Light brown color. Heady aromas of caramel, petrol and almond skins. Intense, sweet but beautifully balanced fruit the mouth with great depth and length. Very fresh, silky and long on the palate. This wine can only improve with a few months of aeration!
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This is millefeuille Madeira: layers upon layers of deep, complex dried fruit, sweet citrus, mellow oak, spices, and caramel. This is astoundingly bright and fresh and will live eternally.
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This was one of those "one for the ages" stories. Last December, Lettie Teague wrote a story in the WSJ on our wine tailgates at Jets games. If you want to see it, Google "Jet Tailgater Fine Wine." I got a lot of emails from people that I knew as a result of the article, and one from someone I did not - John York, CEO of the SF 49ers. He loves wine, has a wine program at home games and invited us to come out to SF the next time the Jets played the Niners. Once every eight years. BUT it was this year, and a man of his word, he hosted us at today's game.
While speaking with his chief assistant to make arrangements, she mentioned that he had said, "No need to bring any wine." I explained to her that to a wine collector, that was a dare. She said she knew and I said that I would have to bring something special. I thought for a moment and said "1875 Madeira." She responded, "That'll do."
Decanted at our hotel at 8:15 am into a wide bottom decanted. Poured back into the bottle at 10:00 am. Walked to the stadium and met the staff. We were ushered into a private dining room and shared the wine at about noon with Mr.York, his assistant, my wife, my son, their sommelier and a representative from Hanzell vineyards, who was pouring his wines at the owner's club that day.
This is a double WOW wine. The decant took the edge off - the aroma had filled our hotel room but there was a bit of an alcoholic bite at first that was completely gone when tasted four hours later. The palate was pure nuts, caramel, tropical citrus and a bit of vanilla. EXTREMELY smooth with no rough edges. Not syrupy and the acidity was a perfect balance for the sweetness so that neither was intrusive and neither controlled the flavor profile, which was just a well-integrated whole. It was like liquid silk in the mouth with a finish that went on, and on, and on some more.
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A very full-bodied Madeira that has lost its babyfat but not its power and complexity. Deep and rich flavors of molasses, smoky wood, sweet clove and all kinds of exotic spices slide over the tongue in decadent richness. The wine is so concentrated and so complex that the finish remains in the mouth literally until the following day. This bottle was double-decanted in the morning but could've used another day or two to calm down. Incredible juice drunk at its peak.
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Delicious old Madeira that's really very mature. Shows a good amount of sweetness and raisiny flavors. Intense and powerful but I prefer the less sweet styles.
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What a treat. There's a ton of depth here, constantly unfolding layers of savoury roasted nutty flavours, dark chocolate, dried orange and fig, a slightly sour tamarind-like element, caramel and so much more. A really amazing wine to sit down with and explore, remarkably light on its feet for a Madeira with impressive acidity and just a touch of finishing heat, but what an experience.
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Decant at least a full 24 hours in advance. Otherwise the wine will be much more muted and less complex than its potential. The nose is an amazingly complex array of spice and candied fruit, mostly citrus. On the palette it is smooth balanced, nutty, citrusy, with cinnamon and nutmeg. What is so off the charts about this wine isn't any one flavor, its how the wine actually changes as it crosses your tongue. One of the most if not the most complex wines I've ever had the privilege of tasting. I had a tasting of an 1850 (sercial) afterwards and this blew the doors off it.
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The Blind Drunks monthly tasting (Rich & Dana's): Served with assorted desserts after the blind tasting was completed. From the same bottle opened the week before. Being open for just over a week or so has done this bottle well. Notes of raisins, caramel and toffee, with a decent finish dominated by caramel and nuts. While still not mind blowing by any means, it was now at least enjoyable, having lost the harsh alcohol tones on the nose and palate.
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Opened at our friends' chili & caroling party. Bottled in October 2002. This wine is currently all about the alcohol, with only some very faint cashew and toffee notes discernable on the nose. The palate is nothing but heat, and seems watery and thin. Hopefully time in bottle will allow the spirits to integrate.
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6/7/2023 - hsacks Likes this wine: 96 Points
Impressively, similar to the 1/3/20 bottle and may be even better over the next few years!
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1/3/2020 - hsacks Likes this wine: 96 Points
Light brown color. Heady aromas of caramel, petrol and almond skins. Intense, sweet but beautifully balanced fruit the mouth with great depth and length. Very fresh, silky and long on the palate. This wine can only improve with a few months of aeration!
