TNs: 1834-1981
Posted: Fri Nov 04, 2011 2:26 am
I was invited to a tasting of vintage Madeiras tonight. I love harsh acidity and VA and all things "off" so I was excited. And this was, indeed, perhaps the most satisfying tasting I have ever attended! All were decated 24h before tasting.
d'Oliveiras Sercial 1971
Lovely, complex rancio and toffee aroma with a streak of citrus for freshness; super acidity - what was it that Broadbent said about some brut nature Champagne: gargling with razors? - well, that's about the structure of this. This is a "young" wine still but the complexity is already obvious. Outstanding. Despite being so youthful, I so loved the high acidity structure that this might just have been my favourite wine of the night.
Barbeito Verdelho 1981
Cloudy colour, but the wine was wonderful. A slightly grassy/greenish aroma; lovely freshness, fairly dry, intense but not at all as intense as the Sercial above! But lovely stuff anyways.
d'Oliveiras Terrantez 1977
A sweeter scent than the previous two: fresh plums and also rancio, VA and all the lovely goodies that Madeira has. But the palate doesn't really seem sweet; it is fairly rich but it is bracing, too. Lovely freshness. Wonderful!
Barbeito Boal 1960
Chalk and rancio, pruney. Obviously sweet (perhaps the only wine tonight that I can say that about), but with the wonderful cleansing bitterness of an espresso shot. Wonderful!
Barbeito Boal 1863
Not a very expressive nose: scorched dust and malty like a Porter. Rich, but without the sweetness of the 1960, wonderfully lively with a citric laser cutting through the sweetness. The scent was ok, but the palate was outstanding!
Barbeito Malvazia 1834
A wonderful dry/anti-sweet smell of dried figs - one would need the literary skills of Joyce to describe this. Supreme intensity and the taste of figs continues on the palate; wonderful acidity that makes it seem dry and racy and moreish despite the RS and the richness and the supremely intense finish. Outstanding.
d'Oliveiras Sercial 1971
Lovely, complex rancio and toffee aroma with a streak of citrus for freshness; super acidity - what was it that Broadbent said about some brut nature Champagne: gargling with razors? - well, that's about the structure of this. This is a "young" wine still but the complexity is already obvious. Outstanding. Despite being so youthful, I so loved the high acidity structure that this might just have been my favourite wine of the night.
Barbeito Verdelho 1981
Cloudy colour, but the wine was wonderful. A slightly grassy/greenish aroma; lovely freshness, fairly dry, intense but not at all as intense as the Sercial above! But lovely stuff anyways.
d'Oliveiras Terrantez 1977
A sweeter scent than the previous two: fresh plums and also rancio, VA and all the lovely goodies that Madeira has. But the palate doesn't really seem sweet; it is fairly rich but it is bracing, too. Lovely freshness. Wonderful!
Barbeito Boal 1960
Chalk and rancio, pruney. Obviously sweet (perhaps the only wine tonight that I can say that about), but with the wonderful cleansing bitterness of an espresso shot. Wonderful!
Barbeito Boal 1863
Not a very expressive nose: scorched dust and malty like a Porter. Rich, but without the sweetness of the 1960, wonderfully lively with a citric laser cutting through the sweetness. The scent was ok, but the palate was outstanding!
Barbeito Malvazia 1834
A wonderful dry/anti-sweet smell of dried figs - one would need the literary skills of Joyce to describe this. Supreme intensity and the taste of figs continues on the palate; wonderful acidity that makes it seem dry and racy and moreish despite the RS and the richness and the supremely intense finish. Outstanding.