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2019
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| Drinking Windows and Values |
| Drinking window: Drink between 2011 and 2024 (based on 12 user opinions) |
| Community Tasting History |
| Community Tasting Notes (average 87.2 pts. and median of 87 pts. in 52 notes) - hiding notes with no text | | | Tasted by cos65 on 10/29/2023 & rated 90 points: Medium clear amber
Nutty aromas
Sweet, but not syrupy, great acid and bitter roasted chestnut flavors.
This really is a great QPR. Perfect for relaxed sipping or cooking. (265 views) | | | Tasted by KL1975 on 5/3/2023 & rated 90 points: I normally prefer Port, but this Madeira is very good. Drank over several weeks, without significant variation. Caramel, orange, brown sugar, med+ acidity and finish. Very good, 89-90. (445 views) | | | Tasted by vaenoke on 1/27/2023 & rated 89 points: Sweet toned nose has burnt sugar, candied banana, toasted pecan nuts, whiff of orange peel and a touch of vanilla. Burnt sugar ant pecans replicated in the taste, along with figs, raisins and dried apricots. Some saline notes, dried grapefruit peel and slight touch of salinity. Full body, high acid, medium sweet, good length. VG++ (534 views) | | | Tasted by papak on 7/16/2022 & rated 91 points: I’m not a big Madeira drinker, I prefer port and sauternes for dessert wines, but I really enjoyed this. Caramel, raisin, and hazelnut on the nose and a bright palate of peach and orange. The sweetness and acidity are nicely balanced, and the finish is pleasantly long. A great bargain. (605 views) | | | Tasted by theebigjuan on 5/9/2022 & rated 88 points: Good notes here. QPR is just fine for an entry level Madeira. (701 views) | | | Tasted by lovanc@outlook.com on 2/16/2020: Oxidized caramel and raisin goodness. This is a rich wine with a great mouthfeel and enough acid to not come across as cloying. (58 views) | | | Tasted by Peter Kleban on 1/21/2020: **
Bought mainly for cooking purposes, but I really like it. This note by Dionysusx describes it well: "Light, smooth with a slight nutty and bitter finish. Very enjoyable after dinner." (1200 views) | | | Tasted by honest bob on 3/15/2017 & rated 86 points: Madeira in Madeira; 3/15/2017-3/20/2017: Pleasant enough balance of grapey caramel and acid, but lacking grip, depth and backbone. 85-86P (2810 views) | | | Tasted by cos65 on 12/20/2016: Amber colored, sweet oxidized fig aromas. Feels sweet at first on palate and comes off a bit lighter than expected, but nice acidity and finishes a bit drier. Very good quality for the price (2304 views) | | | Tasted by Ombibulous on 11/21/2016 & rated 88 points: Delicious! I really liked it. I enjoyed the whole bottle. Affordable, good quality Boal. I paid $21.50 plus portion of shipping. Will buy it again at that price. (2285 views) | | | Tasted by mdefreitas on 8/27/2016 & rated 86 points: Consistent with previous tastes. Simple, soft and light. Tough to complain though, given the price. (2595 views) | | | Tasted by mdefreitas on 7/16/2016 & rated 86 points: Simple, soft and a bit on the fruity side, without much torrefaction. Enjoyable, even if it lacks complexity, for under $20. (2343 views) | | | Tasted by jayw on 6/16/2016: Light styled Madeira with plum and fig, caramel, lemon zest, almond and pine resin. More off dry than sweet and not quite in balance. Good acidity, but on the hot side. Needs airing for the alcohol to blow off. A welcome, refreshing change from thicker, richer dessert wines. (1170 views) | | | Tasted by Dionysusx on 2/24/2016 & rated 91 points: Light, smooth with a slight nutty and bitter finish. Very enjoyable after dinner. (1345 views) | | | Tasted by isaacjamesbaker on 2/3/2016: Madeira Pilgrimage; 2/1/2016-2/4/2016 (Madeira): Paired nicely with foie gras - the sweetness fits well with the richness of foie gras and chestnut "cappuccino." (2828 views) | | | Tasted by Tannatastic on 1/14/2016 & rated 90 points: Fantastic value for Bual and Madeira.
Kind of off brownish to amber colour. Classic Bual restraint, not too sweet, plenty of nutty caramel, with dried fruits (raisins and currants), plenty of acidity and a long finish.
