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| Drinking Windows and Values |
| Community Tasting History |
| Community Tasting Notes (average 95.5 pts. and median of 95 pts. in 38 notes) - hiding notes with no text | | | Tasted by BradE on 3/24/2023: A fantastic old Madeira. Loved it. (1496 views) | | | Tasted by Matt T on 12/4/2021 & rated 95 points: The birth year of my great grandmother. Bottled in 2008, with over ninety years in wood. Fantastic nose. The residual from an empty glass overnight fills the room with a maple, spice aroma. Sharp acid that is matched with sweet and savory notes. Incredible concentration. A long, long finish that lingers for minutes. (2888 views) | | | Tasted by acyso on 12/4/2020 & rated 95 points: Schwa DIY (Chicago, IL): "pumpkin: rosemary, pumpkin seed, pie spice" Bottled in 2008. An incredibly luscious madeira, which by sheer luck, paired perfectly with the pumpkin parfait. This is raisiny, thick, and unctuous, and quite sweet for a madeira. A little darker in colour and tone than most, you get more of a coffee and burnt sugar profile here. Very potent and the rosemary of the dessert actually gives this an extra dimension of lift. Par for the course for old d'Oliveiras wines (read: exceptional). (5211 views) | | | Tasted by JJYoyo on 12/26/2018 & rated 96 points: Tasted over the course of 2 days. As you’d expect not much difference between the two days. Not much mellowing with a full day of air. Forceful raisiny attack, tons of caramel, a heady spice mix, Turkish coffee, dates. Nose strong enough to rip your head off. Mouthfeel light as air - not a trace of cloying heaviness. Indestructible: you could keep this for another century without fear if you wanted your descendants to have. A great experience.
Score : 96. Relative to expectations: ++ (5864 views) | | | Tasted by RichEB1 on 12/26/2018 & rated 98 points: Let me just start by saying, this stuff is absolutley insane! My first older madeira experience and I can safely say I'm pretty blown away (which I assumed I would be). This pours a thicker, darker, young molasses type color. No way you could tell the age, or even what type of wine this is just by looking at it. On the nose, this is explosive with figs, sweet raisins, and a hint of citrus oil. Very much towards the darker, heavier fortified wine spectrum. Blind, I'd be going aged port all the way. On the palate, this is absolutley nothing like the nose, in that it's all high toned lemons, citrus, and walnuts. Super light on its feet. The levels of acidity in this 110 year old wine are astounding. I think it would have literally ripped your lips off if you tried to drink this before it was bottled in 2006. I'm absolutley loving the dichotomy between the darker nose and the lighter palate, and have literally never tasted anything like it before. Throw in a 90 second finish and this is one of the most interesting, and enjoyable wines I've ever had. Pretty crazy that this was made during a time when the average life expectancy was 47 years old, the average wage was $0.22 per hour, the average worker made between $200 and $400 per year, Ford's Model T went on sale for $825 while there were only 144 Miles of paved roads in the US....and of course....it was the last time that the Cubs won the world Series prior to 2016. Simply amazing that they were able to craft a wine of this caliber back then, and you can't help but to appreciate it even more given the challenges they must have faced during that time. A real treat that I feel privileged to drink with friends and family here at the end of 2018. Life is good!! (6734 views) | | | Tasted by finewinebuff57 on 7/15/2018 & rated 95 points: Amazing youthful. Powerful, incredible nose, soooo long. Real complexity. Tremendous wine. Such longevity but decades in hand. (5684 views) | | | Tasted by LESTERTHEINVESTOR on 10/28/2017 & rated 96 points: Perfectly flamed colored, with amazing legs as it rested in the glass. Smooth, silky, with a slight viscosity to add balance and structure. Raisins and baked spices meet the nose, with the slightly caramel and apricot hints fill in the middle, the end a lingering oak to hazelnut and candied orange peel. Complex and yet simply elegant. For a >100 year old Madeira wine, you can't do better than this. Life is great! (5812 views) | | | Tasted by fcxj on 4/14/2017 & rated 92 points: Fresh, sweet