July 20, 2023 - A very good Madeira drinking well now. Caramel, butter, almond skin flavors. Medium sweet. This is smooth and easy to drink, with acidity as expected although not the razor finish I usually associate with Verdelho. I would prefer to have more of that incisive bite, but this was still good stuff and probably more approachable for someone not used to Madeira.
July 15, 2023 - A sublime Verdelho exhibiting everything you’d expect of a beautifully aged Madeira - dried orange peel, leather, rancio, hazelnut. Old wood and leather armchair in a gentlemen’s smoking room.
Immense freshness from the racy acidity. An exceptionally long finish. Phenomenal.
December 28, 2022 - Off dry, with lovely bitterness on the finish. Caramel, butterscotch and herbal botanicals. Buttery and round on entry, but firms up nicely on the finish. This doesn't quite have the length or intensity of what Madeira can offer, but this scratches the itch for mature Madeira at a reasonable price.
December 18, 2022 - A private pre-Christmas Lunch with Friends: Third bottle from a full case purchased at auction in 2020. Pristine condition, stopper cork under hard seal wax, level into neck. Very consistent performance. Deep and salty, hugely concentrated but not overbearing, spicy oak and cold cigar ash, toasted nuts and candied fruit, clean and precise, displays fragrance and lift, velvety texture, gently sweet, volatility in check, tangy acidity, long and masculine finish with a hint of coffee. Unlike the first bottle from this case, this was bolt upright on the second day, firing on all cylinders. Only Madeira can deliver this presence and power at 68 years of age.
April 2, 2022 - This is a very nice Verdelho. Lots of acid and brown sugar on a medium length finish. Rich nose. Seems mature with plenty of time left.
October 22, 2021 - Second bottle from the same case. Pristine condition, level into neck. Opened and double decanted in the morning to take to lunch with a friend. Identical to my previous note - fortunately! Marvellous Verdelho.
March 29, 2021 - First bottle from a full case purchased at auction in London in 2020. Stopper cork (!), IVM Selo de Garantia, US import back label. Probably 30-40 years on oak, so not very long by Madeira standards. Usually I am wary of wines which have crossed the Atlantic or any other ocean twice, but for Madeira it doesn't really matter. It actually seems quite appropriate - torna viajem. Level base of neck. Decanted to separate it from its fine sediment and to let it breathe. It takes to oxygen like a duck takes to water. Deep and woodsy on the nose, very intense, leather and smoke, dried apricot and dried pineapple, orange zest, blonde caramel; the palate is incredibly youthful and bursting with energy, it reverberates with tangy acidity and succulent fruit; the very long and intense finish is salty and honeyed, with lovely notes of peach and white nuts. Amazing stuff - and drinking beautifully. Aromatically it has faded considerably on the second day, and it feels soft and caramelly, even if it is structurally intact and still attractive, but it is probably wise not to bet the house on this lasting forever. On the third day it seems to rebound, with lots of plummy and salty notes on the nose, a tangy and salty palate, and regained definition on the finish. The complexity and excitement of the first day do not return however.
February 2, 2016 - Madeira Pilgrimage; 2/1/2016-2/4/2016 (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.
November 26, 2015 - Sour black plums and dried prunes with biting acidity which was something which I didn't expect for such an old Madeira. It smells aged with beautiful aromas of port and fino intermixed with coffee liquor but palate wise could pass for a 20 yr old. Dried raisins on the semi sweet finish.
October 19, 2010 - A very disappointing wine, long past its peak. Cloudy brown pour even after sitting for weeks. Notes of charcoal and fig. Minimal acidity, minimal complexity. Body is inappropriately thick. Superior madeira can be found for 1/4 the price.