2015 Fonseca Guimaraens

The 2015 Guimaraens Vintage Port is a field blend aged for 18 months in used French vats. It comes in at 101 grams per liter of residual sugar. Last seen only as a tank sample in Porto, this was the most forward and impressive of the three Fladgate Partnership 2015s this issue (Croft, Taylor's Vargellas and this). I'm not so sure that is still true. At this point, the Vargellas seems to surpass it fairly easily, showing better structure and depth, despite its initial elegance. This Guimaraens still has the fleshiest feel, if I can put it that way, but it no longer seems to have as much real concentration. Its most notable feature now is its serious backbone. It has tightened and closed, the initial flavor bursts presented in June now having largely subsided. It is rather astringent. By comparison, if anything, the Vargellas has picked up a little weight while this has lost a little flesh. The tannins here, as a result, stand out more. In terms of aging, Winemaker David Guimaraens told me that he "guaranteed" at least 50 years from vintage date. I think he's right, because this has as much power as any of the three, but jeer him around 2065 if he is wrong. Overall, this is still a can't-miss bargain at the price.