raisins, zero heaviness. Felt like mixture between young sherry and aged port. (5987 views) | | | Tasted by tinybubbles on 3/29/2017 & rated 95 points: Delicious, deep and dark, with a wonderful balance of earthy and savory notes with sweet elements. Beautiful acid across the palate. A baby though (4163 views) | | | Tasted by wineguy75 on 9/17/2016 & rated 92 points: golden raisin / balsamic vinegar. not a favorite dessert wine among the wine dinner crew. (4936 views) | | | Tasted by Xavier Auerbach on 6/25/2016 & rated 94 points: A private lunch (Restaurant The Clove Club *, London, UK): Bottled 2016. Intense and concentrated but not austere or forbidding, hint of lovage from the long oak ageing, caramel and apricot, deep and layered, honey, seashell minerality, just a hint of wood, excellent length. Quite a gentle style for a d'Oliveira of this venerable age. (5718 views) | | | Tasted by KendraPM on 7/4/2015 & rated 95 points: Amazing experience. Has a thick caramel and hazelnut finish with aroma of orange peel. Paired with Praline cake, peanuts and mango sorbet at Blue by Eric Ripert. (5564 views) | | | Tasted by Xavier Auerbach on 2/12/2015 & rated 96 points: A private lunch (Restaurant The Clove Club *, London, UK): Bottled 2008. Real depth of flavour, quite woodsy but not dried out, deep, medium dry, very concentrated and intense, extremely powerful acidity, has retained a wonderful balancing core of ripe fruit, extremely long. (5695 views) | | | Tasted by rromain on 10/12/2014 & rated 99 points: Glinting amber-green eye. Upon opening, so powerful and dense that it is practically untastable; still the same six hours later. At twenty four hours, beginning to emerge from its musclebound state. Powerful high end nose of shellac, caramel, peanut butter cookies, fennel, pine needles, but still partially unresolved. Full richness with searing acidity, with a full synopsis on a two minuit plus finish. 99 plus. Rarely have I ever scored a wine so high that gave me so little pure pleasure. (5786 views) | | | Tasted by PeterH on 5/2/2014 & rated 97 points: Great, as always (5635 views) | | | Tasted by redwiner on 1/12/2013 & rated 92 points: Too long ago for decent notes. Excellent wine. Complex and layered. (5916 views) | | | Tasted by rjonwine@gmail.com on 6/12/2012 & rated 96 points: Madeira Trade Tasting San Francisco (Hotel Monaco, San Francisco, California): Medium dark brown color with yellow meniscus; very appealing, toasted almond, walnut, roast coffee nose; very tasty, rich but balanced, roast coffee, tart lemon, walnut, toasted almond, smoky palate with notes of apricot; long finish (6578 views) | | | Tasted by AllRed on 1/20/2012 & rated 95 points: Deep tawny color. Aromas of lemon peel, toffee, nuts and syrup. Terrific balance, with toffee and caramel, nut and lemon flavors. Long finish. (7723 views) | | | Tasted by WDSteers on 12/28/2011 & rated 99 points: Unbelievable nougat honey and almond (7657 views) | | | Tasted by psmith on 10/22/2011: Acker Auction Chicago (Sixteen Restaurant): Powerful and weighty. Fig/caramel notes. Heady, with uplifting VA and alcohol. Characteristic D''Oliveras restraint despite impressive raw material. Very good. (7093 views) | | | Tasted by Burgundy Al on 10/22/2011 & rated 94 points: Acker Merrall Inaugural Chicago Auction (Trump International Hotel): Lush and creamy Madeira with wonderful flavors of figs and dates. Good sweetness, but then this shows surprising, sneaky power with silky textures through to its long finish. (7837 views) | | | Tasted by igaf on 3/27/2011: Deep dark brown colour. Amazing, deep, complex bouquet with dark chocolate, nuts, mushrooms, barely a touch of VA, and more. Very concentrated, creamy palate with fantastic, piercing acidity. Dates, chocolate, raisins, spices, coffee, oranges. Spicy, endless aftertaste with gingerbread, lemons... Extremely satisfying. Wonderful!! (2898 views) | | | Tasted by BradE on 12/26/2010: Gorgeous, and a nice end to Christmas dinner. Perfect bottle. Leaned to the brown sugar, caramel side. Lovely. (4894 views) | | | Tasted by Ben Christiansen on 10/26/2010: Well hell, the color is noticeably different than any other Madeira I have had, including the d'Oliveiras '37 Sercial.
Here, carmel and viscious, dense but clear as well. It comes to mind that Riedel's Sangiovese glasses may not be the best glass to taste this wine out of of.
