Crusted Port is a rare, traditional style of Port, and Fonseca is one of the few houses that continue to produce it. This style is created by blending full-bodied wines that spend four years ageing in large wooden vats. The wines are then bottled without filtration and cellared for a further three years before release.

As the name suggests, it will form a natural ‘crust’ or sediment in the bottle and should therefore be decanted before serving. The presence of the crust indicates that the wine will continue to improve in bottle, developing greater aroma and character with age.

The wine shows an impenetrable purple-black colour with a narrow magenta rim. On the nose, it is elegant and understated, still youthful and tight, yet with impressive depth. Aromas of brambly woodland fruit are layered with hints of apricot and prune. Though initially closed and austere, it gradually opens to reveal subtle notes of leather, exotic wood, and delicate violet.

The palate is full-bodied, supported by a tight mesh of sinewy tannins, and finishes with a firm, assertive grip. The intense dark-berry fruit re-emerges on the palate, lingering into a long, harmonious finish. Displaying all the fine fruit quality that marks the Fonseca house style, this is a wine of immense pleasure now, with excellent potential for further ageing in bottle.