Terroir-istes International - Portugal, Madeira

A look into Madeira through the various styles

• NV Barbeito Madeira Sercial Old Reserve 10 Years Old 90 Points

  Portugal, Madeira

  (Tasted Blind): Mid brown/tawny wine; The nose is complex with prominent notes of walnuts, wood smoke, dried citrus peel and damp rocks.
  Intense on entry with a lovely refreshing, if firm, acidity. Plenty of walnuts, hazelnuts and almonds with a delightful austerity that is lip-smacking. While it doesn't have lots of depth, it is elegant and relatively complex. It closes with cheese rind, dried apricot and caramel but lacks the polish found in Henrique & Henriques, for example. It is aged in French oak for 10-14 years and has an alcohol content of 19%.

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• NV Barbeito Madeira Verdelho 10 Years Old 91 Points

  Portugal, Madeira

  (Tasted Blind): A mid-brown/tawny colour. Lifted and intense nose with aromas of toffee, dried orange peel, rancio, raisin, smoke and brown sugar.
  With a slight alcohol burn on entry, the palate has weight and depth supported by bracing acidity and clear rancio-like flavours.
  In terms of flavour, there are elements of dried citrus peel, Christmas cake, smoked lemons, nuts and caramel.
  Complex, the wine came across like a combination of fino sherry, Tia Maria, and Cinzano! closes with coffee-like qualities reminiscent of tiramisu and a touch of celery seeds.
  18.5% Alc; 67.8 RS

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• NV Barbeito Madeira Boal Old Reserve 10 Years Old 93 Points

  Portugal, Madeira

  (Tasted Blind) A mid+ brown/tawny colour. The nose offers walnuts, Christmas cake, raisins, meebos, nuts and a more pronounced rancio character.
  Much richer and sweeter on entry, the wine has a towering acidity, and a creamy texture and exudes a lovely weight in the mouth. Extremely complex with baked fruits, almond, plump raisin and almond flavours. Again elegant, the balance between acidity and sweetness is stunning, creating layers of intrigue as the wine flows along.
  19% Alc; 79.1 RS

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• NV Barbeito Madeira Malvasia Old Reserve 10 Years Old 90 Points

  Portugal, Madeira

  (Tasted Blind): A mid to deep brown/tawny colour. A captivating, intense aroma that entices with sultanas, raisins, pepper, hazelnut, citrus peel and walnuts.
  The palate entry is supremely rich, possessing depth and complexity, a creamy textural mid-palate balanced by a vibrant acidity. The flavours swirl with plump sultanas, baked apples filled with raisin, liquorice, Xmas cake and Scottish shortbread. Whilst there is a sweetness to the wine, it is drier than expected and longer than anticipated. Closes with more candied orange peel.
  19.1% alc, 98.2 RS.

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• NV Blandy's Madeira Terrantez 20 Years Old 93 Points

  Portugal, Madeira

  (Tasted Blind): A light tawny-gold colour with a green edge. Beautifully lifted and intense aromas of almonds, plump raisins, walnut, spice, orange peel and Caffé macchiato.
  Complex, the wine is less intense than second wine but impresses with its richness and a refreshing crunch of fresh acidity. With superb concentration, depth, and stunning complexity, the wine has remarkable length and a harmonious combination of flavours on the palate, including black treacle, Christmas cake, citrus, spice, orange, nut, and floral undertones. The wine balances lightness and power, showcasing elegance and a delightful apricot texture.
  19% Alc; 99.2 RS, TA 7.95, use maceration pellicure and skin contact techniques.

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• NV Blandy's Madeira Bual 30 Years Old 96 Points

  Portugal, Madeira

  (Tasted Blind): Mid-tawny colour that transitions to a greenish edge with yellow-green hues. A complex bouquet that delivers almonds, raisins, green walnuts, tree bark, macchiato foam, caramel, toffee, and smoked lemons. A touch of paint fumes suggests the VA is relatively high, but to me, it still works.
  The entry exhibits depth and concentration, incredible length, and layers of flavours, including walnuts, muscovado sugar, spices, raisins, Christmas cake, and hints of toffee and portobello mushrooms.
  An outstanding wine with concentration, power and extract that shows as dry tannins and some intriguing smoky undertones; this leads to curry spice notes of turmeric, bay leaf and cardamom.
  Score: 18/20, this wine is truly outstanding.

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• 1995 Leacock Madeira Tinta Negra Doce 89 Points

  Portugal, Madeira

  (Tasted Blind): A deep tawny colour with a yellow-green edge; an intense and captivating nose offering wet raisins, sultanas, expresso walnut, dried red cherry, orange marmalade, muscovado sugar and oriental spice.
  An unctuous and luscious entrance with lower acidity and more emphasis on textural elements. It leans towards being too unctuous, with flavours heavy with dark muscovado/treacle sugar, molasses, thick orange marmalade with chunky peel and a PX-like quality. The wine lacks acidity, resembling black toffee without the balancing tartness. The RS is notable, lingering on the mid-palate, giving richness and accentuating those sweet flavours to the detriment of its shape and length.

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• 1980 Blandy's Madeira Bual 90 Points

  Portugal, Madeira

  (Tasted Blind): A mid-brown/tawny colour accompanied by green and yellow hues. A complex bouquet that is captivating as well as brooding and deep, featuring notes of cheese rind, crayons, almonds, and raisins. It opens up later with a lift showing lemon peel, floral, red candy stick, dried orange peel, and lime zest character.
  The entry impresses with good acidity, full body and broad mid-palate, offering substantial weight and depth. The sultry flavours encapsulate dark fruit flavours reminiscent of Christmas cake, with hints of burnt blackcurrants and citrus elements. Powerful, and some felt it lacked some mid-palate depth. However, I think it had a wealth of complexity that exhibited a decent balance between weight, sweetness, acid and texture, even if it lacked layers. It did finish a little coarse and slightly bitter.
  20% alc; 97 g/L RS; 8 TA.

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• 1977 Blandy's Madeira Terrantez 98 Points

  Portugal, Madeira

  (Tasted Blind): A deep brown-orange colour toward a green-yellow edge. The nose envelops the senses with walnuts, toffee, molasses, soft, runny fudge, sultanas, and plump Christmas cake.
  Fantastic richness on entry that continues with remarkable concentration, depth and astonishing persistence. Floral qualities allow extraordinary agility, elegance and lightness of touch—layers of fruit supported by a lemon acid backbone and seamless integration. Flavours of dates, figs, dried apricots, undergrowth and woodsmoke. Complex and closing on a salted lemon pithy sensation. Truly exceptional wine!
  21% alc; 80 g/L RS, 8.85g/L TA

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• 1959 Leacock Madeira Sercial 96 Points

  Portugal, Madeira

  (Tasted Blind) Mid-brown-amber colour towards a yellow-green edge. Initially, the aroma shows a burnt match and smoky character but improves as it opens to reveal caramel, nut, old wood and rancio aromas.
  This wine equally takes a while to fully reveal itself on the palate but eventually shows ripe baked fruits and an abundance of nutty flavours with those caramel-softer notes interweaved in its complex frame. Full-bodied, the wine shows class with a long mid-palate length. Clearly showing evolved notes, there is a succulent, almost unctuous style. The rancio notes add intrigue.

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