Madeira Pilgrimage
Madeira
Tasted February 1, 2016 - February 4, 2016 by isaacjamesbaker with 1,547 views
Introduction
EPIC.
Flight 1 - Lunch at Gaviao Novo (5 notes)
An amazing, tiny spot, this place had the best bolo do caco I tasted the whole trip, and their lapas were amazing. We also had some scabbard roe, which was stunning. What a perfect introduction to the food and wine pairings of Madeira.
White - Fortified
N.V. Cossart Gordon & Co. Madeira Sercial 5 Years Old
Portugal, Madeira
Medium gold color. Aromas of white flowers, almond and honeycomb. Juicy texture with bright acid and flavors of bruised apple, toasted almond and apricot jam. Pleasantly tangy finish. Great way to start the trip and it paired wonderfully with some scabbard fish.
Rosé
2014 Madeira Wine Company Madeirense Rosé Atlantis
Portugal, Madeira, Madeirense
Really unique aromas of salt, cheese rind and white tea, some funky-peppery elements as well. Creamy texture with tart acid. Flavors of white cherries and lemon peel mix blended with sea salt and brine. It paired well with a rich scabbard fish soup, which brought out the acid even more. A Blandy’s still wine project made from Tinta Negra.
White
2014 Barbusano Madeirense Verdelho
Portugal, Madeira, Madeirense
Bright orange and lemon aromas mixed with salt and white flowers. Tart acid on the palate, this is a brisk and salty wine, verging on intense, with flavors of orange and lemon peels, cheese rind and crusty sea salt. This is going to have a lot of haters, but when served with some sautéed lapas, this was an absolutely stellar pairing, and the unique and, honestly a bit strange, elements of the wine really hit it for my palate.
White
2014 Terras do Avô Madeirense Verdelho
Portugal, Madeira, Madeirense
Light gold color. White peach, limes and airy notes of sea spray on the nose. Crisp, crunchy and briny on the palate, this tastes like straight-up salted lemons, crushed shells and big waves crashing on rocks. An absurdly oceanic wine, which makes sense because the grapes were grown 100 meters from the ocean. Considering my love for all things oceanic, yes, I enjoy this wine. But it’s a unique style for sure.
White - Fortified
1968 Blandy's Madeira Bual
Portugal, Madeira
Dark brown color. Smells of rum cake, raisins, caramel and roasted dates. On the palate, it’s long and creamy with lots of richness but plenty of vibrancy as well. Caramel, dates, almonds, honey, brown sugar, a whole lot of complexity here. Finishes long with all sorts of roasted nut nuances.
Flight 2 - Master Class @ Madeira Wine Institute (4 notes)
Tasted a bunch of wines (17) but the presenter insisted on keeping the identities of most of the wines secret. After pestering for a bit, I found out the identities of a few of the wines.
Red - Fortified
N.V. Henriques & Henriques Madeira Tinta Negra 50 Years Old
Portugal, Madeira
So complex aromatically, clove, almond, dried flowers. Pure silk on the palate, this wine is insanely complex. Such purity of flavors and fresh acidity. Flavors of orange peel, dried flowers, almond, clove. Seemingly endless flavors and the complexity is insane. I’d could rattle of tasting notes and flavors, but it has a ton of them, so I’ll just throw out a 96 point score to indicate I think this wine slays.
Flight 3 - Dinner at Armazem do Sal (5 notes)
White - Fortified
1971 D'Oliveiras Madeira Terrantez
Portugal, Madeira
So floral and spice-laden on the nose with clove, cedar and orange rind. Smooth and silky palate with an amazing amount of complex flavors: orange rind, herbal bitters, dried flowers, quince and fig pastes and jams and all sorts of nuanced elements to dissect and appreciate, or simply sip and let the wine’s deliciousness overcome you. Classic stuff right here.
White - Fortified
1962 Blandy's Madeira Bual
Portugal, Madeira
Rich caramel, black tea, almond and a minty-eucalyptus note on the nose. Kicking acid, this wine rushes across the palate with a pleasantly sharp and herbal move, then sweet richness follows up with nougat, clove, cinnamon and pipe tobacco. Beautiful flavors on a harmonious aged Bual.
