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| Drinking Windows and Values |
| Drinking window: Drink between 2019 and 2031 (based on 8 user opinions) |
| Community Tasting History |
| Community Tasting Notes (average 90.2 pts. and median of 90 pts. in 23 notes) - hiding notes with no text | | | Tasted by PacoHigon on 12/19/2023: Clasificado como Rich-doce. En el Mercado británico el #malmsey era el nombre dado a los vinos dulces elaborados con malvasía. Caoba con destellos yodados. La nariz muestra matices salinos, notable peso de los acetaldehídos, hay azúcar quemado, especias dulces, cerezas en licor, humo, regaliz. En boca la entrada es intensa, dulzor equilibrado, canela, higos secos, ron de caña, suaves amargos, notable persistencia. Por encima de los 120 gr./l de azúcar residual. (368 views) | | | Tasted by AURUM on 11/26/2022 & rated 89 points: Dark amber colour. Nose with dried apricots, rasin and orange peel. Medium plus acidity, medium sweet, medium finish.
A quite ordinarhy medium sweet madeira. (706 views) | | | Tasted by canan on 7/12/2022 & rated 90 points: Brown sugar and chocolate but also a nice acidity. (894 views) | | | Tasted by rasmusvinetc on 6/29/2022: STARKVIN, MADEIRA, MALVASIA
Nyanserad, stiltypiskt bränd, söt smak med inslag av torkade fikon, muscovadosocker, choklad, kanel, nötter och apelsin. (883 views) | | | Tasted by WineAndDineWithMe on 2/19/2022 & rated 88 points: Intense on the nose. Full-bodied, sweet and rich taste of dried figs, muscovado sugar, honey, butter scotch and some cinnamon. (225 views) | | | Tasted by PSPatrick on 10/13/2021 & rated 90 points: Tasting Training for WSET Level 4, Units D4 + D5 - Session 6 (Madeira, non-blind): Wine 9: The wine has a medium amber colour. The intensity of aromas is medium, aromas include dried fruit (dried apricot), walnut, toffee, caramel, coffee, chocolate and VA.
On the palate the wine is sweet, with high acidity, high alcohol and a full body. The intensity of flavours is pronounced, flavours include dried fruit (dried apricot), walnut, toffee, caramel, coffee and chocolate. The alcohol is integrated well, the texture is creamy, the finish has medium(+) length.
This is an outstanding quality wine since it has good balance of sweetness and acidity, great intensity on the palate, great concentration and well-integrated alcohol.
The wine has been matured in oxidative conditions. Thanks to this maturation and to its high acidity and high alcohol it will keep on this level for many years, but it will not improve, and is hence to be considered not suitable for further ageing in bottle. (1551 views) | | | Tasted by PSPatrick on 9/4/2021 & rated 91 points: WSET Level 4, Unit D5: Fortified Wines Part I - Port, Madeira and VDN (Weinakademie Österreich, Rust, Austria): Wine 6: The wine is deep amber in colour. The nose is of medium(+) intensity and shows tertiary aromas of fig, coffee, nuts, and caramel.
On the palate the wine is sweet, with high acidity, high alcohol, and a full body. The flavour intensity is pronounced, the flavours are tertiary and very concentrated, and include fig, walnut, caramel, and coffee. The finish has medium(+) length.
This wine is of very good quality since it has high concentration, good balance of acidity and sweetness, and medium(+) length. To be considered being of outstanding quality it would require more complexity and even greater length. The wine will keep for many years, but will not improve, and in that sense is not suitable for further aging in bottle.
NB: Others in our group rated the wine a little lower. (1868 views) | | | Tasted by Henman on 4/2/2021 & rated 89 points: On the nose some rancio notes, orange peel, dried fruit. Medium bodied, smooth and sweet (not overly), delivering rather subtle and balanced flavors of dried fruit, orange peel, minerals and a tad rancio balanced by firm acidic structure. All in all a solid sweet madeira. (1060 views) | | | Tasted by trastevere on 12/7/2019 & rated 90 points: Golden color and aromas of caramel and chocolate. Enjoyable to sip after dinner,with its smooth caramel quality, balancing acidity and a touch of tangerine peel, cocoa and a long fresh finish. (1367 views) | | | Tasted by Xavier Auerbach on 8/11/2019 & rated 90 points: Initially this was just caramel and coffee, but after a few hours in the decanter it started to open up to notes of salty wood spice and orange peel. Sweet but lively palate with tangy acidity, juicy and lively, good resonance and length. Very nice. (1766 views) | | | Tasted by joraesque on 12/19/2017 & rated 92 points: Drank wonderfully over several months.
