed potatoes.
The hue of this wine takes dark and inky to a new level—and this wine’s intensity isn’t confined to its color. This is simply huge in every way, yet because every component is in proportion, the balance is impeccable. Incredibly rich, dense fruit picks up hints of tar and chocolate, while the finish lasts for what must be minutes. Hold.
— J.C.
(2/1/2007)
This wine’s dark garnet color with minimal bricking suggests a relatively youthful wine and this certainly could age longer, although it’s also delicious now. Wonderfully complex floral and herbal scents easily move into deep, rich flavors of chocolate and cherries, sprinkled with a healthy dose of Douro minerality and spice. Drink or hold.
— J.C.
(2/1/2007)
This is very much in the mold of the 1992—maybe slightly less rich but just by a whisker. It’s dense without being heavy, with a beautifully spice-filled and long finish. Flavors of chocolate, mint and plum pudding linger elegantly for a few seconds longer than the ’92. Hold.
— J.C.
(2/1/2007)
Most houses declared 1947 instead, but this ’48 is beautiful to taste now. Starts off almost meaty or coffee-like, then shows more plum and prune notes, while delicate herb and floral notes emerge only after prolonged aeration. It’s richly textured in the mouth, with a seamless mouthfeel and no alcohol evident amid the dense, chocolaty flavors. Drink or hold.
— J.C.
(2/1/2007)
Served alongside the 1912 and the 1935, this was by far the darkest and reddest-colored of the flight. Rich berry aromas soar from the glass, graced by notes of toffee and coffee. The alcohol is well integrated, almost hidden in the masses of rich, chocolaty fruit and supple, velvety mouthfeel. Shows great length on the finish, which picks up gorgeous hints of…
— J.C.
(3/1/2004)
At almost 10 years of age, this mammoth effort is just starting to budge along the path to maturity. The nose is rich with scents of baking spices; the palate shows plenty of plum and blackberry fruit, but is more about earth, spice and raw power. This tremendously deep, powerful and structured wine should be even better by 2010, with a plateau of maturity that…
— J.C.
(12/1/2004)
Fonseca vintage Ports are always among the most attractive and long-lived. This 2003 conforms magnificently to that model. It is structured, rich, powerful and opulent. There are cassis and black fig flavors, as well as sweet tannins. It is delicious already, and will remain delicious throughout its long life. Imported by Kobrand.
— R.V.
(11/15/2005)
Bottled in July 2006, this wine remains deliciously open, showcasing floral, violet scents intertwined with rich layers of plum and chocolate. Although the firm structure is evident, there’s more than adequate fruit for balance. A lovely combination of power and elegance. Hold.
— J.C.
(2/1/2007)