White - Fortified
1907 D'Oliveiras Madeira Malvazia
Portugal, Madeira
So dark colored. Sharp aromas (the volatile acidity is evident) but it’s packed together with hay, floral tea, cigar shop and smoking jacket aromas. Rich but so floral on the palate with a dizzying array of complex flavors: spiced tea, graham cracker, cigar smoke, sweet coffee, dried roses. So alive, complex and long, a pure joy to sip.
White - Fortified
1862 D'Oliveiras Madeira Sercial Reserva
Portugal, Madeira
Whoa, this is an extreme wine. Smells like candle wax, honey, dried hay, chamomile tea and cigar smoke. Bright and tangy with some significant volatile acidity showing, but the other flavors peek through and expose notes of ginger, grapefruit rind, sea brine and crushed shells. Amazing to taste a Sercial this old, as I love the flavors of Sercial in all its iterations. This is one of the weirdest and interesting examples.
Flight 4 - Justino's (14 notes)
White - Fortified
N.V. Broadbent Madeira 5 Year Old Reserve
Portugal, Madeira
Smells of sweet caramel, orange rind and candied nuts. On the palate, I get raisins, quince paste, candied nuts. This is the same wine as the three year, it’s just aged two more years. It’s really interesting to see what an addition two years of aging does. Significantly more smooth and complex.
White - Fortified
N.V. Broadbent Madeira Sercial 10 Years Old
Portugal, Madeira
Smells of fresh oranges and limes along with quince and white flowers. So tangy and salty on the palate, even a bit briny, which I love. I get dried flowers, clove, nuts and a range of sea salty notes. A bright and precise Sercial.
White - Fortified
N.V. Broadbent Madeira Verdelho 10 Years Old
Portugal, Madeira
A richly tropical aromatic spread of honey, glazed pears, sliced peaches and exotic flowers. Juicy texture to the palate but tart acidity (great balance between brightness and richness). Flavors of pineapples and dried mango topped with honey and crushed nuts. I love the floral components and the racy quality of this wine.
White - Fortified
N.V. Broadbent Madeira Malmsey 10 Years Old
Portugal, Madeira
Complex aromatics: earthy-spicy tones, musk, cigar smoke. Smooth, round and plus on the nose. Complex elements of orange and apricot jams, spiced tea, honeycomb. Long and rich but so fresh with a lingering sense of pleasant bitterness.
Red - Fortified
1996 Justino's Madeira Colheita
Portugal, Madeira
Lovely aromas of dried honey, almonds and caramel. Sweet and round on the palate but it maintains a salty freshness that is very attractive. Flavors of apricot jam mix with pecans, almonds, caramel and a bold sense of floral spice. Wow, this will be one to watch for decades to come. Made from Tinta Negra.
Red - Fortified
1999 Justino's Madeira Colheita
Portugal, Madeira
A bit darker in its aromas of caramel and nuts than the 1996. Creamier, rounded, a bit fatter, but still vibrant. Apricots, sweet raisins, caramel, mixed nuts. Long and velvety. Made from Tinta Negra.
White - Fortified
1940 Justino's Madeira Sercial
Portugal, Madeira
Seriously complex aromas here: almond, sea salt, clover, baby’s breath, honey and a somewhat sharp shot of volatile acidity. Bright and really salty on the palate, the VA is balanced and woven in well with the wine’s richness and complexity of flavors. Dried apricot and pineapple mixes with almonds, sea salt and oyster brine. The complexity here is awesome, but this wine is severely sharp, almost abrasive. I can’t help but love it. As Julio Fernandes (Justino’s commercial director) said, he likes this wine because “it gives you fight.” It definitely does.
White - Fortified
1954 Justino's Madeira Verdelho
Portugal, Madeira
The aromas on this wine are complex, intriguing and sort of ridiculous. Clove, almond, anise, flowers, potpourri, all sorts of nuances. So pure and silky on the palate, the balance is impeccable. Smooth but complex, bright but rich, such a sexy and fascinating wine. Flavors of yellow raisin and dried pineapple are pure and delicious, followed up by waves of caramel, wax, almond, sea salt. So insanely complex that I would need a long time to analyze this wine and pull out all the nuances. But, in the end, it’s just a supremely enjoyable wine to sip. One of the best wines of the trip, and actually one of the best wines I’ve tasted in years.