My honest first thought was that it comes across a touch hot with some volitile acidity showing as well. But it was just opened, and it still is a real beauty. Lots of carmel, nuty, some tannin; seems rather closed across the palate and not all that complex. BUt maybe it just needs to breath? Funny that, a wine that has been breathing for 100 years needs more time. We shall see. (4781 views) | | | Tasted by NomadicEntrepreneur on 10/1/2010 & rated 97 points: Wow (4904 views) | | | Only displaying the 25 most recent notes - click to see all notes for this wine... |
| By Neal Martin
Vinous, Madeira: Fortified for All Occasions (Oct 2019) (10/1/2019)
(D'oliveira Boal Reserva Fortified/spirits) Subscribe to see review text. | By Roy Hersh
For The Love of Port, Issue #81 (5/18/2013)
(D’Oliveiras Bual Vintage Madeira) Subscribe to see review text. | By Roy Hersh
For The Love of Port, Issue #57 (5/21/2010)
(D’Oliveiras Boal Vintage Madeira) Subscribe to see review text. | By Jancis Robinson, MW
JancisRobinson.com (4/27/2010)
(D'Oliveiras Boal Madeira White) Subscribe to see review text. | By Roy Hersh
For The Love of Port, Issue #49 (2/6/2010)
(D’Oliveiras Bual Vintage Madeira) Subscribe to see review text. | By Richard Hemming, MW
JancisRobinson.com (10/15/2009)
(D'Oliveiras, Reserva Boal Madeira White) Subscribe to see review text. | By Antonio Galloni
Vinous, In Appreciation of Madeira (Oct 2008)
(D'oliveira Boal Reserva) Subscribe to see review text. | By Roy Hersh
For The Love of Port, May 2009, Issue #42
(D’Oliveiras Bual Madeira Vintage) Subscribe to see review text. | By Roy Hersh
For The Love of Port, July 2007, Issue #25
(D’Oliveiras Baul Vintage Madeira) Subscribe to see review text. | By Richard Jennings
RJonWine.com (6/12/2012)
(D'Oliveiras Madeira Boal Reserva) Medium dark brown color with yellow meniscus; very appealing, toasted almond, walnut, roast coffee nose; very tasty, rich but balanced, roast coffee, tart lemon, walnut, toasted almond, smoky palate with notes of apricot; long finish 96 points | By Richard Jennings
RJonWine.com (5/21/2010)
(D'Oliveiras Madeira Boal Reserva) Dark brown color with yellow green meniscus and ruby lights; damp earth, rich roasted coffee, baked walnut nose, rich and warming; tasty, rich, warming, orange pekoe, orange zest, coffee cake, dried fruit palate with medium, zingy acidity; very long finish 96 points | By Richard Jennings
RJonWine.com (4/3/2008)
(D'Oliveiras Madeira Boal Reserva) Dark coffee brown color with red lights and medium yellow meniscus; big VA, tart caramel and bitter chocolate nose; rich, wonderful, bittersweet chocolate, lemon, roasted coffee palate with structure and focus; long finish 97 points |
NOTE: Scores and reviews are the property of Vinous and For The Love of Port and JancisRobinson.com and RJonWine.com. (manage subscription channels) |
| D'Oliveiras Producer website
D'Oliveiras wines are among the most cherished on the island as they simply have vast stocks of tasty old wines and great innovation. The Rare Wine Co Historic Series (of classic American Madeiras) was accurately well done by D'Oliveiras and the recent Verdelho/Bual blend portends tremendous flavor excitement as these two classics combine into something symphonic.
The 68 and 08 are most rewarding wines. Ricardo must have a near perfect career!ReservaStill Portuguese table wines of designated origin may also be labelled "reserva", indicating an alcohol content of at least 0.5% higher than the legal minimum established by the respective DOC or VR; however, stricter requirements in individual DOCs may supersede this standard.
(Court of Master Sommeliers)Portugal ViniPortugal (Associação Interprofissional para a Promoção dos Vinhos Portugueses/Portuguese Wine Trade Association)MadeiraThe Madeira Wine Guide and For The Love of Port are two essential sites on the wines of Madeira.MadeiraFrom Mannie Burk@ Rare Wine Co :
When served in 1950, the wine was 158 years old, but in fine condition, still boasting Madeira’s trademark rich, sweet, velvety taste and roomfilling aromas of butterscotch, cocoa and coffee. Sir Winston insisted on serving the guests himself, asking each in turn, “Do you realize that when this wine was vintaged Marie Antoinette was alive?”
Madeira’s longevity earns it a special place in the realm of old wine. What other wine requires over a half century to mature? And what other wine, when a century old, still benefits from several hours of breathing and can stand up to weeks in a decanter, without losing its complexity or its richness? And how many wines can live for two centuries and still offer not only the pleasure of their antiquity, but also the enjoyment of drinking?
The robustness and longevity of Madeira, even once opened, allows for endless experimentation with food pairings and drinking occasions.
Madeira’s Mountain Vineyards:
Madeira is produced on a breathtakingly beautiful volcanic island of the same name which surges from the sea at a point 360 miles west of Morocco and 700 miles south of Portugal, which governs it. The history of Madeira’s wine is nearly as old as that of the island. The island was first settled by Europeans—led by the Portuguese explorer Zarco—in 1419. By 1455 a visitor from Venice wrote that Madeira’s vineyards were the world's most beautiful. Within a century, the wine from these vineyards was well established in markets throughout Europe and by the 1600’s it had become the most popular wine in Britain’s North American colonies.
