Madeira Wine Institute Wine Tasting - SF

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David Spriggs
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Madeira Wine Institute Wine Tasting - SF

Post by David Spriggs »

Madeira Wine Institute Wine Tasting - San Francisco, CA
October 11, 2014


I was invited to the annual Madeira Wine Institute tasting and made my plans to go. The tasting is quite small due to the small number of producers of Madeira. There were two principals that came all the way from the Madeira to show their wines: Julio Fernandes from Justino's and Humberto Jardim from Henriques & Henriques. I arrived just as the Master Class for the trade started, so the room was relatively empty :D

For the record, I am a tough grader. My scores are typically 2 points lower than Roy's score for the same wine. So please keep that in mind. An 88 or 89 means that it's really a very good wine. A 95 means that it will totally rock your world!

Henriques & Henriques

Henriques & Henriques Rainwater Madeira
Very pale amber and straw color. Apricot and almond nose. Very suave and clean in the mouth. Adequate acidity. “Light” as you would expect with Rainwater. This is better that I expected. This Madeira is quite vinous and lacking VA or heaviness and concentration from time. Very nice! I would happily pair this with many foods. 87 points

Henriques & Henriques 5 Year Old Finest Dry Madeira
100% Tinta Negra. Pale Amber color. Light palate. Actually this is a bit boring. It's lacking the finesse and the energy of the Rainwater. 80 points

Henriques & Henriques 10 Year Old Sercial Madeira
Beautiful amber color. Typical waxy lanolin nose. Same nice complexing VA. Soft entry. Very solid acidity. Long bracing finish. I liked this quite a bit. This would make an excelect match with rich appetizers. 88 points

2000 Henriques & Henriques Boal Single Harvest Madeira
Just for the record this is a Colheita (Single Harvest == Colheita). Beautiful amber color. It just looks exactly like Bual! Wonderful subtle caramel and lime nose. Very inviting. Very smooth entry. Great intensity – not like a very old and concentrated Madeira, but great concentration of flavor without heaviness. Wonderful mouth feel. very long off dry finish. I was very surprised by this wine. I have not usually been wowed by the younger H&H wines, but I really liked this a lot. I went back at the end and re-tasted this from a different bottle and I had the same impression. A wonderful expression of young Bual! My companion and I were still talking about this wine at dinner! 92 points

Henriques & Henriques Boal 15 Year Old Verdelho Madeira
Darker amber color. Looks old for a Verdelho. Lanolin and subtle nutty nose. Good acidity. I found this to be a bit shrill. My companion said “sour”. I have to agree. Not my favorite style. Maybe it demands food, but it's hard to drink on its own. 87 points.

Henriques & Henriques Boal 15 Year Old Malvazia Madeira
Medium dark amber color. Subtle nutty nose. I don't get any real sweet component in the nose. Very rich in the mouth. A bit of dried fruit and warm spices. I did think that was different and interesting. It reminded me of an apricot citrus compute with just a touch of Cayenne pepper added. Very long finish. Adequate acidity, but not cloying at all. Unlike the Verdelho, I wish that this had a bit more acidity. But over all a nice wine! 89 points.


Rare wine company / Barbeito

2003 Barbeito Colheita
100%Tinta Negra. Medium light amber color. Nice, inviting dried fruit nose. Light on the palate. Medium length finish. This wine doesn't make a great impression on me. It lacks energy and palate presence. I have had other 100% Tinta Negra based wines from Barbeito that are fabulous, but this isn't one of them. 86 points.

The Rare Wine Company Charleston Sercial Madeira
Dark color for a Sercial. Pungent, spicy nose. Not a lot of character or palate presence. Sour finish. 81 points.

The Rare Wine Company Savannah Verdelho Madeira
Very interesting nose. The nose seems more like a Bual. Lanolin? On the palate this is much drier than Bual. Good complexity. Definitely a charred / roasted character. 86 points.

The Rare Wine Company Boston Bual Madeira
Medium dark amber color. A touch of volatile acidity in the nose. Nice clean entry. Not particularly mouth filling, but it is delicious. Loaded with caramel and roasted nuts. Medium length finish. Of the RWC wines this is the one that I would buy. An very drinkable wine! 88 points.

The Rare Wine Company New York Malmsey Madeira
Medium dark amber color. Smokey nose. Roasted nuts and caramel on the palate. Not particularly mouth coating. Lots of lemon in the finish. The palate impression is that the wine is quite thick. Very good, but could use more energy and lift in the finish. 86 points.

Barbeito Ribeiro Real 20 Year Old Boal Lote 1 Madeira
I believe that this has some percentage of old Tinta Negra blended in. Dark amber color. Loaded with volatile acidity. In the mouth I get warm spices and dried fruits and lemon. This is a nice medium bodied Bual. Long acid and orange peel finish. Excellent wine! I wanted to like this more, but I found it to just be somehow a bit tough. Maybe it's the acid finish, which I usually would like. It's very possible that it's a touch closed or travel shocked. This Madeira is currently not on the Rare Wine Company's online stock list and I was shown this wine in May in Madeira, so I suspect that it has just arrived. I'll give it a provisional score for now with the expectation that it will probably show better on a re-taste. 90+ points.