White - Fortified
1978 Justino's Madeira Terrantez
Portugal, Madeira
Smells of old books, library dust and crusty sea salt – quite weird but enjoyable in a unique way. Fresh acid, a strange bitterness to this wine, but not in an unpleasant way. Interesting but frankly strange flavors: hay, candle wax, almond, green olives, seaweed – a crazy wine, but I like it. One of the most oddly intriguing wines I’ve tasted. However, I think this seems to show its age more and I wonder how it will far in a decade or two.
White - Fortified
1964 Justino's Madeira Boal
Portugal, Madeira
Smells of sweet almond cake, honey, bruised banana and cinnamon. Plump, full, almost tannic on the palate. Flavors of raisin cake, caramel, dates, along with some wood and hay elements. Pure, sweet, silky but stays bright and easy to drink.
White - Fortified
1964 Justino's Madeira Malmsey
Portugal, Madeira
Smells of sweet raisins, honey, caramel, date and quince paste, some salted pecans (seriously complex). Smooth on the palate but still a bold structure – the liveliness of this wine is impressive. Flavors of dates, plum cake, quince, almond, sweet nougat. Long, bright finish. Wow.
Flight 5 - Lunch at Lagar (4 notes)
Red
2012 Terras do Avô Madeirense
Portugal, Madeira, Madeirense
Bright ruby color (no purple here). Smells spicy and peppery with notes of tobacco accenting the bright red currant fruit. Zippy acid, light tannic structure, a great wine to serve slightly chilled. Juicy red fruits but they are tart throughout, topped with notes of dusty earth and spices. A very refreshing red wine that paired nicely with pretty much everything on the table. A mid-Atlantic kitchen sink blend of Syrah, Touriga Nacional, Tinta Roriz, Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon.
Red
2011 Adega de São Vicente - Pedra de Fogo Madeirense
Portugal, Madeira, Madeirense
A bit of funky brett on the nose, but also some juicy and vibrant black cherries, dusted with black pepper. Juicy, fleshy and tart on the palate with light-medium tannins and high acid. The crunchy red fruits are laced with spicy tobacco, pepper and olive brine. Interesting and a bit weird, not for the unadventurous. Fun, but not quite balanced. A blend of Touriga Nacional and Cabernet Sauvignon.
Flight 6 - Madeira Wine Company (Blandy's) (11 notes)
White - Fortified
N.V. Blandy's Madeira Alvada 5 Years Old
Portugal, Madeira
Smells of brown sugar, figs, dates, caramel and milk chocolate. Sweet, plush, full of brown sugar, caramel, sweet tea and floral elements. Very sweet but stays relatively balanced. A blend of Bual and Malmsey wines.
White - Fortified
N.V. Blandy's Madeira Sercial 10 Years Old
Portugal, Madeira
Smells of hay and sea spray. Polished, smooth style with nice tartness but still plenty of richness and fullness on the palate. A more bold style, less of the tart, salty edge I look for in a Sercial (when compared with other producers), but still very nice.
White - Fortified
N.V. Blandy's Madeira Bual 10 Years
Portugal, Madeira
Smells of sweet caramel, fig and quince paste, toasted almonds. Full and smooth, but stays away from the cloying feel with pleasant acidity. Flavors of apricot and mango jam, candied nuts, hints of sweet spice. Smooth, rich but stays fresh on the finish.
White - Fortified
2002 Blandy's Madeira Bual Colheita Single Harvest
Portugal, Madeira
Smells of sweet almond cake, figs, honey and apricot jam. Sweet and smooth on the palate. Glazed pear, pear jam, honey, sweet flowers, sea salt, caramel and sweet spice combine in a complex and delicious wine. Very nice, and showing well, although decades to go, of course.
White - Fortified
1999 Blandy's Madeira Malmsey Harvest Colheita
Portugal, Madeira
Whoa, these aromas are rocking: coconut macaroons, sweet vanilla and brown sugar. Rich and bold but still smooth, with Bourbon-like elements of toasted coconut, and I get fruitcake, brown sugar, almonds and nougats. Really complex stuff.
