In Appreciation of Madeira

“I am sorry, but I hope you understand that we can only taste a few wines from the 1700s and 1800s,” says Richard Hales as he escorts me into the tasting room. Right. That’s how most of my tastings usually begin. Hales is the Wine Director of Asiate, the restaurant in New York’s Mandarin Oriental Hotel, and a longtime veteran of the company. Hales has prepared an incredible assortment of rare Madeiras for us to taste, many of them recent auction purchases.  Few, if any, wines are as evocative as Madeiras, as it is nearly impossible not to wonder what was taking place in the world when they were being made.  Readers who enjoy the complexity of fine, aged wines will find much to admire in these sublime, compelling Madeiras.

The 1748 Verdelho Solera from Justino Henriques is a soft, creamy-textured Madeira with sweet notes of apricots, spices, toffee and roasted coffee beans. The wine is remarkably fresh, perfumed and graceful as it continues to gain clarity and definition with air. Quite frankly, I had hard time moving on after tasting this elegant, complete wine. What a Madeira! This is bottle #710. Newton’s 1815 Violet reveals high-toned aromatics that lead to distinct charred, smoky aromas. Overtones of honey, cloves and vanillin develop in the glass. A quirky, totally unique expression of Madeira, the wine finishes with terrific length and refreshing acidity that belies is 170+ years of age. This very rare bottling is named after the merchant vessel on which it was originally shipped.

The 1908 Boal Reserva from D’Oliveiras is an unctuous, full-bodied wine loaded with dark maple syrup, tar, leather, licorice and sweet baking spices. There is superb density here and the wine shows terrific length in an intense style. The finish is long, bright and sweet. The 1910 Barbeito Sercial Reserva Velha was only bottled in 2004. This is a relatively focused, bright Madeira redolent of minerals, orange peel, spices and flowers. The mid-weight, seductive style is especially appealing in this complete, beautiful wine. Barbeito’s 1929 Barbeito Verdelho Reserva Velha is another of the more delicate wines in this tasting. Fragrant aromatics accompany a supple expression of fruit, along with charred notes that add a further dimension of complexity.

The 1954 Barbeito Malvasia Reserva Velha reveals stunning balance between the elements of sweetness and acidity, both of which are integrated with notable balance. This dark-hued wine possesses gorgeous aromatics that lead to intriguing notes of worn-in leather, baking spices, toffee, roasted coffee beans and dark plums. This is an unctuous, full-bodied style of Madeira that is simply breathtaking. The wine’s haunting perfume lingers on the long, seductive finish. Barbeito’s 1962 Malvasia Reserva Velha provides a fascinating contrast to the 1954. This is a decidedly more rustic style, with the acidity dominating over the fruit. Less opulent than the 1954, the 1962 Malvasia Reserva Velha showcases bright aromatics and flavors with a kick of bracing acidity on the long finish. This too is a very pretty wine, it only suffers by being placed next to the 1954.

The 1966 D’Oliveiras Verdelho Reserva is drop-dead gorgeous. This is a remarkably poised, sublime wine made in an understated style that occupies a middle ground between the sweeter and drier styles of Madeira. The wine offers outstanding persistence on the palate and a finish that lasts forever. Nothing in particular stands out here, just the wine’s phenomenal harmony. This is a contemplative, surreal Madeira that can easily be enjoyed on its own. The 1968 D’Oliveiras Reserva Boal is a medium-bodied, elegant wine that features high-toned aromas and flavors, with subtle notes of smoke and tar adding complexity. This is an unusually understated showing for the 1968 Boal.   

The 1977 D’Oliveiras Boal Reserva reveals superb depth and precision in its leather, spices, toffee and espresso. Smooth and remarkably balanced on the palate, this Madeira offers tons of length and plenty of style. The 1981 Barbeito Verdelho Frasqueira comes across as somewhat simple in this line-up of sensational wines. This easygoing, mid-weight wine exhibits lovely inner perfume but it finishes a bit short on the palate. The 1987 Malmsey from D’Oliveiras is a gorgeous, feminine offering endowed with notes of chocolate, sweet spices and flowers that are intricately woven into medium to full-bodied frame. This beautifully balanced wine possesses notable harmony and finesse. The D’Oliveiras 1988 Terrantez is a wine that invites a moment of quiet contemplation, making it the perfect wine with which to end this incredible tasting. There is a highly attractive creaminess as layers of roasted nuts, cloves and leather open up in the glass. This generous, sweet Terrantez offers outstanding length, with lingering notes of sweetness and acidity that intermingled on the, intensely satisfying finish.

--Antonio Galloni