Pretty nose with brown sugar, almonds, cinnamon, and a bit of orange peel. Palate is slightly sweet, full bodied, well balanced with acidity and a hint of bitterness. Very long finish with sweetness, acidity, and a lovely energy. Really quite nice. Has been my favorite of the rare wine historic series.
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I am really enjoying the adventure of getting to know Madeira. I’m still early on the journey, yet am very impressed with this bottling. Deep mahogany color. Penetrating nose that’s filled with fig jam, caramel and roasted honey/nuts. The palate is rich and there is a wave of sweetness on the attack. Then things really get interesting as the sweetness recedes and this wonderful nutty fruit extract takes over. Tobacco. There is great depth and a long finish. I know it’s not the most “precious” bottling or 100 years old, but I think it really delivers. (94)
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Light amber. Only moderate sweetness. Nutty, gentle fig, excellent acidity, good length. Very good savory Madeira that still works as an after dinner wine.
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This is very good. Needed a few days to open, but then this showed very comparably to a 65-year-old Verdelho I had recently. Strong backbone of acid with good complexity. Maybe just a tad short on the finish, but this is excellent value and a step above the others in the historic series.
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Great stuff. Medium dry with smoky notes. Fig, vanilla, light caramel. Light bodied and little sweetness so easy to drink as an aperitif or after dinner.
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Aromatically enticing, showing notes brown sugar, sea mist, toasted pine nut and salted nuts along with scents of dried white fig, dried stone fruit and hints of chocolate. Medium dry on the palate with great acid structure and a silky mouthfeel. flavors echo the nose with notes of roasted nuts, brown sugar, fig, sea salt, caramel, dried stone fruit and hints of milk chocolate and exotic spice. Gains intensity on the long finish
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Has gotten to a sweet spot after a month in the fridge. Medium dry, with hints of caramel, nuts and gravel, and with just a hint of sweetness. Great pairing with dark chocolate. 19% ABV.
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Medium dry with fig, earth, milk chocolate and pine nuts. Very elegant and very balanced.
(a) Malvasia (10 yo) makes up approx 35% of the blend. Sweet and structurally powerful, if not particularly elegant. (b) Verdelho (10 yo) makes up approx 35% of the blend. Floral and very expressive. (c) Sercial (30 yo) makes up approx 20% of the blend. Rich and powerful with lots of fig and toasted nut notes. Most interesting flavors, also with bone shaking acidity. (d) Tinta Negra (70yo) makes up approx 10% of the blend. Rich and decadent with 150-160 g RS, but does not seem that sweet because of flavor intensity, even if not particularly complex on its own.
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Evaluating after it has been open for about a week; no major change, but gradually becoming more expressive. Cohesive, somewhat nebulous aroma with elements like tobacco, brown butter, roasted almond, black tea, rose, and orange peel; attractive, with some compelling depth and complexity (at least to this Madeira newb). Just off dry, with nice tart acidity; fairly generous apricot/peach sort of fruit which is less apparent on the nose than on the palate. Lingering tobacco/tea/citrus peel. Nice!
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Open just about 2 months and this is really silky and fun to enjoy with some cheese cake. Scents that seem to come strait out of an antique shop with hints of leather, aged hope chests, and dry-roasted nuts, and orange rind. Medium long finish with high acidity.
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Open now almost for a week...this continues to show a level of complexity that I just can't seem to find in other NV Madeira. Scents of polished mahogany, lime peel, dates, and clove dominate the nose. On the palate there's a warmth of date, plum pudding, and kumquat. With a brilliant acidity and a long finish...this is a wine to celebrate with your loved ones or to stock the cellar with for the years to come. buy as much as your cellar can handle. Outstanding!!!
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Unfortunately just finished my last bottle and I wish I had more. This bottle seemed better than my first bottle. I believe there is some bottle variation. Medium bodied but densely aromatic and flavorful. Notes of candied fruits, baking spiced, and baked pie gush from the nose and are echoed on the palate. There is acidity that keeps it all remarkably fresh. Great QPR here.
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Madeira Pilgrimage; 2/1/2016-2/4/2016 (Madeira): Smells of orange peels, clovers and a crazily complex blend of nuts. High on the acid, this is a kicking wine, but it’s also really rich and nutty. The complexity of the mixed nut flavors is really impressive. Awesome stuff. A blend of different varieties in a medium-dry style.
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Great value here. Dry and precise, with almond skin, tea and citrus. Very tangy and relatively long. This delivers quite a bit of pleasure and remains one of my favorite RWC historic series Madeiras.