White - Fortified
1976 Blandy's Madeira Terrantez
Portugal, Madeira
Smells amazing: floral perfume, fruit cake, sliced apples, cinnamon and sea salt. Sweet but so clean, precise and focused on the palate. A complex, vibrant and seemingly young Terrantez. Salted nuts, glazed pears, yellow apples, honey, candle wax, sea salt. Pure, beautiful stuff with a crazy long finish.
Flight 7 - Dinner at Chalet Vicente (5 notes)
White
2014 Barbusano Madeirense Verdelho
Portugal, Madeira, Madeirense
Another good showing from this refreshing, crisp white wine. It paired wonderfully with grilled bananas and steamed scabbard fish.
White - Fortified
N.V. Justino's Madeira Boal 10 Years Old
Portugal, Madeira
Rich and nutty aromas with caramel and brown sugar. The palate is rich but balanced with a salty floral kick to accent the dried pineapple and apricot jam. Chewy caramel sauce, almond and sweet dates add complexity. Bold but restrained at the same time.
Red
2006 Quinta Seara D'Ordens Douro Talentus
Portugal, Douro
Alright, time to mix things up with a wine from the mainland. This is a bold, dark and juicy wine with dark berries, cocoa and tobacco aromas. Full with solid tannic structure, seems densely tannic after all the Maderia wine I’ve been tasting. But I dig the chewy plum and currant fruit, and I get complex notes of olive, iron and loam. Firm but opens up; it does what it does very well.
Flight 8 - Barbeito (18 notes)
What a phenomenal tasting. It was also really interesting to taste several sample wines, young Madeiras after arrested fermentation. These were 17% alcohol and pulled early from cask, and they really helped shine light on the different grapes and how the aging process changes the wines.
2015 Sercial (sample)
Sample, this is a skin-fermented wine in an “extra dry” style already fortified to about 17% alcohol. Smells salty and steely with bright citrus juice and pith. So bright and insanely salty on the palate (I love it!) along with flavors of green apple, orange peel, raw almond and sea salt. Tart, lively, this gets the whole palate firing.
2015 Tinta Negra (sample)
Very interesting to taste a young example of Tinta Negra, before it fully develops into classic Madeira. It’s a ruby color in the glass. Smells of ruby red grapefruit, juicy raspberries, dusty earth and violets. Tastes strong, powerful, with tart red fruits and sweet floral notes. Reminds me of a sample from a fermenting vat, but stronger. This wine was fortified to 17% once it reached 10% alcohol from natural ferementation.
2010 Tinta Negra (sample)
Interesting contrast to the 2015 Tinta Negra with its golden orange color. After five years of oxidation, this smells of honey, wildflowers, orange peels and almonds. Tart, almost searing, acidity, this is a powerful and demanding wine. All sorts of nuts and dried floral components along with some dried apricot and pineapple elements. Really interesting.
2015 Malvasia (sample)
Awesome to taste a young Malvasia. Smells of so many apples and green flowers. Juicy fruit on the palate, so much tropical and floral elements. A vibrant, juicy wine with lots of sweet complexities. I can see why this is made into a dessert wine.
Red - Fortified
2004 Barbeito Madeira Tinta Negra Colheita
Portugal, Madeira
Light gold color. Smells of orange peel, sea spray and honey. Rushing acidity on the palate, this tangy wine shows lots of richness as well. Interesting flavor profile of yellow and green apples, oranges, bright lemon, along with notes of pecans and sea salt. A vibrant, punchy style but it’s also quite elegant.
White - Fortified
1992 Barbeito Madeira Sercial
Portugal, Madeira
Salty aromas with dried orange and lemon pith. Tart and salty on the palate but smooth as well. Full of rocky, mineral notes along with dried nuts and caramel. Dry, tart, complex, very long finish.
White - Fortified
1992 Barbeito Madeira Boal Frasqueira
Portugal, Madeira
Whoa, holy volatile acidity! Smells of some crazy varnished wood, white tea, and orange marmalade. Spicy and tangy, this wine holds the VA well. Very fresh, almost tastes dry for a Bual. I get nutty and coffee notes followed by polished wood, baked pear, cinnamon spice. The finish is long and complex. Amazing how Madeira can turn make volatile acidity seem so damn attractive.
