Fonseca Guimaraens Vintage 2008

Ageing Period:
Aged for 24 months in oak casks and then in bottles for about a decade until it reaches maturity.

Winemaking Process:
Port Wine from a single harvest or of undeclared or "non-classical years", made from high quality vineyards of Fonseca’s farms.
These wines mature in Fonseca’s cellars in Vila Nova de Gaia and are only sold a decade after the harvest, when they reach maturity.

Tasting Notes:
Very deep purplish-black with violet highlights.
As would be expect of a Guimaraens Vintage Port, the first impression on the nose is a strong burst of blackberry, cassis, strawberry and wild berries.
These luscious berry fruit flavours are seasoned with coffee notes, treacle and spice wrapped in a fragrant balsamic aura of rock rose flower and mint.
The intense fruit flows through the palate as a dense blackcurrant coulis.
The palate is supported by a taut fabric of closely woven tannins and its long finish resembles a blast of sumptuous ripe berry fruit flavour.

YEAR NOTES
The 2008 winter was drier and colder than usual, registering only 258mm of average rainfall between November and March. Fortunately, April was a wet month and secured enough water supply restoration.
Flowering occurred under wet and cold conditions. As a result, all castes were affected by an imperfect fertilization, producing less but having a higher flavour concentration.
In the 2008 growing season, temperatures were remarkably similar to 2007, with lower temperatures than average and a mild August. The grapes’ final maturity was greatly favoured by the rains that fell between 4 and 7 September and by a further precipitation that occurred just before the beginning of the harvest.
The harvest began on September 25 in Quinta do Panascal and September 26 in the Pinhão valley.
A key feature of the whole harvest were the hot days combined with cool nights, resulting in perfect weather conditions, not only for the final ripening of the grapes, but also for the duration of fermentation.
This gave this Port a wonderful fruit freshness, complexity and great structure.