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Light-medium, clear, tawny-orange color; nose is moderately aromatic, rich raisins, spice; palate is full bodied, off-dry, fabulous density on the palate with some spice, caramel, racy acidity throughout from the initial taste through the fleshed-out midpalate; finish is medium-length. On the spectrum this is maybe around a Bual, not quite as heavy as a Malvasia but heavier than a Sercial or Verdelho. Superb value, strength is definitely the palate over the nose for now, and I hear these can improve once open. 94-95+
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A racy, nutty and lemony Madeira that leans very heavily on the dryish side of the spectrum. Light in body and light on its feet. Perhaps not the length of the last bottle I had, but still focused, lean and precise. I like this quite a bit.
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Had over several nights. Not showing as well when opened at cellar temp. Shows better slightly chilled say 10 deg colder. A good rich palate with raisins and toffee caramel and toasted almonds. Gets better over a week opened as most of these RWC Barbeito bottlings do.
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Medium dry, intense, complex, and very long. A glass is a wonderful way to end an evening, any evening. In today's Madeira market this is an excellent value.
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Amazing, intriguing. Dates and fig paste on the palate, along with additional notes of chocolate, dark roast coffee, baked toffee and a delicious note of lime acidity that cut through the richness and the sweetness. Nuanced and contemplative. Sag Harbor guys' weekend.
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Dried figs, light soil notes and a potpourri of dry citrus rind and sweet herbs. The palate adds some nuttiness on the finish, but overall I was somewhat disappointed by the depth of the flavors.
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A lighter styled Madeira, with more nutskin, lemon and figgy flavors, rather than caramel and treacle. Wonderful acidity, with a nicely citric finish. Leaning towards the drier side. Tangy and focused.
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Color: Almost amber and rusted root Smell: Saline, crushed nuts, mineral, and key lime notes Taste: Mineral, toasted legumes & nuts Overall: a wine that is clearly worth investing in ...
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Deep amber/brown. Right out of the bottle, remarkable aromatics and flavors of salted grilled nuts with background notes of narcissus, toffee and citrus rind. Not nearly as sweet as RWC's Bual or Malmsey, fierce acidity and lots of soil. In a word, powerful. This would be great with cheese rather than dessert. I look forward to following this with days to weeks of air.
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Really compelling. A really complex aroma with all sorts of savoury roasted nutty and smoky elements and sweeter figgy and candied orange peel notes, and a palate that's surprisingly savoury with only moderate sweetness. There's lots of depth here, palate coating intensity and concentration matched by bright acidity, and a remarkably long finish. Liked this a lot.
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A lovely Madeira, with dried figs, dried dates, citrus and nutskin flavors. Quite sharp and precise, being on the drier side of the spectrum. Tangy and bright with a medium length finish. Delicious, but not quite the depth or palate impact I was expecting given the lofty review by Gilman. This was a pop and pour, and I look forward to trying it again after some days of air in the bottle. UPDATE: This became slightly more expansive on the palate on day 2.
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3/2/2024 - Matthesen Likes this wine: 93 Points
Pretty nose with brown sugar, almonds, cinnamon, and a bit of orange peel. Palate is slightly sweet, full bodied, well balanced with acidity and a hint of bitterness. Very long finish with sweetness, acidity, and a lovely energy. Really quite nice. Has been my favorite of the rare wine historic series.
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11/25/2023 - dbkitc wrote: 94 Points
I am really enjoying the adventure of getting to know Madeira. I’m still early on the journey, yet am very impressed with this bottling. Deep mahogany color. Penetrating nose that’s filled with fig jam, caramel and roasted honey/nuts. The palate is rich and there is a wave of sweetness on the attack. Then things really get interesting as the sweetness recedes and this wonderful nutty fruit extract takes over. Tobacco. There is great depth and a long finish. I know it’s not the most “precious” bottling or 100 years old, but I think it really delivers. (94)
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11/20/2023 - drwine2001 wrote:
Light amber. Only moderate sweetness. Nutty, gentle fig, excellent acidity, good length. Very good savory Madeira that still works as an after dinner wine.
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4/15/2022 - Matt T wrote: 91 Points
This is very good. Needed a few days to open, but then this showed very comparably to a 65-year-old Verdelho I had recently. Strong backbone of acid with good complexity. Maybe just a tad short on the finish, but this is excellent value and a step above the others in the historic series.
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11/20/2020 - acidqueen wrote: 91 Points
Great stuff. Medium dry with smoky notes. Fig, vanilla, light caramel. Light bodied and little sweetness so easy to drink as an aperitif or after dinner.