White - Fortified
N.V. Barbeito Madeira Verdelho Ribeiro Real 20 Years Old
Portugal, Madeira
So floral and spicy on the nose, with clove, potpourri and sea spray. Sweet floral palate with rocking acidity, so pure and elegant but gorgeous richness. This is such a balanced wine with a pure beam of oceanic goodness that crashes over the yellow plum and mixed nut flavors.
White - Fortified
N.V. Barbeito Madeira Boal Ribeiro Real 20 Years Old
Portugal, Madeira
Smells like wood varnish and tart oranges. Rich and full but stays quite bright, too. I get yellow plums, baked apples and sweet floral tea. This doesn’t strike my palate as much as the Sercial and Verdelho Ribeiro Reals, but it’s still an impressive effort.
White - Fortified
N.V. Barbeito Madeira Malvasia Ribeiro Real 20 Years Old
Portugal, Madeira
Interesting golden color for a Malvasia (this golden color is a theme with Barbeito, it seems). I get cigar smoke, baked apple and wood varnish on the nose. Tastes like sweet candied tropical fruits but it’s refreshing. I also get cognac-like elements and some polished wood. Lovely freshness for a Malvasia.
White - Fortified
N.V. Barbeito Madeira Malvazia 20 Years Old
Portugal, Madeira
Sweet aromas but pleasantly bitter as well with complex spice and orange rind. Stays fresh despite the richness. Dried apricot, candied orange, pine sap, layered spice and anise cookie flavors. Complex and layered with lots of intrigue. Whoa.
White - Fortified
N.V. Barbeito Madeira Malvasia Over 40 Years Old Mãe Manuela
Portugal, Madeira
What an absolutely gorgeous wine. Props to Ricardo Freitas for putting this wine together to honor his mother – it’s an amazing tribute. Smells of sweet clove, complex almond and pecan, baked squash, dried apricot, polished wood and anise. On the palate this is waxy and sweet but the balance is pristine. The complexity of flavors nears the absurd: nuts, dried fruits, minerals, sea salt, rooibos tea. Smooth, sweet, tangy, precise. This is phenomenal stuff. During an epic Madeira trip, this was one of the highlights.
Flight 9 - Lunch at Quinta do Jardm da Serra (4 notes)
Flight 10 - Henriques & Henriques (15 notes)
White - Fortified
1971 Henriques & Henriques Madeira Sercial
Portugal, Madeira
Nose: floral perfume, eucalyptus and cigar box. Acid is high but integrated well. Candied lemon, ginger, white tea, crusty sea salt, almond shell. Wow, there is a lot going on here but it’s held together incredibly well.
White - Fortified
N.V. Henriques & Henriques Madeira Verdelho 20 Years Old
Portugal, Madeira
Deep, complex aromas of almond, apricot, honey, candied lemon and sea salt. Juicy on the palate, full of dried, tropical fruits, orange marmalade, honeycomb, spiced tea and dried flowers. Ripping acidity, sea salt, complex nutty elements. Lots going on here.
White - Fortified
1957 Henriques & Henriques Madeira Boal
Portugal, Madeira
Smells like an old furniture oiling rag, complete with that lemony, varnish scent but also lots of floral perfume, nougat and honey. Rich texture and sweetness but lovely acid. Smooth, complex, laced with flavors or orange rind, dried wax, lemon oil. So good.
White - Fortified
1894 Henriques & Henriques Madeira Founders Solera
Portugal, Madeira
One of my favorite wines of the trip. What a stunner. Aromatically, I get old leather, cigar lounge, brown sugar, musk, eucalyptus and floral potpourri. Full and so complex but the brightness is incredible. Flavors of musk, leather, library dust, clove, cinnamon and coffee. But it's still so vibrant with these elements of orange marmalade, cocoa and white flowers. So long and pure. Whoa.
