Deep dark amber in the glass. Nose of roasted pineapple, nutmeg, marzipan and burned sugar. Palate of candied orange peel, caramel and coffee with a long warm finish of winter spices.
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From 75cl, enjoyed over a period of 4 weeks, improving markedly over the first days after opening. More concentrated and penetratring than H&H Bual 10 Years Old, well worth the extra money. 90P
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Quite classic for a bual and of good to very good quality (befitting 15 year old material). That salty sweetness first , followed by nuts, rancio, some sort of polish and then classic madeira notes to close. Grows on you. Bual sometimes gets a tough time sandwiched between sercial and malmsey but it is it's own legitimate style and great tension (acid vs sweetness) when done right.
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Masses of dried fig, some date, salinity, lemon, tea chest, chai spice, undercooked dough/bread, rose, prune, dried clementine zest, wood varnish. Lots going on on the nose! Unctuous yet zingy and light on its feet, lemon (dark) honey (as used for Baklava), finish of fennel seed and wet wood. Fantastic
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Rich amber-brown colour; oranges and figs, salty oak, toasted nuts and coffee on the intense nose; elegantly sweet palate, tangy acidity, juicy fruit, clean and concentrated flavours, substantial bitters; excellent resonance and length. Essentially a classical Bual, a bit austere on the first day (91), more succulent after 24 hours in the decanter (92).
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Medium brown in colour. Pronounced nose, toffee, caramel, nutty, honey. Medium body, high acidity, high alcohol, woody notes on the palate. Baked fruit. Quite long finish.
From hedonism.
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Like a voluptuous, sun-kissed, 4D version of Palo Cortado.
Aromas of baking cupboard, dried fruit, walnuts and a hint of almonds, it also carried a whisper of salty-wet-sand that I get from certain sherries (see above).
Quite racy acidity, it was better sipped and with some hard cheese (Comte) to rein that in.
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rich mahogany, copper at edges; lovely nose, dates, prune, nuts (pecan as well as almond and Brazil), dried/candied citrus peel, panetonne, old wooden furniture; richer and sweeter of course, caramel, molasses, toffee, rich dark syrupy flavours, coffee, yet still not heavy or cloying, nuts and dried fruits in a long finish. Fantastic
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Great Madeira. Classic nose of prune and nuts. Rich and flavourful palate, lots of intensity. Great balance of sweetness and characteristically high acidity. A favourite style of mine.
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I've just had a wine epiphany, drinking this wine with home made chocolate brownie, a perfect match, watching "The Sound of Music" with my lovely wife Juliet and fabulous seventeen year old daughter Emilia. All together now "These are a few of my favourite things"...
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Tawny colour with vibrant greenish highlights, nose of coffee, fruitcake, chocolate and bitter orange. More dried fruits and Christmas cake richness on palate, combined with a zesty, orangey acidity and a tangy piquant finish to balance the concentrated chocolatey weight. ****
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-- popped and poured -- -- tasted non-blind over a couple hours --
NOSE: very similar to a tawny Port; varnish/new plastic; raisins; toasted and candied pecans; very expressive.
BODY: medium brown color; full bodied
TASTE: sweet; pleasant baking spice note; candied carrots; oak; hint of brie cheese and tangy tawniness on the finish; 20% alc. is moderately noticeable; not earth-shattering, but still very good, and an excellent deal @$13.
B: 50, 5, 11, 15, 7 = 88
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Drank well over a couple of nights. Nice nose, classic bual with plenty of raisin and caramel. Good acidity without any excess, medium sweetenn, mellow, round and subtle richness.
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As a rule of thumb, I prefer wines that don't shimmer menacingly like a mugful of sump oil, yet this won me over with its loveliness despite possessing this exact thing. Complex notes of bitter coffee and figs build to a hugely concentrated, nutty finish. Mercifully, there is great acidity to assuage the rich, caramel-thickness. Note to self: drink more Madeira.
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Golden brown color. Coffee, sherry, nuts and oranges in the bouquet. On the palate coffee, caramel, chocolate, dried raisins, sweet spices and brown spiced biscuits. Beautiful balance between sweetness and acidity.
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11/7/2022 - Weinberg Falls wrote: 91 Points
Deep dark amber in the glass. Nose of roasted pineapple, nutmeg, marzipan and burned sugar. Palate of candied orange peel, caramel and coffee with a long warm finish of winter spices.
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1/4/2022 - rdcolema Likes this wine: 89 Points
Rum raisin, tarte tatin, butterscotch
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6/7/2021 - smoothjazz wrote: 90 Points
Excellent drinker over 8 month period; perfect after dinner drink accompanied by a worthy aged cheese,
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5/25/2020 - honest bob wrote: 90 Points
From 75cl, enjoyed over a period of 4 weeks, improving markedly over the first days after opening. More concentrated and penetratring than H&H Bual 10 Years Old, well worth the extra money. 90P
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9/25/2019 - ricard Likes this wine: 95 Points
Super nutty toffee nose, coffee beans, fudge, fabulous density, power and intensity. Saline and iodine notes. Spectacular.
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12/12/2018 - crazywineguy Likes this wine: 92 Points
Quite classic for a bual and of good to very good quality (befitting 15 year old material). That salty sweetness first , followed by nuts, rancio, some sort of polish and then classic madeira notes to close. Grows on you. Bual sometimes gets a tough time sandwiched between sercial and malmsey but it is it's own legitimate style and great tension (acid vs sweetness) when done right.