90-92 (1750 views) | | | Tasted by corposo on 2/5/2017 & rated 90 points: Its like a posh Sherry.
Full of flavor that you would reconnoiters a Madeira.
Colour: amber to golden.
Taste: harmonious bouquet: Fresh figs, vanilla, caramel, dried fruits like prunes and some cinnamon.
Worth keeping some in stock for drinking and cooking with [god for bid]. (1293 views) | | | Tasted by PacoHigon on 6/24/2016: Vino dulce de color caoba y nariz expresiva, de carácter oxidativo, con abundantes notas de frutos secos (algo de pasas y sobre todo nueces), toques de caramelo, algo de especias exóticas y un fondo avainillado. En boca tiene buen ataque, el paso es denso, con volumen, bien de acidez, dulzor bastante equilibrado, largo y bien definido. (691 views) | | | Tasted by henrygjeffreys on 10/11/2015: treacle and brazil nuts on the nose
Sweet, rich but lovely balance
Vibrant acidity
Long finish
£25 M&S (729 views) | | | Tasted by Xavier Auerbach on 6/27/2015 & rated 89 points: Recent bottling. Classic Malmsey nose, good definition and depth, fruit, nuts and Scotch; there is a good tangy, acidic kick on the palate and intensity and length are absolutely fine, but mid-palate the wine is just too sweet, soft and sticky. It reminds me of an Oloroso that has ODed on the PX - the sugar coating takes away the precision and definition. But a solid 10 YO none the less. Good value too. (2819 views) | | | Tasted by Xavier Auerbach on 8/9/2013 & rated 90 points: No bottling date given but clearly bottled very recently, probably 2013 or 2012 at the earliest. 19% ABV. Intense amber colour, not unlike a 30 year old tawny; the nose is relatively restrained and slightly woody (not unlike a good Scotch), but opens up well after a few days and displays aromas of toasted nuts, candied fruit and molasses, fresh and with good depth; on the palate medium sweet, intense, compact and clean, with lovely acidity, well-balanced, savoury, coffee flavour, hint of fudge; excellent length, hint of heat. A good 10 YO, fine QPR at € 18 and a far cry from the old fashioned, cooked and caramelly style of yore. (2845 views) | | | Tasted by Zweder on 2/21/2013 & rated 89 points: Monthly Tasting Group LTB 2013-03; Madeira (by DJ): Chocolate, coffee, a lot of chocolate and some alcohol. Dates, figs and almonds. A lot of sweetness and also good acidity. Pleasant wine. (2062 views) | | | Tasted by rjonwine@gmail.com on 10/11/2011 & rated 88 points: From Madeira to USA: Madeira's Five Major Producer/Exporters Present a Trade Tasting (Hotel Monaco, San Francisco, California): Medium brown amber color with ruby lights and yellow meniscus; appealing, light caramel, tangerine cream, honey nose; sweet, honeyed, light caramel, tangerine cream palate; medium-plus finish 88+ points (good as a light version of Madeira; 120 grams residual sugar) (2851 views) |
| By Tamlyn Currin
JancisRobinson.com (3/31/2022)
(NV Justino's, Malvasia 10 Year Old Doce/Rich Madeira White) Subscribe to see review text. | By Jancis Robinson, MW
JancisRobinson.com (9/10/2020)
(NV Justino's, Malvasia 10 Year Old Madeira White) Subscribe to see review text. | By Neal Martin
Vinous, Madeira: Fortified for All Occasions (Oct 2019) (10/1/2019)
(NV Justino's 10-year Old Malvasia Fortified/spirits) Subscribe to see review text. | By Julia Harding, MW
JancisRobinson.com (10/28/2014)
(NV Justino's, Malvasia 10 Year Old deira White) Subscribe to see review text. | By Jancis Robinson, MW
JancisRobinson.com (4/19/2010)
(NV Justino's, 10 Years Old Malvasia NV Madeira White) Subscribe to see review text. | By Roy Hersh
For The Love of Port, July 2006, Issue #16
(NV Justino's 10 Year Old Malvasia Madeira) Subscribe to see review text. | By Richard Jennings
RJonWine.com (10/11/2011)