Flight 11 - Dinner at the Vine (5 notes)
White
2014 Palmeira Madeirense Evottas
Portugal, Madeira, Madeirense
Smells of sea salt, oyster shells and white pepper and a strange combination of creamy/oaky elements. Tart acid on the palate but creamy texture from the oak. I gotta say, the severe amount of oyster shell, sea brine and saline doesn't really jive with this toasted barrel and almond stuff going on. There are some flinty, smashed rock elements, but they're not really compatible with this oak. Underlying fruit is quality, but masked. I'm not sure oak is the answer for these still white Madeira wines. I really liked a lot of other ones, but this one's out of whack. Nice try. This is still a relatively new experiment. A blend of Arnsburger, Malvasia Fina and Verdelho
Red
2013 Beijo Madeirense
Portugal, Madeira, Madeirense
Juicy ruby color. Smells of smoky plums and currant compote, along with some roasted red pepper and cracked black pepper. Fleshy with dusty tannins but so tart and fresh. Vibrant, crunchy red berries mixed with anise, pepper and earthy tones. A blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Touriga Franca and Tinta Barroca.
Flight 12 - H.M. Borges (6 notes)
White - Fortified
N.V. H.M. Borges Madeira Boal 10 Years Old
Portugal, Madeira
Aromas of sweet caramel, dates and deep floral notes. Rich and powerful but it has a lingering tartness. Orange peel, baked apple, caramel, salted almonds. Very distinctive, sweet but powerful acidity. Wonderful balance. One of the best 10-Years I've tasted.
White - Fortified
N.V. H.M. Borges Madeira Verdelho 15 Years Old
Portugal, Madeira
Aromas of orange peel, candied lemons, salted almonds, ginger and a sense of lovely floral complexity. So bright and zesty on the palate, the richness is masked by the crisp acidity. Lovely complexity of the tropical fruits, honey, almond, sea salt. Intense but elegant. One taster said “Wowza!” – the rest of us agreed.
White - Fortified
1990 H.M. Borges Madeira Sercial
Portugal, Madeira
Lovely aromas of sea salt, ginger, delicate flowers, smashed seashells. Bright and precise on the palate with rocking acidity. Gorgeous fruit (apricot, dried mango, candied lemon peel) along with cut flowers and bright sea salt. So long and bright.
White - Fortified
1977 H.M. Borges Madeira Boal
Portugal, Madeira
Whoa – there is some serious volatile acidity on this nose, with sharp polished wood, a bit intense. Luckily, the palate is quite balanced despite the assertive nature of the VA. Coffee, almond cake, chocolate and orange peels like crazy. Despite the way these notes may come across, I actually really liked this wine, but it’s definitely brash and a bit abrasive. The only wine in this lineup that seemed a bit out of place.
White - Fortified
N.V. H.M. Borges Madeira Malvasia 30 Years
Portugal, Madeira
Smells like cigar smoke, orange peel, brown sugar, sweet flowers and a few waxy, oily elements. Rich and sweet but very tangy, too. Sweet orange marmalade mixed with brown sugar, fig cookies, dates, cooked down with peanut oil and topped with flowers and salt. Sounds crazy, but it's delicious. Such precision cuts through the sweetness and makes a very balanced wine.
Flight 13 - D'Oliveira (21 notes)
We saved the best for last. Oh my, what a tasting. So many phenomenal wines in one sitting, including a few of the best wines I've ever tasted in my life. My only problem was with the stemware. The glasses provided were those tiny tasting glasses with tapered rims, which makes it really hard to get your nose in there, and it accentuates the alcohol on fortified wines. I would've loved to taste these wines in proper stemware so I could really swirl and get the full tasting experience. Still - what a treat to taste these beauties.
White - Fortified
N.V. D'Oliveiras Madeira 10 Years Dry
Portugal, Madeira
Light gold/orange color. Floral aromas with yellow apples. Fresh and vibrant, pleasantly salty, lovely dried fruits. A sense of honeyed and nutty richness but stays pure. Not the most complex wine but very nice stuff.
White - Fortified
1989 D'Oliveiras Madeira Sercial
Portugal, Madeira
Smells of cognac, caramel and orange peel. Silky but so bright and alive. Wow, this has insane acidity but it's also plush and smooth. Full of zesty citrus fruit and salty complexity.
White - Fortified
1977 D'Oliveiras Madeira Sercial
Portugal, Madeira
Light brown color. Gorgeous aromas of sea spray, almond, bitter lemon, orange peel, slight cheese rind. So bright and ripping, the acidity goes to 11 on this one. Flavors of orange peel, preserved lemon, dried honey, salted nuts, honeyed and spiced tea. Wow, this is gorgeous in its complexity. Very tart but balanced a bit by the weight and richness of the wine. Classic stuff.
