FONSECA QUINTA DO PANASCAL 2004 75CL 20%

Opulent nose, full of ripe fat cherry and damson fruit. Great mouth filling wine with lots of rounded ripe fruit flavours of plum and strawberry jam. Lovely soft velvety texture. Harmonious and stylish. The 1998 growing season started extremely wet. The water table was replenished but this in turn caused extensive erosion problems, particularly in old terraced vineyards. A cold spring followed with temperatures just above freezing in mid -April. With May came a burst of warmth. A dry, hot summer, with temperatures exceeding 40 ? C during the first two weeks of August, was followed by daily showers during the harvest which began on 20th September. The almost perfect growing season caused great excitement in the Douro until picking began. The rain during the harvest caused dilution of the fermenting musts and a corresponding reduction in the power of the final wines. Hopes were dampened and the overall yield turned out to be the lowest of the decade. In a nutshell: A rich and velvety Single Quinta Vintage Port made entirely from the fruit of Quinta do Panascal.

Made in years where a general vintage is not declared Single Quinta Vintages are earlier maturing and more approachable styles and certainly represent good value for money. They are bottled without filtration so need decanting. The wines of Quinta do Panascal have an excellent reputation and are noted for their rich, voluptuous fruitiness.

The 1999 has a deep purple hue and quite a piquant jamminess on the nose. On the palate it's fleshy, rich and rounded with a hint of liquorice. The smooth tannins give it good balance leading to a succulent, lingering finish. When to drink: Subtly complex and just now reaching maturity; while perfect with strong cheese try also with dried fruits and figs.