By Jamie Drummond
2003 Jose Maria Da Fonseca & Van Zeller Vintage Port Portugal (LCBO# 638924) $19.95
With our self-imposed mandate to bring you wines of the week that come in at under $20, it comes as quite a surprise to be recommending a 750ml bottle of vintage port this week. Yes… you read that correctly… the real deal… Vintage Port for under $20!
This little beauty was brought to my attention by none other than Michael Vaughn of Vintage Assessments, and after checking it out for myself I determined that it was just to good to keep all to myself! Previously priced at around $55, this seven year old vintage port has to be one of the better deals that I have seen this year.
Looking back at my tasting notes from some while back I can see that I thought that this port was already approachable, due in no small part to the extremely warm 2003 vintage. The complex nose shows extremely pleasant raisins, currants, nuts and mocha as well as some exotic spice character, something I wasn’t expecting. The palate is true to the vintage with an abundance of packed ripe fruit sitting alongside a structure that has already started to show its age (in a good way) making the wine accessible even after only seven years.
Again, thanks to Michael Vaughn for turning me on to this incredible bargain.
