MOSCATEL DE SETUBAL OF THE 1966 VINTAGE
Specially shipped for this anniversary sale from the cellars of José Maria da Fonseca, Succrs, Azeito, Portugal and now lying at Christie's
J.M. da Fonseca, not to be confused with the port of that name, is one of the biggest and certainly one of the very best producers of table wine in Portugal. However they are particularly celebrated for a remarkable desert wine made from a clone of Muscat of Alexandria, as with port, the fermentation is arrested by the addition of grape spirit leaving residual sugar. The richly flavoured muscat skins are left to soak and macerate for five months, presssed and matured in large wooden vats for three to four years. The wines gain in depth, richness and sweetnesss due to evaporation. Wines of the best vintages are then matured further in 600-litre casks.
Still a family firm, the bodegas are at Azieto, a small town south of Lisbon. There, in a special vaulted cellar are stocks of rare moscatel "Apoteca wines". selected vintages back to 1880, still in remarkable condition, the oldest now stored in bottles, from the 1920 vintage, 1990 still in cask.
The directors of J.M. da Fonseca have very kindly requested that the proceeds of these three lots are donated to the Wine and Spirit Trades' Benevolent Society
Setúbal Superior--Vintage 1966
Details
Setúbal Superior--Vintage 1966
In distinctive 50cl. Setúbal bottles
Tasting note: pure amber gold, "warm", high toned muscat, not unlike a rich Bual; deliciously sweet, fairly concentrated, great length. MB 1 bottle per lot
In distinctive 50cl. Setúbal bottles
Tasting note: pure amber gold, "warm", high toned muscat, not unlike a rich Bual; deliciously sweet, fairly concentrated, great length. MB 1 bottle per lot