2022 Fonseca Guimaraens

I found the 2022 Guimaraens Vintage Port quite tasty, expressive and open, corresponding to the style of the brand. It's less concentrated and more approachable than when they produce wine for their first brand, Fonseca. The grapes come from their properties in the Douro planted with the traditional grape varieties and with a significant number of grapes from mixed varieties that correspond to the old vines. It has 20% alcohol, 4.6 grams of acidity and 98 grams of sugar. It has nice structure and integrated alcohol, the tannins are nicely coated by the fruit and the flavors are focused, clean and precise. 26,400 bottles produced. It was bottled in 2024.

As all the Fladgate ports, foot-trodden and aged two years in very big oak vats (20,000 litres). The Guimaraens vintage port is made in vintages when the classic Fonseca vintage port is not declared. 'Blended from the best produce of the firm’s Pinhão Valley estates, Cruzeiro and Santo António, and Fonseca’s flagship property, Quinta do Panascal, on the right bank of the Távora.' Black core with dark purple rim. Rich, ripe and powerful. Much the thickest in texture of the three Fladgate 2022 vintage ports but still with an energy and freshness that is a counterbalance to the compact tannins. Deep and mouth-filling, with the rocky character of the Douro alongside the richness of ripe fruit. Deep-fruited, full-bodied and yet fresh on the finish. The tannins are thick and chalky but not in the least aggressive, adding to the freshness. Embryonic gorgeousness. GV (JH)