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| Community Tasting History |
| Community Tasting Notes (average 95.2 pts. and median of 94 pts. in 18 notes) - hiding notes with no text | | | Tasted by Ebrim on 6/10/2023 & rated 93 points: Short note - dried figs, dark caramell, lemon peel, milk chocolate, orange, dried plums, mushrooms like shitake, long finish, medium sweet, high acidity, medium finish, high concentration, well balanced, outstanding quality, 93p (643 views) | | | Tasted by dcwino on 4/15/2016 & rated 97 points: Weekend with Eddie - Part 1 (Marea, New York City): Intense nose displaying dry figs, molasses, a hint of turpentine, cedar and balsamico. Excellent concentration, very sweet dry fruit driven palate impression, piecing acidity gives the wine excellent precision and energy, and incredibly long finish. This will last forever. (8375 views) | | | Tasted by tinybubbles on 11/20/2015 & rated 96 points: Wonderfully expressive with bitter orange, caramelized brown sugar, nutmeg, persimmon, ginger, molasses, old sawdust, hints of walnut and pecan. Very long finish. (6910 views) | | | Tasted by jhngo on 8/31/2014 & rated 95 points: funky pvc plastic nose. (8117 views) | | | Tasted by tooch on 12/13/2013 & rated 95 points: Domaine Wine Storage Holiday Party (Domaine Wine Storage - Chicago, IL): Has aromas of mineral, plum, and molasses. Loved its layers of fruit, earth, and stone and thought it was still showing very young (despite being open for 2 days). Big thanks to Tim for opening this...hopefully I'll get to try another one of these in the future. (9999 views) | | | Tasted by acyso on 12/12/2013 & rated 98 points: Domaine End of Year Party (Chicago, IL): A surprising tinge of green on the nose. Extremely intense, as if you boiled down a 100-year-old madeira (I suppose, in a very strange way, that is what this is). The palate is extremely rich with lots of caramel and rancio notes. Awesome. (10123 views) | | | Tasted by mdefreitas on 10/10/2013 & rated 94 points: The Matriarch of Madeira, A Tribute to Dona Manuela Barbeito (Bar Boulud, NYC): Compared to the 1887 Malvasia, this was more of what I typically expect from Malvasia: weighty, sweet, tangy, concentrated and dessert-like, but with adequate structure to maintain freshness. Dark cocoa, butterscotch, and caramel flavors intermingle with zippy tropical notes. A superb wine and a rare treat, but I should have had this before the 1887 Malvasia, as I kept think about the brilliant detail that wine possessed. (1952 views) | | | Tasted by Eric on 3/7/2013 & rated 97 points: I've been sitting on a bottle of this for 6 years, and I figured the 10th anniversary of my inaugural tasting note on CellarTracker was the perfect time to crack this baby and steal a couple of ounces.
Wow, wow, wow! I've had this a couple of times, and it was stunning before. This bottle though is on a whole different level. Deep and brothy on the nose with that funky, beefy, caramelized onion thing I find in Madeira. The palate though, oh the palate. So thick and intense, rich, caramel and beef and onion, but then there is this explosion of lime and salt and acid. It's stunning for a wine to carry such richness and length while still showing such unreal acidity. I really need to drink more Madeira, as it is so uniquely fresh and intense.
I really look forward to following this bottle for a long time to come. (6659 views) | | | Tasted by Border Boss on 12/5/2010 & rated 94 points: This is an amazing wine, bottled in 2005. The color is dark brown, concealing the destinctive green rim of Madeira. The nose of toffee literally filled the toom with a sweet smell of candy. The wine does not come across sweet at all, yet the palate is loaded with caramel and toffee notes. The wine would pair well with a number of savory dishes, but the best would be high fat cheeses. This bottle was served with both a double cream and a triple cream and the fat balanced the high acid of the wine perfectly. (7543 views) | | | Tasted by mdefreitas on 3/14/2010 & rated 93 points: Madeira @ The Modern: Homage to Mario Barbeito (NYC): Bottled approx in 1995. Sourced from Campanario. Another dark colored Madeira with a distinct greenish rim. Loads of sultana raisins and brown sugar and spice. Luscious and complex and it kept getting better with air. This really coated and warmed the palate in a soothing manner. (8149 views) | | | Tasted by mdefreitas on 1/20/2007 & rated 94 points: Madeira @ Triomphe (NYC): A number of people in attendance mentioned having this wine several times before, and like them, I agreed that this was one of the best showings for this particular bottling. I will also mention that the gentleman contributing this bottle had vigorously and aggressively decanted it, periodically pouring it back and forth between two different decanters. This is always such a solid wine… dark caramel color with a light greenish tinge on the edge. Lovely aromas of prune, crème brulee, fig and walnut. Lovely intensity, vibrancy