Barbeito 20 Year Old Malvazia Lote 14050 Madeira
Medium amber color. Interesting spicy nose with a touch of hard candy, like a candy shop. Very suave entry. This is a big wine but has very fine balance. Long finish. Very, very drinkable and not too sweet. This is a beautiful Malvazia! 92 points.


Pereira D'Oliveira
All of the following wines were decanted the previous day. The older wines were decanted into large decanters and the younger wines into small decanters. All were poured back into the bottle for service.

1989 D'Oliveira Malvazia Madeira
Medium dark color. Subtle nuts and a touch of VA in the nose. Sweet with a confectionery aspect to the palate. Very bright and well integrated acidity. Very drinkable with a very long finish. I liked this a lot. Great Malvazia! 92 points

1988 D'Oliveira Terrantez Madeira
Medium amber color. Soft inviting nose. Big, but soft entry. Oh! This really is Terrantez! Delicious! Quite suave in the mouth. Sweet, but tons of lift from the super acidity. Extremely long finish. This is a special wine that is worth seeking out. The impression is almost like meringue in the mouth. Flavorful, yet soft. So ephemeral. Really great! 93 points.

1983 D'Oliveira Boal Madeira
Rich Bual nose with a touch of volatile acidity. The acid hits immediately as it enters the mouth. Very grippy! Amazing persistence and a very very finish that is loaded with lemon and herbs. Excellent! 93 points.

1973 D'Oliveira Verdelho Madeira
Wonderful nose. There is a touch of lanolin and spices. In the mouth there is real intensity. Rich, but the acidity! Wow! Not particularly complex, but the superb palate presence makes up for that. This is a special wine! 93 points.

1969 D'Oliveira Sercial Madeira
Lanolin nose. Suave entry. I get a dried apricot and lemon on the palate. Grippy acidity. The acidity is really interfering with the fruit and cuts the finish short. Very good. 90 points.

1912 D'Oliveira Verdelho Madeira
Bottled in 2012. Dark amber and brown color. Old wood and roasted nuts in the nose. Syrupy! Looks super concentrated and it is! Very rich in the mouth. Very very complex. It's quite confectionery, but loaded with acidity. I get a lot of orange peel character. The great acidity keeps everything fresh. there are waves of flavor in the endless finish. Wow! Outstanding wine! 95 points.

1989 D'Oliveira Sercial Madeira
Medium dark color. Looks quite dark for a Sercial. Nice caramel entry. Very solid and well integrated acidity. Delicious! Maybe missing a bit of energy in the finish. The finish is distinctly sour.... not just acidic, but sour. Too bad. 89 points.


Blandy's

Blandy's 10 Year old Sercial Madeira
Lanolin and candied lemon nose. Soft entry. Very drinkable. Light lemon finish. Clean. Very good. 86 points.

Blandy's 10 Year old Verdelho Madeira
Bright lemon nose. Medium bodied. Medium length finish. Finishes a bit flat. The wine is OK, but not distinctive. 84 points

Blandy's 10 Year old Bual Madeira
Nice Caramel and lime nose. Sweet fruity entry. Confectionery palate. The acidity kicks in very late making the wine a bit cloying and then tart. I would say that it's disjointed at this time. 84 points.

Blandy's 10 Year old Malmsey Madeira
Medium dark amber color. Smokey caramel nose. Rich and confectionery palate. Very nice caramel dominated finish. Nice acidity as well. This is the best of the lineup of 10 year olds from Blandy's. 87 Points.


Justino's / Broadbent

Justino's 10 Year Old Verdelho Madeira
Very light lemon nose. Well integrated acid and sugar. A very drinkable wine! Tart finish, but has good energy and lift. 87 points.

Broadbent 10 Year Old Malmsey Madeira
Medium dark amber. Overtly sweet palate. Very persistent finish. Nice caramel and lime notes in the long finish. Very drinkable! This is a big success for a 10 year old! 88 points.

1995 Justino's Colheita Madeira
Designated to be "Fine Rich Sweet". Medium amber. Caramel nose. Very suave entry. Beautiful and quite special in the mouth. Caressing. Very drinkable as a dessert wine. Excellent! 90 points.
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Eric Ifune
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Re: Madeira Wine Institute Wine Tasting - SF

Post by Eric Ifune »

Dave,
Was it the Boal or the Verdelho Ribeiro Real 20 Year Old we had earlier this year? I thought it was the Verdelho, but I don't have my notes with me.
Sounds like a nice tasting. I wanted to go as well but am on the East Coast right now.
Eric
Andreas Platt
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Re: Madeira Wine Institute Wine Tasting - SF

Post by Andreas Platt »

