early opaque with a deeply saturated burgundy hue and a pink-tawny edge; the darkest color of any 1966 in the tasting. If we had been blind tasting, I would have been guessing 1985. I’ve experienced some bottle variation with this Port over the years, but this one was stellar. The nose offers up perfumed notes of carnation petals, baking spices, smoky plums along with sweet and sour cherries. Does a 50 year old get any better than this? A spectacular wine that seems to have put on weight every time I went back to it, a heavy weight contender, succulent, vibrant and focused … off-the-charts! Dense, rich and chewy red plum and ripe mulberry with just a scoach of caramel in the distance; pure and hedonistic. It’s a step up from the Taylor, and with a remarkably nuanced finish. Such a brilliant young Fonseca with a bright future ahead, bottles this perfect – clearly, another quarter century is not a stretch!

I had the good fortune to have a few bottles of ’66 Fonseca in my cellar when my daughter was born back in 1996, and it was a very good companion during those early sleep-deprived nights. To my mind this great wine is emblematic of how stunning the top ’66 ports can be, and for those who have not had the pleasure of tasting the 1966, it is every bit as profound as the stunning ’63 Fonseca. The bouquet on the ’66 is a classic expression of Fonseca, as it simply soars from the glass in a mélange of black cherries, plums, bitter chocolate, tobacco, a touch of tar, earth and intense violets. On the palate the wine is full-bodied and laser-like in its focus, with great mid-palate depth, strong acids, and excellent length and focus on the very intense finish. The 1966 may even have perhaps a bit better structure and acidity than the 1963, though it does not quite possess the same powerfully profound depth of fruit. I have a very hard time picking between this great wine and the 1963. Best to have both in the cellar. (Drink between 2006-2040)