Late Bottled Vintage Porto 2012
Trade Tools
Portugal / Douro Valley Porto
The wines used to produce Fonseca Late Bottled Vintage were drawn from a reserve of some of the best full bodied red ports produced during the 2012 harvest, from grapes grown on Fonseca’s own vineyards and other top properties in the Cima Corgo and Douro Superior. These wines are aged in wood vats of 50 pipes (27,500 litres) capacity and then bottled after five years. A limited quantity of this outstanding blend was produced. Late Bottled Vintage is bottled when ready to drink. This port benefits from being decanted before serving, as it is not filtered when bottled.
Harvest Note
The winter prior to the 2012 harvest was considerably colder and drier than normal with only 7.2 inches of rain falling at Pinhão. Budburst occurred under very dry conditions towards the end of the third week in March, followed by very welcome rainfall in April and early May. The vineyards at the end of May showed low vigor, due to the combination of the cooler than normal spring and the extremely dry winter. The temperatures for the 2012 growing season were very balanced, with no real spikes of intense heat. The vines maintained their lower than usual vigor and the smaller bunches and berries resulted in a low yield for the year. By mid-August, the canopies covering the grapes were still incredibly luscious and in good condition, helping the grapes to continue ripening during the entire vintage, something that rarely occurs. Picking started on September 18th and with the exception of some rainfall on the 24th, the rest of the harvest was carried out under perfect conditions.
Tasting Note
Wonderfully exuberant, pungent, full, aromatic nose. Luscious, ripe, black cherry and plum fruit with notes of cedar and spice. The wine is wonderfully rich, rounded, concentrated, with layers juicy berry flavours and attractive notes of cedar. An elegant wine with good complexity. Lovely, intense finish full of flavor.
Technical Data
GRAPES: Touriga Nacional, Touriga Francesa, Tinto Cão, Tinta Roriz, Tinta Barroca
APPELLATION: Douro
PH: 3.60
ACIDITY: 3.64 g/l
ABV: 20%
RESIDUAL SUGAR: 105 g/l
Unique Selling Points
- An LBV made from Fonseca’s own estate vineyard grapes.
- Produced in high quality vintages.
- Shows many of the characters of vintage Porto, but is ready to drink sooner.
“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
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.
