Who won the vintage - 1980?

[Brian C.]

I'm a bit late to this thread, but I tried the 1980 Warre's last month. I was really taken aback (in a good way) by how tannic it was compared to what else I tasted that night. I also tried the 1980 Taylor a year ago, but it didn't blow me away.

[Jeff G.]

I'm acutally a fan of the fonseca 1980

i think it's a fully matured, elegant port that's ready for quaffing now and one i'd be able to finish the bottle in a sitting.

The dow 80 on the other hand is just a smack in the face and while fun tasting, not one i'd sit down with a whole bottle with now.

I found the taylor odd and spirity.

Gould campbell is looking to be the second best of the vintage in terms of approachable/age worthiness.

So, do you go with future potential, or drinking now?

caveat- I understand there are quite a number of people who'd happily drink their port powerful and youthful.

[Roy Hersh]

You're the first I've read that is a fan of the 1980 Fonseca. I've not had a bottle in good shape (unflawed) in several years, so I cannot comment, although I've never been a fan in the past.

You left out the Graham's 1980 which is a beautiful VP too. I think it is a notch up from the Gould Campbell which I really love, but I have the Dow above all and the Ferreira in 3rd place, talk about elegant, fairly mature and ready to drink. It is really enjoyable today, as is their 1975 too!

[John Danza]

I just bought a bottle of 1980 Fucal from Winebid. It was a flyer, as I'm just trying to acquire bottlings of 1980. Any idea who actually made it?

[Jeff G.]

The Ferreira 75?

I had a case and a half stash of fonseca 1980 that i've been working through the past 5 years.

There were 2 that were just madierized, 3 that were acceptable and 2 that was drinking fantastically.

Mature/elegant with an excellent burnt sugar finish.

[Andy Velebil]

To each his own, and I'm glad you enjoy the Fonseca 1980, but for me it has to be the worst declared Fonseca in many many decades. Of the couple of 1980 Fonseca's I've had, both ended up being poured down the sink.

[Jeff G.]

To each his own, and I'm glad you enjoy the Fonseca 1980, but for me it has to be the worst declared Fonseca in many many decades. Of the couple of 1980 Fonseca's I've had, both ended up being poured down the sink.

I can honestly say, that on this forum, i've probably drunk the F 80 probably more times then 95% of the posters here ( ten times in the past 3 years)

Though, looking back with a 30% fail, 40% okay and 30% fantastic certainly tells that it probably wasn't the best that could be offered, but I'd also say that it might be just poor storage/bottle variations that might have attributed to the terrible scores consdering the bottles i've tasted are all from the same two wooden cases and to have a 3 bottes fail so far out of the 10 from the case of 12 fail is pretty bad.

I certainly will never argue that it was weaker then alot of other fonsecas I've had, but am simply saying that the best bottles of F80 are mature, elegant and drinking very well. (the highest i've rated was a 91 FWIW)

[Roy Hersh]

While the F80 has always been the weakest link of any Fonseca vintage I can think of from 1927 onwards, the 1983 is also just mediocre and not great. The 1985 returned Fonseca to the greatness it had achieved in the 1970s and for the many decades before that and after that too.

[Glenn E.]

30% fantastic

(the highest i've rated was a 91 FWIW)

You must use a different scale than I use.

As I recall I was lucky enough to experience one of your better bottles, and I think 90-91 is about right. The bottles that shine qualify as excellent, but just barely, and they're probably not going to hold at that level for too much longer. Rated as a whole, though, I don't think I'd give the '80 Fonseca more than simply "very good" and that's just not up to Fonseca's standards.

[Jeff G.]

30% fantastic

(the highest i've rated was a 91 FWIW)

You must use a different scale than I use.

As I recall I was lucky enough to experience one of your better bottles, and I think 90-91 is about right. The bottles that shine qualify as excellent, but just barely, and they're probably not going to hold at that level for too much longer. Rated as a whole, though, I don't think I'd give the '80 Fonseca more than simply "very good" and that's just not up to Fonseca's standards.

yes we're in agreement on that, was simply saying if the old saying of drink lesser vintages to hold onto the greater, the F80 fits that bill perfectly