White - Fortified
1937 D'Oliveiras Madeira Sercial
Portugal, Madeira
Deep orange/tawny color. Smells of dried flowers, orange peels and honeycomb, along with grapefruit and tobacco — really unique aromas. Such penetrating acidity on the palate, it's extreme. A total freak of a wine, perhaps the most crazily acidic wine I've ever tasted. The flavors are so cool and strange: old cigar, crusty sea salt, jetty rocks. I can't call this balanced, and I don't know what arbitrary number to throw at it. It was definitely a unique experience, although I could not drink a full glass of this.
White - Fortified
2000 D'Oliveiras Madeira Verdelho
Portugal, Madeira
Smells of yellow apples and floral perfume. On the palate this is pretty and elegant with complex fruit flavors (peach nectar, juicy yellow apples, apricot jam), along with a host of non fruit elements: tropical flowers, almonds, sea salt and white tea. Complex, beautiful stuff. at 30 Euros, I had to buy a bottle for the cellar.
White - Fortified
1988 D'Oliveiras Madeira Verdelho
Portugal, Madeira
Aromas of floral perfume, Cognac, dried pineapples and apricots. Creamy palate, well-rounded and integrated with tartness from the acid. Yellow apples and apricot jam with notes of spice and sea spray.
White - Fortified
1971 D'Oliveiras Madeira Terrantez
Portugal, Madeira
Rocking aromas here: yellow apples, dried apricots, peach nectar, Cognac, salted almond and sea spray. Tart and bright on the palate, so tangy yet chewy, with rich orange peel and apricot. I also get cigar smoke, clover and wildflowers. A beautiful wine.
Red - Fortified
1927 D'Oliveiras Madeira Bastardo
Portugal, Madeira
I am so blown away by this wine. It's not just intellectually and historically fascinating, it has amazing and haunting aromas and flavors, and the complexity is ridiculous. On the nose, I get dried fruits, nuts, surprisingly fresh flowers, salt air, white pepper, all of it nuanced and gorgeous. The palate is silky but tart, and I can't believe the liveliness, purity and vibrancy on this wine. The fruit is not just kicking, it comes out swinging with oranges, sliced pears and dried mango. The complex elements of smoke, nuts, spice and earth are profound. SO balanced and elegant, so long and pure. Unbelievable stuff.
White - Fortified
1912 D'Oliveiras Madeira Verdelho
Portugal, Madeira
There aromas are so cool: cigar smoke, old leather, savory spices, musk. Round and full but really zesty. Still vibrant, although not much fruit. This wine is all about the dried flower, nuts, leather jacket, cigar lounge and musk elements. The acid is keeps it lively. Wow.
White - Fortified
1890 D'Oliveiras Madeira Verdelho
Portugal, Madeira
A real treat to taste. I get some orange peel, honeycomb, caramel and green coffee aromas. So pure and smooth on the palate, I can't believe how balanced and precise this wine is. Filled with tobacco, peppper, floral spice, roasted chestnut and coffee bean. No real fruit here, but the other flavors are rocking and the wine stays bright and tangy. Long finish with notes of mineral and quinine. Wow.
White - Fortified
1993 D'Oliveiras Madeira Boal
Portugal, Madeira
Smells of dates, figs and caramel. Hmm, on the palate, this is a bit off. It's not corked, but it's strange, funky and dusty. Acerbic , acrid, just strange. Not rated.
White - Fortified
1982 D'Oliveiras Madeira Boal
Portugal, Madeira
OK, this one's on point. Rich aromas of trail mix, honey and dried apricots. Bold style but still bright and well-integrated. Dates, figs, caramel, nuts and honey, all of it balanced and smooth.
White - Fortified
1968 D'Oliveiras Madeira Boal
Portugal, Madeira
Aromas of orange marmalade, dried apricots, sweet caramel, clove and floral potpourri. Tart and zesty on the palate, this is a bold but sharp wine. Flavors of apricot jam, almond, coffee, spiced tea, floral perfume, and a mix of candied and salted nuts.
