Blandy's tasting at The Bristol
Chicago, IL
Tasted Thursday, March 6, 2014 by acyso with 689 views
Introduction
Chris Blandy, the seventh-generation owner of Blandy's was here to present some of his wines at a tasting hosted by HDH. This was one of the most informative and educational tastings I've had the pleasure of attending. It certainly helped that the wines were pretty tasty too.
Flight 1 (8 Notes)
Closing
Some closing thoughts: Chris suggested using a port or aqua vita glass for the vintage Madeiras, and that the bottles should be stored standing up as the high acidity eats the cork; recork once the cork dries out.
1988 Blandy's Madeira Malmsey 93 Points
Portugal, Madeira
Not yet released. Pale amber. Slightly green note on the nose. Brown sugar, light marmalade, and caramel flavours on the palate. Medium-plus acidity for a Madeira. Perhaps slightly Sauternes-y from the brown sugar and citrus. Very lively and young.
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1977 Blandy's Madeira Verdelho 93 Points
Portugal, Madeira
Slightly opaque. Colour of dark honey. Light hint of dried dates on the nose. Very restrained on the palate, but intense. A good mouthful of fruit as well, but this is a Madeira that certainly veers towards the herbal side.
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1976 Blandy's Madeira Terrantez 93 Points
Portugal, Madeira
Bottled in 1997. Medium dark. Very smoky on the nose but otherwise quite reticent. The palate is on the sweeter end and the acidity isn't too harsh. Very elegant and smooth, and everything has rounded out quite well.
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1968 Blandy's Madeira Verdelho 90 Points
Portugal, Madeira
Bottled in 2009. The nose was incredible -- an archetypical Madeira nose if there ever was one. Honey and floral notes dominated. The palate is very tense and brimming with acidity, but I found the concentration and extract a little lacking here.
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1966 Blandy's Madeira Sercial 85 Points
Portugal, Madeira
Very light amber colour. Not quite sure what is going on on the nose. It strikes me as quite grassy with some sauvignon blanc-style cat pee notes. The palate is also very dry, with a fino-like character. Comes off a bit hot; definitely not my style of Madeira.
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1948 Blandy's Madeira Bual 90 Points
Portugal, Madeira
2004 bottling. Very dark brown colour. The nose seemed a bit closed, but I got a hint of Christmas spice, vanilla, and fig. The palate was quite sweet with the tertiary characteristics really coming out now. Medium intensity.
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1920 Blandy's Madeira Bual 95 Points
Portugal, Madeira
2006 bottling. Dark amber. There's a faint whiff of spirit on the nose, as well as lots of spice and honey aromas. The palate is where everything comes together though. Very rich and smooth, to the point this feels almost a little oily. Incredible acidity but the sweetness keeps everything in balance.
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1887 Blandy's Madeira Verdelho Demijohn Selection 93 Points
Portugal, Madeira
Bottled 2013. A wine from the Blandy family cellar. Amber in colour, and a bit grassy on the nose. This wine is likely from very young vines, as they had just been replanted after the phylloxera outbreak. Very, very bracing acidity, but this still comes off as restrained. A bit less concentrated and complex than I would have expected, but a real treat nonetheless.
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