(NV Justino's Madeira Malvasia 10 Years Old) Medium brown amber color with ruby lights and yellow meniscus; appealing, light caramel, tangerine cream, honey nose; sweet, honeyed, light caramel, tangerine cream palate; medium-plus finish 88+ points (good as a light version of Madeira; 120 grams residual sugar) 88 points |
NOTE: Scores and reviews are the property of JancisRobinson.com and Vinous and For The Love of Port and RJonWine.com. (manage subscription channels) |
| Justino's Producer website
Justino’s is one of the oldest producers of Madeira, having been in existence since 1870, when it was known as Justino Henriques. Today, Justino’s is owned by the French company La Martiniquaise. Fruit is sourced from all over the island, with only the best areas and vineyards selected for the different grape varieties. A new winery, located in Cancela, Santa Cruz, was built in 1995.Portugal ViniPortugal (Associação Interprofissional para a Promoção dos Vinhos Portugueses/Portuguese Wine Trade Association)MadeiraThe Madeira Wine Guide and For The Love of Port are two essential sites on the wines of Madeira.MadeiraFrom Mannie Burk@ Rare Wine Co :
When served in 1950, the wine was 158 years old, but in fine condition, still boasting Madeira’s trademark rich, sweet, velvety taste and roomfilling aromas of butterscotch, cocoa and coffee. Sir Winston insisted on serving the guests himself, asking each in turn, “Do you realize that when this wine was vintaged Marie Antoinette was alive?”
Madeira’s longevity earns it a special place in the realm of old wine. What other wine requires over a half century to mature? And what other wine, when a century old, still benefits from several hours of breathing and can stand up to weeks in a decanter, without losing its complexity or its richness? And how many wines can live for two centuries and still offer not only the pleasure of their antiquity, but also the enjoyment of drinking?
The robustness and longevity of Madeira, even once opened, allows for endless experimentation with food pairings and drinking occasions.
Madeira’s Mountain Vineyards:
Madeira is produced on a breathtakingly beautiful volcanic island of the same name which surges from the sea at a point 360 miles west of Morocco and 700 miles south of Portugal, which governs it. The history of Madeira’s wine is nearly as old as that of the island. The island was first settled by Europeans—led by the Portuguese explorer Zarco—in 1419. By 1455 a visitor from Venice wrote that Madeira’s vineyards were the world's most beautiful. Within a century, the wine from these vineyards was well established in markets throughout Europe and by the 1600’s it had become the most popular wine in Britain’s North American colonies.
America’s First Wine:
The popularity of Madeira in the American colonies got a huge boost in 1665 when the British authorities banned the importation of products made or grown in Europe, unless shipped on British vessels from British ports. Products from Madeira were specifically exempted. British merchants in Madeira took full advantage of this by establishing close ties with merchants in Boston, New York, Philadelphia, Baltimore, Charleston and Savannah. A steady trade developed in which wine from Madeira was traded for such American products as indigo, corn and cotton. This trade continued unabated until the early 1800’s, except when politics and war interfered in the 1770’s.
For two centuries, Madeira was the wine of choice for most affluent Americans. Francis Scott Keyes is said to have penned the Star Spangled Banner, sipping from a glass of Madeira. George Washington's inauguration was toasted with Madeira, as was the signing of the Declaration of Independence. Wealthy families from Boston to Savannah established extensive collections of Madeiras. Madeira became high fashion, and“Madeira parties” (a forerunner of today’s wine tasting) became major social events.
