LBV
Um poderoso Fonseca Unfiltered Late Bottled Vintage que retém todos os magníficos aromas e sabores.
The wines used to produce Fonseca LBV were drawn from a reserve of some of the best full-bodied red Ports produced at the 2019 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.
Tasting Notes
A wonderfully exuberant, perfumed, full, aromatic nose. Luscious, ripe, black cherry and plum fruit with notes of cedar and spice. The wine is wonderfully rich, rounded and concentrated on the palate, with layers of redcurrant and blackcurrant berry flavours, spice, a hint of Ceylon tea and marked freshness. An elegant wine with good complexity. Lovely, intense finish full of flavour.
Notes on Viticultural Year
After a warm and dry dormant period, the vineyard cycle started slightly early with budbreak occurring on March 9, about a week earlier than usual. Overall, the growing season was drier and cooler than average, although the usual April rains were quite heavy, with about 98 mm of precipitation as the grapes began to color as usual in mid-July. Although the ripening season began with high temperatures, the weather in the critical month of August was cooler than average, with some precipitation on the 25th and 26th that balanced the ripening of the vintage. The relatively cool conditions and lack of heat spikes translated into the elegance, lively acidity and fresh fruitiness found in the 2019 wines. The harvest of red grapes in the upper Douro began in warm weather on September 4 and in the Pinhão area on September 14. The harvest was perfectly healthy and in excellent condition, although yields were almost a tenth below the 10-year average. The wines were attractively aromatic, with high natural acidity and above normal color intensity. The harvest started at Quinta do Panascal in the Távora Valley on September 18th and on the 20th at Quinta do Cruzeiro with extraordinarily healthy grapes. The harvest was briefly suspended during a short period of rain on the night of September 21st, 8mm, which was insufficient to interfere with the quality of the wines being made. Perfect weather conditions resumed and the harvest at Quinta do Santo António was postponed until early October. Excellent wines were made until the end of the harvest.
Pairing Suggestions
Fonseca LBV is the perfect finish to any meal. Excellent with fully flavoured cheeses, especially blue cheeses such as Stilton or Roquefort. It is also delicious with desserts made with chocolate or berry fruits.
