LBV
This superb LBV, with its intense berry fruit character, is a beautiful expression of the Fonseca house style.
The wines used to produce Fonseca LBV were drawn from a reserve of some of the best full-bodied red Ports produced at the 2018 harvest, from grapes grown on Fonseca’s own vineyards and on other top properties in the Cima Corgo and Douro Superior areas of the Douro. LBV Unfiltered is aged in large wooden vats and then drawn off into bottle with no fining or filtration. The result is a naturally expressive wine which has sacrificed none of its depth and fullness of flavour. Late Bottled Vintage is bottled when ready to drink. A limited quantity of this outstanding blend was produced.
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HOW TO STORE
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VEGAN
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16ºC - 18 ºC
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READY TO DRINK
The bottle should be kept upright, protected from light and at a cool and constant temperature. The particular qualities of this wine allow it to be enjoyed over an extended period of time once opened, without losing its freshness and vibrancy
This Port wine is Vegan friendly
The wine benefits from being served between 16ºC to 18ºC.
This wine is ready to drink and does not require decanting.
The bottle should be kept upright, protected from light and at a cool and constant temperature. The particular qualities of this wine allow it to be enjoyed over an extended period of time once opened, without losing its freshness and vibrancy
This Port wine is Vegan friendly
The wine benefits from being served between 16ºC to 18ºC.
This wine is ready to drink and does not require decanting.
Tasting Notes
Very deep, intense ruby colour with a very narrow brick rim. The nose is almost impenetrable, tightly packed with dense dark berry fruit aroma, back cherry, blackberry, and blackcurrant. The uncompromising berry fruit character is archetypal Fonseca, the intensity taken to an even higher degree by the fact that the wine is unfiltered, carrying all its body and extract into the bottle. The dark brooding fruit is lifted by a discrete minty, resiny aura of wild herbs. The palate is round and full bodied, with dense, beautifully integrated granular tannins providing structure and weight, the luscious flavours culminating in an intense burst of black berry fruit.
Notes on Viticultural Year
The character of the 2018 wines was influenced by an unusual and occasionally challenging viticultural year. This followed a very hot and dry 2017 and, by mid-January, 56% of Portugal, in particular the northeast, had been declared to be in severe drought. Fortunately, March was very wet and the heavy rainfall, totalling 223mm at Pinhão, built up the reserves of ground water which would prove vital during the ripening season. Until the end of June, the weather remained cold and wet, causing mildew in some vineyards, and hailstorms on 28th May caused extensive damage to some properties in the Pinhão area. The vineyard cycle was about three weeks behind that of the previous year, with véraison only occurring in late July. The weather in July was dry and relatively mild but August saw the arrival of intensely hot weather with temperatures well over 40°C being recorded in the Douro Superior area in the first days of August. The heat allowed the cycle to catch up and, although the hot weather continued, the large amount of moisture in the soil resulted in an even and balanced ripening of the grapes. Harvesting began at Fonseca’s Quinta do Panascal in the Távora Valley and on its Pinhão Valley properties, Cruzeiro and Santo António, in the week of 22nd September and was carried out in hot, dry conditions. The young wines were very deeply coloured and stood out for their fresh fruit character and excellent acidity.
Pairing Suggestions
Recipes and Cocktails with LBV
Get to know the various recipes and cocktails with Fonseca wines!
Receita
Chocolate Mousse
Melt the chocolate in a bowl over a bain-marie, be careful not to...