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7/3/2020 - HardAged Likes this wine: 95 Points
Best port so far. Described as an almost apple pie type taste
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2/27/2019 - drwine2001 wrote:
Amber. Complex, salty, medium weight, not terribly sweet or fruit driven.
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11/12/2017 - bjamesclark wrote: 92 Points
Aromatically enticing, showing notes brown sugar, sea mist, toasted pine nut and salted nuts along with scents of dried white fig, dried stone fruit and hints of chocolate.
Medium dry on the palate with great acid structure and a silky mouthfeel. flavors echo the nose with notes of roasted nuts, brown sugar, fig, sea salt, caramel, dried stone fruit and hints of milk chocolate and exotic spice. Gains intensity on the long finish
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5/18/2017 - joraesque wrote: 91 Points
Has gotten to a sweet spot after a month in the fridge. Medium dry, with hints of caramel, nuts and gravel, and with just a hint of sweetness. Great pairing with dark chocolate. 19% ABV.
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4/27/2017 - Burgundy Al wrote: 92 Points
Madeira Seminar and Guided Tasting (Cream Wine Company - Chicago IL): Great tasting experiment. We tasted the 4 components (Malvasia, Verdelho, Sercial, Tinta Negra) in addition to the finished wine.
Medium dry with fig, earth, milk chocolate and pine nuts. Very elegant and very balanced.
(a) Malvasia (10 yo) makes up approx 35% of the blend. Sweet and structurally powerful, if not particularly elegant.
(b) Verdelho (10 yo) makes up approx 35% of the blend. Floral and very expressive.
(c) Sercial (30 yo) makes up approx 20% of the blend. Rich and powerful with lots of fig and toasted nut notes. Most interesting flavors, also with bone shaking acidity.
(d) Tinta Negra (70yo) makes up approx 10% of the blend. Rich and decadent with 150-160 g RS, but does not seem that sweet because of flavor intensity, even if not particularly complex on its own.
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3/31/2017 - Beerzebub Likes this wine:
Evaluating after it has been open for about a week; no major change, but gradually becoming more expressive. Cohesive, somewhat nebulous aroma with elements like tobacco, brown butter, roasted almond, black tea, rose, and orange peel; attractive, with some compelling depth and complexity (at least to this Madeira newb). Just off dry, with nice tart acidity; fairly generous apricot/peach sort of fruit which is less apparent on the nose than on the palate. Lingering tobacco/tea/citrus peel. Nice!
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2/27/2017 - rmalloy Likes this wine: 90 Points
Tasty. Notes of baking spices, raisins, raspberry jam, caramel, and walnuts. Keeps you coming back for more.
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2/23/2017 - mdefreitas wrote: 91 Points
Another nice bottle... on the dry side, with just a hint of nutty sweetness. Racy and focused with medium length.
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7/9/2016 - SouthernStateofMind wrote: flawed
No acidity present. A flabby combination of dried/stewed fruit juice. Here's hoping my remaining bottle presents better!
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6/11/2016 - Kirk Grant wrote:
Open just about 2 months and this is really silky and fun to enjoy with some cheese cake. Scents that seem to come strait out of an antique shop with hints of leather, aged hope chests, and dry-roasted nuts, and orange rind. Medium long finish with high acidity.
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4/8/2016 - Kirk Grant wrote:
Open now almost for a week...this continues to show a level of complexity that I just can't seem to find in other NV Madeira. Scents of polished mahogany, lime peel, dates, and clove dominate the nose. On the palate there's a warmth of date, plum pudding, and kumquat. With a brilliant acidity and a long finish...this is a wine to celebrate with your loved ones or to stock the cellar with for the years to come. buy as much as your cellar can handle. Outstanding!!!
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3/24/2016 - EhrlichDY wrote: 94 Points
Unfortunately just finished my last bottle and I wish I had more. This bottle seemed better than my first bottle. I believe there is some bottle variation. Medium bodied but densely aromatic and flavorful. Notes of candied fruits, baking spiced, and baked pie gush from the nose and are echoed on the palate. There is acidity that keeps it all remarkably fresh. Great QPR here.
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2/3/2016 - isaacjamesbaker wrote: 91 Points
Madeira Pilgrimage; 2/1/2016-2/4/2016 (Madeira): Smells of orange peels, clovers and a crazily complex blend of nuts. High on the acid, this is a kicking wine, but it’s also really rich and nutty. The complexity of the mixed nut flavors is really impressive. Awesome stuff. A blend of different varieties in a medium-dry style.
