Used for a white port tonic, but still quite nice by itself. A bit on the drier style, with lovely yellow fruits and citrus zest. Correct acidity.

While this won't be a Champagne replacement for me, this seems a lot better than other similarly priced cavas out there. A finer, tighter bead and refined mouth-feel here, with yellow fruits and citrus on the palate. Above average length on the finish. I enjoyed this quite a bit.

Drank along side the 2005, this showed more vibrancy and cut, with less of the leesy, waxy, oxidative notes that the 2005 showed. A nice herbal vein runs through this which was refreshing. A polarizing style, given the oxidative but I enjoyed it.

Drank along with the 2004, this suffered in comparison. A bit to much oxidation, old wood and cream. An interesting wine, but this didn't have the vibrancy and general overall balance that it's older sibling possessed. To its credit, it maintained for two days without changing much, but minimal enjoyment for me.

I give this credit for being over 10 years old and still being alive an interesting. Mature, yet not tired. Citrus, pears, peaches and other orchard fruits are noted, but other than "fruitiness" and a hint of petrol, there isn't much here. In particular, I was looking for character and minerality.

Hand carried back from Portugal, and it was a shame that it didn't show well. The color was still pretty deep in the center of the glass, with just some lightening on the edges, but a loose cork appears to be this wine's downfall. It tasted a bit tired, with slight oxidation and VA. Oh well...

I was a little more generous with this wine than others, who found it a bit corked. I found it a bit "rustic", earthy and rough around the edges, but still quite drinkable. I need to get another bottle to better assess this, but I suppose bottle variation is to be expected.

My last bottle of this and it continues to show well. Gamey and beefy with herbs, bacon and iron filing. A lot going on here. Medium bodied and savory, with well resolved structure. I'm not sure I would hold on to this any longer, as I remember the fruit to be a little stringer the last time I had this. Drink up.

A lovely surprise. The only other Janus I had was the 1994, and that one seemed very ripe and vanilla-laden. This was much smoother, elegant and poised. Not sure if it was the vintage or the extra time in the bottle that made this a more refined wine. The fruit is still robust, but the structure is silky, giving just the right amount of lift. A nice variety of flavors here, like olive tapenade, leather, plums and spice. Yummy and savory.

A very youthful wine with cherry, tea, leather and a healthy amount of oak that still needs to be absorbed. Fortunately this doesn't have a strong dill note. Not an especially deep wine, but this seems worthy of aging a bit more to integrate the flavors a bit more.

Well, this was a bit disappointing. Nothing like the stunning bottle I had last year. A red-fruited wine with dried, pressed flowers, spice and leather. A bit flat on the palate, however. Oh well, bottle variation is bound to happen with wines this old.

An excellent bottle, showing complexity, depth, a velvety mouth-feel and a "sweetness" that comes from bottle age. Dried red fruits, anise, leather and tea. Melt in your mouth structure. Just lovely.

Good, but not what I would expect for the price. Mostly dried fruits and butterscotch, with a fairly simple palate. Soft, smooth... almost too smooth for me... needs more "zing".

Another stellar half bottle. What impresses here is the piercing, lemony acids that keep the caramel and pecan pie flavors from becoming too sweet and cloying. Utterly seamless wine with such incredible lift and length. Wow!

This was lost a bit with all the "cask aged" fortified wines, which were more open and giving. This seemed a bit tight but the quality of the fruit was obvious. On the second day this opened up nicely and revealed it self to be a powerful, dense, yet silky port with loads of plum, blackberry, pepper and licorice notes. Lovely finish that lingers with fine slightly grippy tannins. This powerhouse of a wine will be epic with time in the cellar.

A Sercial for those who really love Sercial. A sharp, lean, high-toned, wine with nut skins, lemons and a touch of varnish. Medium length with a tangy finish of granny smith apples in toffee. I enjoyed this, but the enamel-stripping acidity may not be for everyone.

Wine of the night. Such incredible power and persistence, coating the palate upon entry but possessing the appropriate acids to keep it from being syrupy. Electric wine muscle and intensity, but coupled with great poise. Caramel, nuts, figs and wood spice notes. Lots of "hang time" on the flavors. One of my favorite 20th century Madeiras.

Very much a d'Oliveira wine... big, muscular and concentrated. Loaded with honey, citrus, burnt sugar and dried yellow fruits. The finish is intense, pungent, lip-pursing and full of bite. On the drier side, but not lacking in richness. The finish on this wine just knocked me out. A bit of VA, but not off-putting... just a whiff to add complexity. More of a wine to have by itself rather than with food, as this really has a lot going on.