White - Fortified
1908 D'Oliveiras Madeira Boal
Portugal, Madeira
I really wanted to freak out about this wine. I mean, I like it a lot, but it's quite austere. Very sharp aromas, some caramel and nuts rise above the volatile acidity. Rich and dense on the palate, it tastes very roasted and baked, like coffee cake, baked figs and hot caramel. The volatile acidity is quite sharp. Interesting stuff, but (for my palate) this isn't a sip-a-whole-glass kind of Madeira.
White - Fortified
1991 D'Oliveiras Madeira Malvazia
Portugal, Madeira
Gorgeous aromas of dried flowers, spiced tea and clover honey. Sweet, plush, smooth and sexy on the palate. Rich but put together so well. Yeah, this is popping. Finishes with delicious flavors of brown sugar and sticky buns.
White - Fortified
1901 D'Oliveiras Madeira Malvazia
Portugal, Madeira
Deep gold/light orange color. Smells of sweet caramel, spiced tea, clove and cinnamon. Full and rich but the acidity is precise. Flavors of dates and figs are still going strong. Complex elements of salted almond, wax, wood polish. Long finish. Still going strong but the focus is on point.
White - Fortified
1875 D'Oliveiras Madeira Moscatel Reserva
Portugal, Madeira
God, what a cool wine. Smells of dried pineapple, sweet clove, cherry wood, menthol, eucalyptus and leather, all of the aromas of complex, nuanced and exciting. Sweet but balanced on the palate, this is wacky good. Leather, coffee, cherry wood, dusty library, herbal bitters, eucalyptus, vapor rub, these flavors are so unique and complex. The wine is seamless on the with its richness and acidity. Crazy-long finish.
White - Fortified
1850 D'Oliveiras Madeira Verdelho
Portugal, Madeira
It's so difficult to wrap my head around an historic wine like this. First of all, it's an intellectually fascinating experience, which evokes dreams of centuries past. I won't claim to be able to separate the historical significance of the wine from the sensory experience of tasting the wine. But, tasting the wine itself is one of the most amazing experiences in my wine lifetime. I'll attempt to describe this thing. First off, it still has fruit on the nose, kind of like quince paste and preserved lemon, but I get complex elements of clove, old furniture shop, cigar smoke and wood varnish. On the palate, this wine shows a pleasant bitterness, while the sweetness balances perfectly with the high acidity. One flavor evolves into another, and into another, and then back again, like a blissful circle. I'll throw some words at a few of these flavors: caramel, varnished wood, cigar box, candle wax, leather, sea salt, yellow raisins, candied lemon peel, old library books, sweet floral potpourri, spiced tea. The complexity is ridiculous. So, this is an incredible intellectual experience in and of itself, but the aromas and flavors of this wine are ethereal. Perhaps the best thing to ever grace my palate.
Flight 14 - Lunch at Classico (2 notes)
White
2013 Justino's Colombo Branco
Portugal, Madeira, Madeirense
A peachy and floral nose with lemon curd and saline notes as well. Bright and zesty on the palate with a streak of salty, briny flavors throughout. Lime and peaches topped with chalk and honeysuckle. Paired very nicely with a traditional Madeira lunch of lapas (limpets). A blend of Verdelho and Arnsburger.
White
2014 Justino's Arnsburger Colombo
Portugal, Madeira, Madeirense
Bright and floral on the nose with crisp lemon and lime peel. Bright acid, a rocking verve of minerality makes this wine exciting. Flavors of green apple peel, lime, green pears, topped with chalk dust and quinine. Really fun stuff that fits perfectly on the lunch patio table. Exciting to see what some growers and producers are doing with this rare grape, Arnsburger (a cross between two clones of Riesling).
Flight 15 - Dinner at Choupana Hills (6 notes)
Red
2013 Barbusano Madeirense Aragonez - Touriga Nacional
Portugal, Madeira, Madeirense
Smells like tart red fruits, blood and iron - and I like it. Tart and fleshy with smooth acid and bright acid. Tart strawberries mix with a complex web of smoke and iron, a peppery kick on the finish. Bright and tangy enough that it paired really well with grouper in a fish liver sauce. A blend of Aragonez and Touriga Nacional
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