José Maria Da Fonseca 2000

The climate in the viticulture year of 2000 was, in general, warm and dry. This happened mainly in the second part of the vegetative cycle of the vines, with rainfall 15 to 40% lower than the average of the last 30 years. Very exceptional weather conditions in February and March, with very dry and abnormally hot temperatures, were followed by two very cold and wet months of April and May, delaying and affecting the flowering season. This originated a low fertility rate in some of the most important grape varieties and collure affected the whole of the region.

The result was a small yield throughout the Douro. The whole of the summer was very dry, with temperatures in the area of 40ºC for some days at the beginning of September, just before the harvest. This resulted in a very high concentration of the different components of the grape berries, which, combined with a very healthy sanitary condition of the vines and different grapes, resulted in very powerful and concentrated wines.

The harvest was planned for the second week of September. It started in the Rio Torto area in perfect weather conditions. Picking of the grapes for the Ports started after all the grapes for the Douro Red were in the various lagares. Due to the very hot and dry weather during the harvest, this “delay” allowed the various parcels chosen for the Ports to ripen into perfection for a traditional Vintage Port year.

All grapes were continuously foot trodden at temperatures between 20ºC and 27ºC in the lagares for 5 days before and during the fermentation. With grapes with an initial sugar content of 14º Baumé and over, on average, and a very good acidity, Ports from 2000 are deep purple red in color, with very concentrated and still very closed aromas of mature red fruit with a predominance of raspberries and black cherries. The tannins are very ripe and concentrated.

José Maria da Fonseca & van Zeller 2000LBV Port is a wine with great balance, elegance and finesse and has a very long and fruity finish. A classic LBV Port.
After the fermentation was completed the Ports spent several years in the Douro in old wooden vats and were subsequently brought down to Vila Nova de Gaia Cockburn’s lodges for bottling, which took place in late August 2004.
A total of around 16,500 bottles of 75cl were bottled.

Technical data:
Alcohol: 20%
Baumé: 3,0º
Volatile Acidity: 0,21 g/l
Total Acidity: 3,83 g/l
pH: 3,65
Total SO2: 80 mg/l

Cristiano van Zeller