Polished it off in one sitting it was that good. (1241 views) | | | Tasted by MetaXelor on 2/7/2015 & rated 90 points: Sight: clear, bright, lighter ruby or pale garnet, sort of straw colored near rim
Nose: alcohol, wood, dried fruits?, fruit much less noticeable than in Malmsey
Palate: alcohol, raisins, medium sweet, citric acidity (lemons) that quickly sweeps away sweetness (alcohol hits first, followed by sweetness, just as you start to get feel for sweetness the sweetness is quickly overwhelmed by acidity), long citric acid finish
General impression is that this bual is not as overwhelmingly sweet as malmsey. Consider pairing with fruit instead of sweet desserts. (1674 views) | | | Tasted by havarhar on 12/5/2014 & rated 87 points: The bootle was bought on a trip to Madeira island.
Cooper / bronze colour (brown with hint of pink). Clear and light colour.
The smell is what I would expect from a Madeira, with hint of almonds (mandel).
Tasts like a sweet little candy. Nice sweetness, without being to much. The alcohol taste is perfectly balanced with the normal red wine taste. Last long in the mouth.
One glass after arriving to our cottage in the mountains, in front of the fireplace, with snow and cold weather outside the window. Lovely with one glass, but two glasses is to much of a good thing for me. Perfect in small quantities.
20.12.2014: After 15 days in the fridge, we drunk the last glas from the bottle. Still as good as when we opened the bottle. The wine tastes the same as just after we opened the bottle. (1580 views) | | | Tasted by mdefreitas on 11/28/2014 & rated 86 points: Light, soft and easy drinking. I think for about the same price, the Broadbent 5 year has a bit more bite. (1711 views) | | | Tasted by PT insurgent on 11/9/2014: Between this and the Malmsey 5 yr is splitting hairs, this is drier, bit fresher.
Good value. Lacks serious complexity (1484 views) | | | Tasted by Jona on 11/8/2014 & rated 87 points: Finally a bual! Lingering and fresh mouthfeel with a nutty aroma. Almost rustic but still very enjoyable. (1456 views) | | | Tasted by PSPatrick on 5/1/2014 & rated 88 points: “Blandy Madeira”-Tasting in May 2014, Wine 3 (non-blind). The wine was dark amber in colour, with pale, olive green edges. It offered orange peel, citrus, raisins in rum, fruit cake, dark caramel, hazelnut, walnut, cocoa, coffee beans and a mouldy component on the nose. On the palate the reasonably balanced wine was sweet, with orange peel, citrus, some caramel, hazelnut, almond, earl grey tea and milk coffee, paired with high, prominent acidity, some heat from the alcohol, a good, creamy mouthfeel and incredible length. Solid. 88+ (1428 views) | | | Tasted by lovanc@outlook.com on 4/25/2014: Wonderful balance of sweetness with acidity. Lots of toasty nuts and caramel. Great pair with fruity desserts that are not too sweet (51 views) | | | Tasted by Man in Black on 2/26/2014: The wine is clear and bright with a medium brown colour and dense slow falling legs. The nose is clean and fully developed, showing medium+ intensity aromas of caramel, brown sugar, toffee, coffee, prunes and chocolate. The wine is medium-sweet with a high refreshing acidity. It has low tannins and medium alcohol for a fortified wine. The body is medium+ and the flavour intensity pronounced with notes of prunes, caramel, brown sugar, coffee and chocolate. The finish is medium+.
It is a very good quality wine because it shows a nice balance between sweetness and acidity, a good length and a nice flavour concentration. However it could be more complex. Drink now, the wine will not evolve in the bottle but it can be kept for many years. (1267 views) | | | Tasted by isaacjamesbaker on 6/8/2013 & rated 88 points: Wines on Pride Day (Washington, DC): A gold-orange-hazelnut color in the glass. Bursts from the glass with figs, caramel, dried honey, quince. Full and honeyed on the palate, with gobs of apricot, figs and dried mango. Secondary flavors of hazelnut, clover honey and cinnamon keep this interesting, and there's enough acid to balance the sweetness and richness. Simply delicious. With mixed nuts, bleu cheese and dried fruits, this Madeira could make anyone’s evening. (2256 views) | | | Only displaying the 25 most recent notes - click to see all notes for this wine... |
| Blandy's 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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