America’s First Wine:
The popularity of Madeira in the American colonies got a huge boost in 1665 when the British authorities banned the importation of products made or grown in Europe, unless shipped on British vessels from British ports. Products from Madeira were specifically exempted. British merchants in Madeira took full advantage of this by establishing close ties with merchants in Boston, New York, Philadelphia, Baltimore, Charleston and Savannah. A steady trade developed in which wine from Madeira was traded for such American products as indigo, corn and cotton. This trade continued unabated until the early 1800’s, except when politics and war interfered in the 1770’s.
For two centuries, Madeira was the wine of choice for most affluent Americans. Francis Scott Keyes is said to have penned the Star Spangled Banner, sipping from a glass of Madeira. George Washington's inauguration was toasted with Madeira, as was the signing of the Declaration of Independence. Wealthy families from Boston to Savannah established extensive collections of Madeiras. Madeira became high fashion, and“Madeira parties” (a forerunner of today’s wine tasting) became major social events.
How Madeira is Made:
Madeira is produced from grapes grown on terraces cut into the island's steep mountainsides. Like Port, Madeira is a “fortified” wine to which brandy has been added. But unlike other fortified wines, Madeira is also heated for several months, either in special vats or in the attic lofts of the Madeira lodges.
This heating (called “estufagem”) had its origins in the days when merchant ships called at Madeira on their way to the East and West Indies. Beginning in the late 1600's, wines from Madeira's vineyards were frequent cargo on ships sailing to the Americas, as well as to mainland Portugal, England and India. According to legend, the value of a trip to the tropics was learned when an orphan cask, forgotten in a ship's hold, returned to Madeira from a trip across the Equator. The wine was found to be rich and velvety, far better than when it left, and a tropical cruise became part of the Madeira winemaking tradition.
Throughout the 18th and 19th centuries, producers continued to send casks of their wines on long voyages, for no other reason than to develop greater character. The ocean traveling wines were called vina da roda (“wines of the round voyage”) and those that crossed the Equator twice were considered the best. Some Madeiras were named for the vessels with which they sailed (Constitution, Balthazar, Red jacket, Hurricane, Comet) or the places they had been (East Indies, West Indies, Japan, Argentina). Although this practice ended in the first decade of the 20th century, heating is still a critical step in the making of all Madeiras.
A Century of Change:
While the majority of Madeiras are blends of vintages and grape varieties, it is the vintage wines, and the now-vanishing soleras that are Madeira’s claim to greatness. Vintage and solera Madeiras are not simply a selection of the best wines from the best years, they are made from particular “noble” grape varieties after which the wines are named. These names—Malmsey, Bual, Verdelho, Sercial—not only describe a grape variety; they also describe a style, with Malmsey being the sweetest and richest (and therefore the most like Vintage Port) and Sercial being the lightest and the driest.
There are other grape varieties whose names you may stumble across on old bottles of Madeira. Terrantez and Bastardo, in particular, are grapes that were widely grown up to the late 1800's and whose old wines can still be found on occasion. The virtual extinction of Terrantez and Bastardo grapevines in the late 1800's coincided with the decline of the Madeira wine trade and resulted from the same causes: two diseases of the vine, Oidium and Phylloxera, both of which also struck the vineyards of Europe, but in Madeira caused much greater, and more lasting, destruction.
The Oidium crisis began in 1852 and lasted about a decade; during this time some 90 percent of the island's vines were destroyed by powdery mildew, and the number of firms producing wine decreased by over 75 percent. There was a brief period of replanting and rebuilding in the 1860's, but then Phylloxera struck in 1872, reducing the island's vine acreage to about 1,000 by the early 1880’s.
The Phylloxera crisis, too, passed, and by the turn of the century production had been restored throughout the island, albeit at somewhat lower levels. But the costs had been heavy. Madeira had largely lost its traditional markets—America, England and the British East Indian colonies. Relatively less of the classic grape varieties were now grown, as they gave way to more prolific, but less distinguished, varieties. And, of course, stocks of older wines had been largely depleted, after a half century during which little young wine was being produced.
Today, the world's supply of fine Madeira is negligible. However, those few examples that have survived from the 19th and early 20th centuries are among the world's most majestic wines, which no wine lover should fail to experience.
Over the past twenty years, our passion for these noble wines has grown with each passing month. We believe that they are among the greatest, most individual wines this planet has ever produced. They possess a richness and grandeur shared by only a few wines.
And their ability to age makes them absolutely unique. Most wines are dead and gone at age 100; and at best they are barely drinkable. But after a century, a Madeira can be just reaching its prime, possessing the depth of great age, but also the vigor of youth.
The gradual depletion of the world’s stocks of these irreplaceable wines has only encouraged us to try harder to find the wines that remain.
A Note on Prices and Quality:
As they have grown in rarity, and the sources of supply diminish, the price of Madeira on the world market has skyrocketed. Though many of the older wines arguably are worth whatever you may be asked to pay, the rising tide—combined with Madeira’s mystique—has also raised the prices of mediocrities to the levels of the greats. |
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