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1/6/2016 - mdefreitas wrote: 91 Points
Great value here. Dry and precise, with almond skin, tea and citrus. Very tangy and relatively long. This delivers quite a bit of pleasure and remains one of my favorite RWC historic series Madeiras.
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12/11/2015 - mdefreitas wrote: 91 Points
Very similar to previous outings with this wine. On the drier side, with nice focus and precision.
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11/27/2015 - aagrawal wrote: 94 Points
Light-medium, clear, tawny-orange color; nose is moderately aromatic, rich raisins, spice; palate is full bodied, off-dry, fabulous density on the palate with some spice, caramel, racy acidity throughout from the initial taste through the fleshed-out midpalate; finish is medium-length. On the spectrum this is maybe around a Bual, not quite as heavy as a Malvasia but heavier than a Sercial or Verdelho. Superb value, strength is definitely the palate over the nose for now, and I hear these can improve once open. 94-95+
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11/22/2015 - mdefreitas wrote: 90 Points
A racy, nutty and lemony Madeira that leans very heavily on the dryish side of the spectrum. Light in body and light on its feet. Perhaps not the length of the last bottle I had, but still focused, lean and precise. I like this quite a bit.
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10/23/2015 - drwine2001 wrote:
As before, redolent of caramel and salted nuts. High acidity, relatively dry. Excellent.
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8/23/2015 - portman63 Likes this wine: 91 Points
Had over several nights. Not showing as well when opened at cellar temp. Shows better slightly chilled say 10 deg colder. A good rich palate with raisins and toffee caramel and toasted almonds. Gets better over a week opened as most of these RWC Barbeito bottlings do.
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11/1/2014 - cweiss Likes this wine:
Medium dry, intense, complex, and very long. A glass is a wonderful way to end an evening, any evening. In today's Madeira market this is an excellent value.
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10/19/2014 - Pknut wrote:
Amazing, intriguing. Dates and fig paste on the palate, along with additional notes of chocolate, dark roast coffee, baked toffee and a delicious note of lime acidity that cut through the richness and the sweetness. Nuanced and contemplative. Sag Harbor guys' weekend.
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9/27/2014 - mdefreitas wrote: 92 Points
On the dry side, with racy, citric acids. High toned, with figs, lemons, citus pith and nut skin. Medium finish. Better after a few days of air.
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9/9/2014 - tinybubbles wrote: 91 Points
Dried figs, light soil notes and a potpourri of dry citrus rind and sweet herbs. The palate adds some nuttiness on the finish, but overall I was somewhat disappointed by the depth of the flavors.
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8/12/2014 - mdefreitas wrote: 92 Points
A lighter styled Madeira, with more nutskin, lemon and figgy flavors, rather than caramel and treacle. Wonderful acidity, with a nicely citric finish. Leaning towards the drier side. Tangy and focused.
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6/26/2014 - Kirk Grant wrote:
Color: Almost amber and rusted root
Smell: Saline, crushed nuts, mineral, and key lime notes
Taste: Mineral, toasted legumes & nuts
Overall: a wine that is clearly worth investing in ...
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5/24/2014 - drwine2001 wrote:
Deep amber/brown. Right out of the bottle, remarkable aromatics and flavors of salted grilled nuts with background notes of narcissus, toffee and citrus rind. Not nearly as sweet as RWC's Bual or Malmsey, fierce acidity and lots of soil. In a word, powerful. This would be great with cheese rather than dessert. I look forward to following this with days to weeks of air.
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5/21/2014 - mdefreitas wrote: 92 Points
Wines @ Salil's (Vernon, CT): Another fabulous bottle. The figgy, caramel and nutskin flavors dance on the palate with lifting acidity. Super length.
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5/21/2014 - salil wrote: 92 Points
Really compelling. A really complex aroma with all sorts of savoury roasted nutty and smoky elements and sweeter figgy and candied orange peel notes, and a palate that's surprisingly savoury with only moderate sweetness. There's lots of depth here, palate coating intensity and concentration matched by bright acidity, and a remarkably long finish. Liked this a lot.
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5/6/2014 - mdefreitas wrote: 92 Points
A lovely Madeira, with dried figs, dried dates, citrus and nutskin flavors. Quite sharp and precise, being on the drier side of the spectrum. Tangy and bright with a medium length finish. Delicious, but not quite the depth or palate impact I was expecting given the lofty review by Gilman. This was a pop and pour, and I look forward to trying it again after some days of air in the bottle. UPDATE: This became slightly more expansive on the palate on day 2.
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