NV D'Oliveiras Madeira Tinta Negra Aged 20 Years Medium Dry

Community Tasting Notes (1) Avg Score: 91 points

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  8/31/2022 - forceberry wrote: 91 Points

  100% Tinta Negra made from purchased grapes. Fortified to approx. 20% ABV with 96% ABV grape spirit to halt the fermentation. Unlike the blended d'Oliveiras wines up to 10 Years Old, this is not aged in epoxy-lined concrete estufas, in which the wine is heated artificially to temperatures ranging from 42 to 43°C (108 to 109 °F), but in large oak casks in canteiros. The wine is blended from different casks resulting in a wine that is stylistically at least 20 years old. Bottled in 2021. 20% alcohol.
  
  Very deep and dark amber color with a reddish core. Sweet, complex nose with aromas of old cedar and creamy custard, some raisiny tones and nuances of dried figs, a little bit of maple syrup and molasses, light notes of cigar. oxidative hints of hay and nutty rancio, a touch of leather and a whiff of volatile lift. The wine is very concentrated, slightly oily and almost electric on the body with a medium-to-moderately high acidity and very intense medium-sweet flavors of tart lemony citrus fruits and Granny Smith apple, some apple peel bitterness, a little bit of burned sugar that trail of to slightly smoky tones, light nutty notes of rancio, a hint of quince jam and a touch of steely minerality. The bracing acidity lends tremendous sense of freshness and precision to the wine. The finish is crisp, firm and very intense on the palate with lengthy medium-dry flavors of lemon and quince, some syrupy notes of molasses, a little bit of smoke, light oxidative notes of hay and chopped nuts, a hint of bruised green apple and a touch of grapefruit juice.
  
  A very focused, structured and dead-serious effort for a blended Tinta Negra. This wine is very similar to a Frasqueira wine in quality, but in all likelihood this isn't "just" a generic 20 yo blend - in truth many shippers make their 20 yo blends from old casks of wine which they don't have the necessary documents (either lost or there never was any), which means these casks can't be bottled and sold as Frasqueiras that would fetch big money. Instead they need to be released as "blended wines", ie. in bottles with no vintage designation. Some producers use these barrels to add complexity to their other blends (like 3yo, 5yo, 10yo or 15yo), whereas other producers blend these older barrels together, labeling them as "20 yo", even if the actual blend might consist of wines much older than this. I have no idea how old the wines were that were used in making this wine, but based on the intensity, concentration and power here, there must be some older wines in the mix as well. A rare Tinta Negra that can hold a candle to a Frasqueira Madeira. Great stuff. Well worth its price at 46€.

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