1986 Fonseca Guimaraens Vintage Port

Derek T. · Post by **Derek T.** » Wed Apr 04, 2007 3:50 pm

Decanted 3 hours. Lots of thick crust, the type that looks like curled up pieces of grape skin.

Quite dark for a 21 yr old 2nd string VP. Nice spicy nose. Silky smooth but slightly hot entry. Good thick texture and lots of black cherry and some tannin kicking around.

My intention is to drink this at 24 hours and I have high hopes based on this initial taste.

More tomorrow.......

Derek

Alex K. · Post by **Alex K.** » Wed Apr 04, 2007 4:37 pm

I killed a bottle of this at Christmas, thus freeing up another coffin and gaining yet another funnel. Port was great but I made no notes, went extremely well with a vast array of cheeses.

Alan C. · Post by **Alan C.** » Wed Apr 04, 2007 4:43 pm

Is this the one that was cheap in House Of Frasier?
I knew I should have bought one!!!

Derek T. · Post by **Derek T.** » Wed Apr 04, 2007 4:47 pm

Alan,

I just checked the text you sent me on Saturday - it was the FG 87 you saw, not the 86 - I think there is a TN of the 87 from Fred in this month's VT.

Derek

PS: If you ever see a VP that looks cheaper than it should be and it isn't leaking all over the floor then buy it

Alan C. · Post by **Alan C.** » Wed Apr 04, 2007 5:09 pm

You Live and Learn!
Mind you, dont remember seeing too many other Shoppers on Sunday morning, when I went back to get it and forgot!
Weren't you and Jo just rising and mumbling 'Never Again' to each other?
Thats before offering me a box of broken glass!

Derek T. · Post by **Derek T.** » Wed Apr 04, 2007 5:54 pm

Back on the TN......

Now at +5 hours

The small amount of heat has now gone and the tannins have softened. Now drinking beautifully. No significant change to flavours, just a bit more together than it was earlier. Good texture and weight for a drinking port.

I still have lots for tomorrow 8)

Derek

Alex K. · Post by **Alex K.** » Thu Apr 05, 2007 1:01 am

"PS: If you ever see a VP that looks cheaper than it should be and it isn't leaking all over the floor then buy it "

Missed a caveat here, Derek... "unless it has the word 'Cruz' on the bottle", made that mistake once already.

I was in House of Fraser on Saturday and saw the Fonseca Guimaraens. Thought that I saw it as £22, otherwise I would have got some.

Al B. · Post by **Al B.** » Thu Apr 05, 2007 3:46 am

The Fonseca Guimaraens '87 is selling for £22 a bottle in Sansbury's at the moment.

Interestingly, Sainsbury's appear to have had large stocks of this particular port for sometime - I think I recall seeing them first appear on the shelves around August 2006. I'm just waiting for the clearance sales when they decide that they need something different for Christmas 2007.

Bring on the 25% discount.

Alex

Alan C. · Post by **Alan C.** » Thu Apr 05, 2007 6:17 am

Alex,

Better than that, go to the nearest House of Frasier, and if its like the one next to our Hotel in Birmingham it was £14 a bottle, I stood there guarding the whole shelf while I texted Derek to ask what Guimarens meant. When he got back to me and told me it wasn't proper VP and 'second string' stuff, I stupidly walked off without any. :wall:

Alan
PS I went there the following morning, but my need for a Mixed Grill and Headache pills outweighed the sense required to pick a couple up! :wall:

Post by **Andy Velebil** » Thu Apr 05, 2007 9:35 am

Alan C wrote:
Alan
PS I went there the following morning, but my need for a Mixed Grill and Headache pills outweighed the sense required to pick a couple up! :wall:

Alan,

Any seasoned professional would have spent all his money buying the Port and leaving the headache pills for someone else....Darn rookies, someday they will learn

Alan C. · Post by **Alan C.** » Thu Apr 05, 2007 10:07 am

Andy,

You do know that your good friends, Derek and Alex-K, whom I presume ARE seasoned professionals....Couldn't get their arses out of bed to have breakfast! I'd done the walk, the 6 floors of the Department Store, the Mixed Grill, the Sunday Paper,etc,
Before I finally got to meet the pale imitations of the Two Portt Warriers I had seen the night before!

Alan.

Alex K. · Post by **Alex K.** » Thu Apr 05, 2007 12:02 pm

Well you were first to bed.

Alan C. · Post by **Alan C.** » Thu Apr 05, 2007 1:46 pm

Alex,

Ha,ha,ha. Fair enough, I was. :) But thats coz I stayed awake! Do you remember those others coming in with Champagne? I'd be impressed if Derek does.

Alan

Derek T. · Post by **Derek T.** » Thu Apr 05, 2007 5:20 pm

What happened to "What happens on tour stays on tour" ?

Actually, I do remember the Champagne thing and entertaining the guests from Ian's Birthday Party.I seem to remember that they thought we were all a bit nuts

Derek

Derek T. · Post by **Derek T.** » Thu Apr 05, 2007 5:45 pm

OK, back on thread.....

+24 Hours
Has lost the attractive nose. Now quite spirity. Still has a nice strangled texture and back cherry flavour but just too much spirit all round.

Given how far this has deteriorated from yesterday I would say drink within 4 to 12 hours of decanting.

Still good value at around £15 in Sainsbury's Christmas Sale 8)

Derek