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1/21/2018 - rc@ughey wrote: 95 Points
This is millefeuille Madeira: layers upon layers of deep, complex dried fruit, sweet citrus, mellow oak, spices, and caramel. This is astoundingly bright and fresh and will live eternally.
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12/11/2016 - J @ y H @ c k Likes this wine: 97 Points
This was one of those "one for the ages" stories. Last December, Lettie Teague wrote a story in the WSJ on our wine tailgates at Jets games. If you want to see it, Google "Jet Tailgater Fine Wine." I got a lot of emails from people that I knew as a result of the article, and one from someone I did not - John York, CEO of the SF 49ers. He loves wine, has a wine program at home games and invited us to come out to SF the next time the Jets played the Niners. Once every eight years. BUT it was this year, and a man of his word, he hosted us at today's game.
While speaking with his chief assistant to make arrangements, she mentioned that he had said, "No need to bring any wine." I explained to her that to a wine collector, that was a dare. She said she knew and I said that I would have to bring something special. I thought for a moment and said "1875 Madeira." She responded, "That'll do."
Decanted at our hotel at 8:15 am into a wide bottom decanted. Poured back into the bottle at 10:00 am. Walked to the stadium and met the staff. We were ushered into a private dining room and shared the wine at about noon with Mr.York, his assistant, my wife, my son, their sommelier and a representative from Hanzell vineyards, who was pouring his wines at the owner's club that day.
This is a double WOW wine. The decant took the edge off - the aroma had filled our hotel room but there was a bit of an alcoholic bite at first that was completely gone when tasted four hours later. The palate was pure nuts, caramel, tropical citrus and a bit of vanilla. EXTREMELY smooth with no rough edges. Not syrupy and the acidity was a perfect balance for the sweetness so that neither was intrusive and neither controlled the flavor profile, which was just a well-integrated whole. It was like liquid silk in the mouth with a finish that went on, and on, and on some more.
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5/3/2014 - Burgundy Al wrote: flawed
Wine with Steak and Morels (Chez Kailin - Northbrook IL): Volatile and unfriendly.
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3/7/2014 - dream Likes this wine: 97 Points
A very full-bodied Madeira that has lost its babyfat but not its power and complexity. Deep and rich flavors of molasses, smoky wood, sweet clove and all kinds of exotic spices slide over the tongue in decadent richness. The wine is so concentrated and so complex that the finish remains in the mouth literally until the following day. This bottle was double-decanted in the morning but could've used another day or two to calm down. Incredible juice drunk at its peak.
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10/27/2011 - dream wrote: 92 Points
Delicious old Madeira that's really very mature. Shows a good amount of sweetness and raisiny flavors. Intense and powerful but I prefer the less sweet styles.
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9/20/2011 - salil wrote: 93 Points
What a treat. There's a ton of depth here, constantly unfolding layers of savoury roasted nutty flavours, dark chocolate, dried orange and fig, a slightly sour tamarind-like element, caramel and so much more. A really amazing wine to sit down with and explore, remarkably light on its feet for a Madeira with impressive acidity and just a touch of finishing heat, but what an experience.
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6/28/2011 - Barnaby33 wrote:
Decant at least a full 24 hours in advance. Otherwise the wine will be much more muted and less complex than its potential. The nose is an amazingly complex array of spice and candied fruit, mostly citrus. On the palette it is smooth balanced, nutty, citrusy, with cinnamon and nutmeg. What is so off the charts about this wine isn't any one flavor, its how the wine actually changes as it crosses your tongue. One of the most if not the most complex wines I've ever had the privilege of tasting. I had a tasting of an 1850 (sercial) afterwards and this blew the doors off it.
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12/17/2006 - AllRed wrote: 88 Points
The Blind Drunks monthly tasting (Rich & Dana's): Served with assorted desserts after the blind tasting was completed. From the same bottle opened the week before. Being open for just over a week or so has done this bottle well. Notes of raisins, caramel and toffee, with a decent finish dominated by caramel and nuts. While still not mind blowing by any means, it was now at least enjoyable, having lost the harsh alcohol tones on the nose and palate.
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12/9/2006 - AllRed wrote: 79 Points
Opened at our friends' chili & caroling party. Bottled in October 2002. This wine is currently all about the alcohol, with only some very faint cashew and toffee notes discernable on the nose. The palate is nothing but heat, and seems watery and thin. Hopefully time in bottle will allow the spirits to integrate.
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