Community Tasting Note

Echinosum wrote:

Friday, March 15, 2019 - I had the benefit of being able to compare this against the H&H 15-yr-old Verdelho, H&H 20-yr-old Verdelho, the H&H 20-yr-old Terrantez, and the H&H 20-yr-old Malvazia. This was not in a single tasting, but through ownership of the bottles and repeatedly tasting them over an extended period. I got this particular wine in a supermarket in Funchal, where it was on offer at about €40. Usually I think you have to pay a bit more.

I think this wine came on the market around about late 2015 to early 2016, so is perhaps most comparable in age to a 15-yr-old blend, though in terms of the H&H pricing structure it is being sold intermediate in price to the 15-yr-old and 20-yr-old blends.

I have learned through experience that Madeira even of this type definitely benefits from being open for a day or so before you drink it. Don’t open it and expect it to be immediately at its best. It does survive indefinitely after opening and doesn’t require chilling.

It is on the dry side for a Bual, and is certainly dry enough to drink as an aperitif. The wine is a little less concentrated than the 20-yr-old blends, though materially more concentrated than the 15-yr-old Verdelho. So to my mind it is almost up with the 20-yr-olds and well past the 15-yr-old in quality. This is probably due to selection of some better quality barrel or barrels than would on average go into the blends.

What I like about this wine is its elegance, and its wonderfully long, dry, walnut finish.

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