November 23, 2017 - Tasted next to some older early 1900’s Malvasias and it holds up well. Side by side you can notice the lack of depth in comparison but on its own it is still very complex, rich and balanced. Sweet and full, with walnut and spice flavors. Impressive. Glad I have a few bottles.
August 31, 2017 - 2015 Vintage Port Tasting; 8/29/2017-8/31/2017 (Sammamish, Washington): Produced by Henriques & Henriques and bottled in 2008. Cedar, mahogany, and caramel on the nose. Vanilla and caramel on the palate with great acidity and balance. Long, well-balanced finish.
October 23, 2016 - N.V. Madeira Imperial Malmsey Old Reserve; Producer: Henriques & Henriques Vinhos S.A., Câmara de Lobos, Madeira, Portugal. WineBid, $120/750 ml (after BP); imported by Rare Wine Co, Vineburg, CA. 20% abv. These labels have no bar codes on them, so this one has been in bottle quite a while, most likely.
T-cork very dry; broke off at top while attempting to remove. The Durand cork-puller, delicately used, extracted the remainder successfully from the neck--another score for this handy item. Tasted from the Impitoyable first.
Somewhat cloudy, probably needing more time to settle after shipment, with a nearly blood-red semi-transparency. Sheeting with sparse tears.
Initial nose proclaims the style-smoky vivid cherries, lightly milked chocolate, earth, some varnish and a decided punch of volatility, taking some half--hour of swiring to tone down.
After it's been aired, a fruitcake complex emerges nicely, with citron peel, hard ground spices, and roasted-almond nuttiness, overlain by aged raw Yunnan pu-erh tea, the beef broth tailing off into a lovely clove note; very nice but still with plenty of room to grow. Still needs air. Has plenty of depth on the nose, the kind that has you scratching your head, saying, 'What's that I'm smelling?' A powerful and balanced mouthful of Madeira, with a lightly sweet, juicy, rubbed-varnish, very persistent finish and a very smooth and limpid mouth-feel. A nice balance of power and finesse.
Second day: More bricking, less red, and clearer appearance. Tangy caramel reaches out to the nose. Sweet beef broth and smelling of vibrant acidity, with an energetically-expressed veal-kidney note there somewhere, and a hint of shoe polish. Punchy acidity in the mouth with luscious fruit and sweetness to balance; a very pleasurable and persistent finish, with an almost chemical-like but pleasant and apporpriate flavor, and a fine stoniness. Prolonged juicy sensation in the corners of the mouth, as well.
This is the reddest-colored white wine I've ever seen, I think. Not a reason in the world to cellar it further; but will keep indefinitely as long as the cork holds, and a bottle or two stashed away might provide a nice surprise for an unexpected visitor.
March 14, 2016 - Quite deep and full with an amazing amount of an acid backbone. I don't know the average age of the blend, but it seems plausibly in the 30-40 year range. Has walnut and dried figs on the palate. Never seems overtly sweet at all. A friend didn't even think it was a Malmsey in tasting it. Quite balanced overall.
January 22, 2013 - Madeira @ Bistro Cacao (A Malvasia Affair) (Washington D.C.): This showed a bit more fresh fruits (as opposed to dried fruits) to compliment the leather, smoke and spice. The acidity was sound, but perhaps not as nervy as I prefer. While not a powerhouse, this showed excellent balance and poise.
June 18, 2010 - The nose is dark and complex showing scents of tobacco, leather, brownies, and an interesting note of eucalyptus. It's tart immediately on contact, and this sensation slowly runs across the palate. Delicate caramel flavors peek out from behind full grapefruit flavors. Acidity makes the mouth water while sweeter caramel components linger politely. Light tobacco shows on the tip of the tongue later on.
December 22, 2009 - I opened today for consumption on Christmas. The nose was just fabulous... just oozing with liquified fruit cake, honey and caramel. A bit of VA, but just enough to add complexity (just like a bit of funk in Beaucastels add interest). I couldn't resist a small taste. Definitely on the sweet side, but not cloying. Rich and decadent but the acidity keeps it spiney and nervy. This will match perfectly with Madeira honey cake.
June 26, 2009 - Raveneau and Bea @ Dan's (Palo Alto, CA): Lovely example of Malmsey, in that although there is obvious sweetness, there is a firm acidic streak that attenuates any cloying attributes. Much like the other Rare Wine Company Madeiras I've tried, there is a pleasing firmness here. Noticable volatile acidity, but not distracting. Persistant "cling" on the tangy, lip-smacking, slightly "fudgy" palate. Delicious.