How Madeira is Made:
Madeira is produced from grapes grown on terraces cut into the island's steep mountainsides. Like Port, Madeira is a “fortified” wine to which brandy has been added. But unlike other fortified wines, Madeira is also heated for several months, either in special vats or in the attic lofts of the Madeira lodges.
This heating (called “estufagem”) had its origins in the days when merchant ships called at Madeira on their way to the East and West Indies. Beginning in the late 1600's, wines from Madeira's vineyards were frequent cargo on ships sailing to the Americas, as well as to mainland Portugal, England and India. According to legend, the value of a trip to the tropics was learned when an orphan cask, forgotten in a ship's hold, returned to Madeira from a trip across the Equator. The wine was found to be rich and velvety, far better than when it left, and a tropical cruise became part of the Madeira winemaking tradition.
Throughout the 18th and 19th centuries, producers continued to send casks of their wines on long voyages, for no other reason than to develop greater character. The ocean traveling wines were called vina da roda (“wines of the round voyage”) and those that crossed the Equator twice were considered the best. Some Madeiras were named for the vessels with which they sailed (Constitution, Balthazar, Red jacket, Hurricane, Comet) or the places they had been (East Indies, West Indies, Japan, Argentina). Although this practice ended in the first decade of the 20th century, heating is still a critical step in the making of all Madeiras.
A Century of Change:
While the majority of Madeiras are blends of vintages and grape varieties, it is the vintage wines, and the now-vanishing soleras that are Madeira’s claim to greatness. Vintage and solera Madeiras are not simply a selection of the best wines from the best years, they are made from particular “noble” grape varieties after which the wines are named. These names—Malmsey, Bual, Verdelho, Sercial—not only describe a grape variety; they also describe a style, with Malmsey being the sweetest and richest (and therefore the most like Vintage Port) and Sercial being the lightest and the driest.
There are other grape varieties whose names you may stumble across on old bottles of Madeira. Terrantez and Bastardo, in particular, are grapes that were widely grown up to the late 1800's and whose old wines can still be found on occasion. The virtual extinction of Terrantez and Bastardo grapevines in the late 1800's coincided with the decline of the Madeira wine trade and resulted from the same causes: two diseases of the vine, Oidium and Phylloxera, both of which also struck the vineyards of Europe, but in Madeira caused much greater, and more lasting, destruction.
The Oidium crisis began in 1852 and lasted about a decade; during this time some 90 percent of the island's vines were destroyed by powdery mildew, and the number of firms producing wine decreased by over 75 percent. There was a brief period of replanting and rebuilding in the 1860's, but then Phylloxera struck in 1872, reducing the island's vine acreage to about 1,000 by the early 1880’s.
The Phylloxera crisis, too, passed, and by the turn of the century production had been restored throughout the island, albeit at somewhat lower levels. But the costs had been heavy. Madeira had largely lost its traditional markets—America, England and the British East Indian colonies. Relatively less of the classic grape varieties were now grown, as they gave way to more prolific, but less distinguished, varieties. And, of course, stocks of older wines had been largely depleted, after a half century during which little young wine was being produced.
Today, the world's supply of fine Madeira is negligible. However, those few examples that have survived from the 19th and early 20th centuries are among the world's most majestic wines, which no wine lover should fail to experience.
Over the past twenty years, our passion for these noble wines has grown with each passing month. We believe that they are among the greatest, most individual wines this planet has ever produced. They possess a richness and grandeur shared by only a few wines.
And their ability to age makes them absolutely unique. Most wines are dead and gone at age 100; and at best they are barely drinkable. But after a century, a Madeira can be just reaching its prime, possessing the depth of great age, but also the vigor of youth.
The gradual depletion of the world’s stocks of these irreplaceable wines has only encouraged us to try harder to find the wines that remain.
A Note on Prices and Quality:
As they have grown in rarity, and the sources of supply diminish, the price of Madeira on the world market has skyrocketed. Though many of the older wines arguably are worth whatever you may be asked to pay, the rising tide—combined with Madeira’s mystique—has also raised the prices of mediocrities to the levels of the greats. |
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