and balance. For me, this is textbook Malvasia. VERY (VERY) GOOD+. (10331 views) | | | Tasted by Eric on 1/7/2007: Roy Hersh's Majestic Madeira Extravaganza (Seattle, WA): Very dark color. Somewhat muddy and vegetal with a bit of burned caramel. This seems wrong, slightly off, especially given that this was the only wine in the tasting I have experienced before. The palate shows thick caramel, searing acidity, quite intense. More of that cooked onion thing; I'm starting to wonder if this is simply a smell I associate mostly with Malvasia? This is a bit of a Pamela Anderson wine. Lots of beautiful elements that look good but which doesn't quite hang together as an elegant whole. This was my least favorite wine of the flight, and everyone agreed this was not a representative example of this normally addictive wine. (10605 views) | | | Tasted by rjonwine@gmail.com on 1/7/2007 & rated 94 points: Roy Hersh’s Great Seattle Vintage Madeira Tasting (Kaspars Catering, Seattle, WA): Dark brown with good clarity; nose of crème brulee, brown sugar, mock turtle soup and a hint of rosemary; good body, tangy and lovely with hints of beef and herbs; long gravy-like finish (8149 views) | | | Tasted by PaulH on 2/9/2006 & rated 94 points: Available by the glass at Bacar in San Francisco. Good nose of caramel, molasses, and toffee but not as full and enveloping as the 1863 Boal. The nose carries right on to the palate where there are intense flavors of brown sugar, molasses, and toffee balanced with a bracing sour acidity that makes the wine seem much less sweet than it really is. The most remarkable characteristic about this wine is how it coats the inside of your mouth. You find yourself wiping off your gums with your tounge and and still tasting the wine a minute or two after your sip! Now, THAT is a finish. (9305 views) | | | Tasted by mdefreitas on 2/1/2004 & rated 94 points: Big Portuguese Dinner @ My Apt (San Francisco): (Portugal dinner for SF wine friends) Intense, caramel, molasses, toffee and coffee. Lots of dark flavors and fresh acids. Concentrated, sweet and lucious. A bit more citrus would be nice. Amazing. (10415 views) | | | Tasted by Eric on 5/1/2003: Kickoff Dinner to Roy Hersh's "Great Seattle Weekend of Port" (Sammamish, WA, USA): Another stunning Madeira. Chuck from Seattle Wine Storage refers to this as the "harlot" wine. It is deep brown with a stunning caramel note. (10924 views) | | | Tasted by Xavier Auerbach on 7/3/2001 & rated 97 points: Tour and Madeira Tasting at Vinhos Barbeito (Funchal): Beautifully layered, not as concentrated as the Boal 1863 but a glorious, first-rate Malvazia. (4479 views) | | | Tasted by mdefreitas on 10/6/1999 & rated 98 points: Madeira @ Patroon (NYC): (Rare Wine Company Madeira Tasting @ Patroon, NYC) Very dark chocolate color. One of the wines of the night for me. Thick, sweet, and explosive on the palate. Super long and super rich on the palate. A whirlwind of flavors that are hard to describe. A wine to drink in small sips… and I did, for I wanted it to last forever. How does one make something so rich and decadent? Profound. (11218 views) |
| By Antonio Galloni
Vinous, Spirits: The Tip of the Iceberg (Dec 2022) (12/1/2022)
(Barbeito Malvasia Fortified/spirits) Subscribe to see review text. | By John Gilman
View From the Cellar, Sep/Oct 2021, Issue #95, A Small Handful of Notes On Great Madeira November 2021
(Malvasia- Barbeito) Login and sign up and see review text. | By Neal Martin
Vinous, Hurdling Over Time: 19th-Century Madeira (Feb 2019) (2/1/2019)
(Barbeito Malvasia Fortified/spirits) Subscribe to see review text. | By John Gilman
View From the Cellar, Jan/Feb 2014, Issue #49, Madeira- Timeless Island Wines From Just This Side of Paradise
(Vinhos Barbeito Malvasia) Login and sign up and see review text. | By Roy Hersh
For The Love of Port, Issue #52
(Barbeito Malvasia Vintage Madeira) Subscribe to see review text. | By Roy Hersh
For The Love of Port, July 2007, Issue #25
(Barbeito Malvasia Vintage Madeira) Subscribe to see review text. | By Roy Hersh
For The Love of Port, May 2007, Issue #24
(Barbeito Malvasia Vintage Madeira) Subscribe to see review text. | By Roy Hersh
For The Love of Port
(Barbeito Malvasia Madeira) Subscribe to see review text. | By Roy Hersh
For The Love of Port
(Barbeito Malvasia Madeira) Subscribe to see review text. | By Roy Hersh
For The Love of Port
(Barbeito Malvazia Vintage Madeira) Subscribe to see review text. | By Richard Jennings
RJonWine.com (1/7/2007)
(Barbeito Madeira Malvazia) Dark brown with good clarity; nose of crème brulee, brown sugar, mock turtle soup and a hint of rosemary; good body, tangy and lovely with hints of beef and herbs; long gravy-like finish 94 points |
NOTE: Scores and reviews are the property of Vinous and View From the Cellar and For The Love of Port and RJonWine.com. (manage subscription channels) |
| Barbeito Producer websitePortugal 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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