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6/7/2017 - Bearbus wrote:
Masses of dried fig, some date, salinity, lemon, tea chest, chai spice, undercooked dough/bread, rose, prune, dried clementine zest, wood varnish. Lots going on on the nose! Unctuous yet zingy and light on its feet, lemon (dark) honey (as used for Baklava), finish of fennel seed and wet wood. Fantastic
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12/25/2016 - Xavier Auerbach wrote: 92 Points
Rich amber-brown colour; oranges and figs, salty oak, toasted nuts and coffee on the intense nose; elegantly sweet palate, tangy acidity, juicy fruit, clean and concentrated flavours, substantial bitters; excellent resonance and length. Essentially a classical Bual, a bit austere on the first day (91), more succulent after 24 hours in the decanter (92).
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11/10/2016 - VeronicaXu Likes this wine: 90 Points
Medium brown in colour. Pronounced nose, toffee, caramel, nutty, honey. Medium body, high acidity, high alcohol, woody notes on the palate. Baked fruit. Quite long finish.
From hedonism.
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9/11/2016 - Tannatastic Likes this wine: 93 Points
I absolutely love this wine!
Like a voluptuous, sun-kissed, 4D version of Palo Cortado.
Aromas of baking cupboard, dried fruit, walnuts and a hint of almonds, it also carried a whisper of salty-wet-sand that I get from certain sherries (see above).
Quite racy acidity, it was better sipped and with some hard cheese (Comte) to rein that in.
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9/10/2016 - Papies wrote: 91 Points
Very welcoming madeira, round and in a way juicy for the style. Oxidative, nutty, firm acidity , sharp but polished wine. Very enjoyable. 91
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7/2/2016 - Bearbus wrote:
rich mahogany, copper at edges; lovely nose, dates, prune, nuts (pecan as well as almond and Brazil), dried/candied citrus peel, panetonne, old wooden furniture; richer and sweeter of course, caramel, molasses, toffee, rich dark syrupy flavours, coffee, yet still not heavy or cloying, nuts and dried fruits in a long finish. Fantastic
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5/10/2016 - wine_sloth Likes this wine: 91 Points
Great Madeira. Classic nose of prune and nuts. Rich and flavourful palate, lots of intensity. Great balance of sweetness and characteristically high acidity. A favourite style of mine.
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12/21/2015 - bacchus of knockholt Likes this wine: 92 Points
I've just had a wine epiphany, drinking this wine with home made chocolate brownie, a perfect match, watching "The Sound of Music" with my lovely wife Juliet and fabulous seventeen year old daughter Emilia. All together now "These are a few of my favourite things"...
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12/6/2015 - bacchus of knockholt Likes this wine: 89 Points
Translucent and golden amber. Nut and raisin nose, medium sweet, lingering flavours of caramel and honeycomb which keeps on giving.
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5/28/2015 - Dan Martin wrote: 88 Points
super rich, sticky toffee pudding/port, not my thing, prefer sercial
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6/6/2014 - The Fickle Palate wrote:
Tawny colour with vibrant greenish highlights, nose of coffee, fruitcake, chocolate and bitter orange. More dried fruits and Christmas cake richness on palate, combined with a zesty, orangey acidity and a tangy piquant finish to balance the concentrated chocolatey weight. ****
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11/12/2013 - grafstrb wrote: 88 Points
-- popped and poured --
-- tasted non-blind over a couple hours --
NOSE: very similar to a tawny Port; varnish/new plastic; raisins; toasted and candied pecans; very expressive.
BODY: medium brown color; full bodied
TASTE: sweet; pleasant baking spice note; candied carrots; oak; hint of brie cheese and tangy tawniness on the finish; 20% alc. is moderately noticeable; not earth-shattering, but still very good, and an excellent deal @$13.
B: 50, 5, 11, 15, 7 = 88
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3/11/2013 - kevin h wrote: 91 Points
Drank well over a couple of nights. Nice nose, classic bual with plenty of raisin and caramel. Good acidity without any excess, medium sweetenn, mellow, round and subtle richness.
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12/8/2012 - Will Devize wrote: 92 Points
As a rule of thumb, I prefer wines that don't shimmer menacingly like a mugful of sump oil, yet this won me over with its loveliness despite possessing this exact thing. Complex notes of bitter coffee and figs build to a hugely concentrated, nutty finish. Mercifully, there is great acidity to assuage the rich, caramel-thickness. Note to self: drink more Madeira.
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12/6/2012 - empire80 Likes this wine: 91 Points
Complex range of flavours, somehow managing to be sweet, savoury and some fresh acidity all at the same time.
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7/21/2012 - Zweder wrote: 93 Points
Golden brown color. Coffee, sherry, nuts and oranges in the bouquet. On the palate coffee, caramel, chocolate, dried raisins, sweet spices and brown spiced biscuits. Beautiful balance between sweetness and acidity.
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10/11/2011 - rjonwine@gmail.com wrote: 90 Points
From Madeira to USA: Madeira's Five Major Producer/Exporters Present a Trade Tasting (Hotel Monaco, San Francisco, California): Dark red orange color with 1 millimeter clear meniscus; fig cake, dried fruit cake, baked lemon nose; appealing, silky textured, hazelnut, tart dried fig palate with a sense of smoke; long finish
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1/23/2011 - spatialiser wrote: 88 Points
Initially sharp and crisp, give way to a more raisined sweeness, medium finish
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6/6/2010 - Darren747 wrote: 88 Points
Caramel, nuts, dried fruits and xmas cake. Could do with slightly more acidity but is complex and reasonably balanced witha long finish.
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12/25/2008 - Paul D wrote:
No formal note. Sweet with nutty, oxidative notes. Attractive flavours, if not particularly complex, lively acidity, long spirity finish. NR.
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