For The Love Of Port

I've been in communication with Bartholomew Broadbent in regard to tasting the new Broadbent additions to their Madeira fold, including 10 year old versions of Bual, Verdelho, and Sercial in the SF Bay. We're all aware of the great QPR of the 10 year Malmsey, so I'm quite excited about this new line-up. I'd be happy to arrange a tasting with some other Madeira lovers in the SF Bay Area soon. Let me know of any interest.

Interest!

I'll be notified in the next couple of weeks when this can happen.

Of course, a bunch of us will be in SF very shortly.
I've noticed 'bottling' variation in these wines (I mean that earlier bottlings differ from more recent bottlings - not bottle variation within the same 'batch').
Any chance of doing a camparative tasting of different bottlings (of nominally same wine)?

Alan Gardner wrote:Of course, a bunch of us will be in SF very shortly.
I've noticed 'bottling' variation in these wines (I mean that earlier bottlings differ from more recent bottlings - not bottle variation within the same 'batch').
Any chance of doing a camparative tasting of different bottlings (of nominally same wine)?

Hey Alan,

I look forward to meeting you in a week.

Re: the 10-Year Broadbent Malmsey, I read that early on, Broadbent wasn't happy with the product Justinos had put together (and neither was the public), and they retooled the blend to its satisfying quality today. Could that be the difference that you're referring to?

Barry Sunderland wrote: I read that early on, Broadbent wasn't happy with the product Justinos had put together (and neither was the public), and they retooled the blend to its satisfying quality today. Could that be the difference that you're referring to?

I hadn't heard that - just going by my own perceptions.

Just checked my notes - it turns out it was the 5 year-old (not 10) so not strictly relevant, but the same principle.

And looking forward to next week too!

I have been buying the 10 year old Malmsey of theirs since the very beginning and what has been written above is NOT something I've ever heard. The debate in some circles is that the Broadbent was just putting a label on the same wine produced by Justino and calling it their own. On one of my earliest trips, I asked the winemaker at Justino to include a finished bottle of each in our lineup of wines to try. We had them side by side in consecutive glasses and that proved to me instantly that these two definitely were not the same.

Anyway, I have a bottle of each of the new 10 year olds to do my own evaluation to see which I like most. Will be writing about this soon.

If you do get a chance to try these, it would be worth doing.

Barry Sunderland wrote:

Alan Gardner wrote:Of course, a bunch of us will be in SF very shortly.
I've noticed 'bottling' variation in these wines (I mean that earlier bottlings differ from more recent bottlings - not bottle variation within the same 'batch').
Any chance of doing a camparative tasting of different bottlings (of nominally same wine)?

Hey Alan,

I look forward to meeting you in a week.

Re: the 10-Year Broadbent Malmsey, I read that early on, Broadbent wasn't happy with the product Justinos had put together (and neither was the public), and they retooled the blend to its satisfying quality today. Could that be the difference that you're referring to?

Paging Bart Broadbent, Paging Bart Broadbent...

In his Guest Corner thread on September 30 2009, Bartholomew Broadbent stated that he had "special plans for a never before done Madeira. Can't say anything else now".

http://www.fortheloveofport.com/ftlopfo ... 4&start=40

Has this Madeira been released, or is it still under wraps?

Interest!

Emailed back again for confirmation of arrival of wines. Still waiting.