Fonseca releases Guimaraens 2013

The Fladgate Partnership has released a 2013 Fonseca Guimaraens Vintage Port as the brand celebrates its bicentenary this year.

Fonseca Guimaraens is generally reserved for years when there is no classic Fonseca Vintage Port, which is a bigger more long lasting expression.

The Port was released this morning on St George’s Day, which is the traditional date for vintage declarations.

Commenting on the release, Adrian Bridge, who is CEO at The Fladgate Partnership, which owns Fonseca, said that he was “delighted” to be “celebrating the bicentenary of the house with the release of a textbook Guimaraens 2013 Vintage Port.”

While Fonseca started trading on 8 April, 1815, Guimaraens Vintage Ports have been made for over a century, drawing on the best produce of Fonseca’s own estates in years that produce more supple and early maturing wines when a Classic Vintage is not “declared”.

Head winemaker David Guimaraens commented: “There were exceptionally rich, powerful wines produced in 2013 prior to the rains of late September.

Continuing, he said, “The Ports made from the Fonseca estates in the first week of the harvest were outstanding, allowing us to produce a very fine Guimaraens 2013 Vintage blend, full bodied and packed with dense berry fruit flavour.”

Fonseca Guimaraens 2013 will be shipped to the UK later in the year, but it will be sold in six 75cl bottle wooden cases (or twelve halves) “en primeur” for a recommended retail price of around £30 per bottle in Fine Wine merchants such Berry Bros, Bordeaux Index, The Wine Society, Fine & Rare, Lay & Wheeler and “independent specialists”.