David Spriggs wrote: Barbeito Ribeiro Real 20 Year Old Bual Lote 1 Madeira
I believe that this has some percentage of old Tinta Negra blended in. Dark amber color. Loaded with volatile acidity. In the mouth I get warm spices and dried fruits and lemon. This is a nice medium bodied Bual. Long acid and orange peel finish. Excellent wine! I wanted to like this more, but I found it to just be somehow a bit tough. Maybe it's the acid finish, which I usually would like. It's very possible that it's a touch closed or travel shocked. This Madeira is currently not on the Rare Wine Company's online stock list and I was shown this wine in May in Madeira, so I suspect that it has just arrived. I'll give it a provisional score for now with the expectation that it will probably show better on a re-taste. 90+ points.
David,

you're spot on.

http://www.vinhosbarbeito.com/en/our-wi ... -real.html
or
http://www.vinhosbarbeito.com/en/our-wi ... -real.html

Cheers
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David Spriggs
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Re: Madeira Wine Institute Wine Tasting - SF

Post by David Spriggs »

Eric Ifune wrote:Dave,
Was it the Boal or the Verdelho Ribeiro Real 20 Year Old we had earlier this year? I thought it was the Verdelho, but I don't have my notes with me.
Sounds like a nice tasting. I wanted to go as well but am on the East Coast right now.
Eric

It was the Verdelho that we had with Ricardo. I believe that he showed us a bottle of the Boal, but he said it was unready for tasting.
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David Spriggs
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Re: Madeira Wine Institute Wine Tasting - SF

Post by David Spriggs »

Andreas Platt wrote: you're spot on.
Cheers
Thank you Andreas!
By the way, the Lot number on the 20 year old Malvazia is the most current one: 14050. Eric, this is the same as what we tasted with Ricardo in May.
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Eric Ifune
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Re: Madeira Wine Institute Wine Tasting - SF

Post by Eric Ifune »

I guess the Ribera Reals won't be available in the States. Too little bottled. Too bad!
I may have to make a trip to the island just to get some!
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David Spriggs
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Re: Madeira Wine Institute Wine Tasting - SF

Post by David Spriggs »

Eric Ifune wrote:I guess the Ribera Reals won't be available in the States. Too little bottled. Too bad!
I may have to make a trip to the island just to get some!
Really? The Rare Wine Company was pouring it. I would just call them up and ask. I would expect that they are only showing wines that are available. They are there to sell!
Goncalo Martins
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Re: Madeira Wine Institute Wine Tasting - SF

Post by Goncalo Martins »

David,

Thanks for posting all those great notes!

When I was at Barbeito the week before last, I tasted both Ribeiro Reals, the Boal and the Verdelho, the Verdelho being noticeably less ready to drink than the Boal. Ricardo Diogo confirmed this when he arrived at the tasting room.

The Boal comprises 1952, 1953 and 1954 Tinta Negra, whereas the Verdelho comprises 1953, 1954 and 1955 of this grape variety. The Boal blend seems older, overall, speacially because of the 1952 TN lot.

Both are outstanding wines, not doubt, and I would not disregard the Boal at all, but I think I will prefer the Verdelho when it becomes "ready" to drink.
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David Spriggs
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Re: Madeira Wine Institute Wine Tasting - SF

Post by David Spriggs »

Gonçalo - I agree. I still believe that these are a bit "shocked". Everything that I taste in them (both the Boal and Verdelho) speaks to me about unrealized potential. I think that they will get there, but it only hints at it now. I would really like to taste these in two years when everything settles out.
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Re: Madeira Wine Institute Wine Tasting - SF

Post by Goncalo Martins »

David. The problem is that the wines are so good that waiting two years will be a problem. Even more in the context that the only around above 1000 bottles of each are produced and by then they will no longer be available in the market. I just wished that Madeira productions were higher to allow people like me to buy more at reasonable prices when initial stock is finished off. But one has to be patient [dash1.gif]
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Re: Madeira Wine Institute Wine Tasting - SF

Post by David Spriggs »

Goncalo Martins wrote:David. The problem is that the wines are so good that waiting two years will be a problem. Even more in the context that the only around above 1000 bottles of each are produced and by then they will no longer be available in the market. I just wished that Madeira productions were higher to allow people like me to buy more at reasonable prices when initial stock is finished off. But one has to be patient [dash1.gif]
LOL! Yes, but your patience will be rewarded!

Eric - I'll try and call the Rare Wine Company and find out what the availability and pricing is.
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Re: Madeira Wine Institute Wine Tasting - SF

Post by Barry Sunderland »

David,
I had a ticket to go, but when I contacted the Institute for more clarity on what they would be pouring, they didn't return the email.

I was going to be getting there at about 5, so I figured, as a consumer (non-trade), the 'pickings' would be pretty sparse, so I stayed home.
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Re: Madeira Wine Institute Wine Tasting - SF

Post by David Spriggs »

There was no trade only tasting . The tasting was open to anyone with a ticket. BUT, President Obama was just down the street at the W Hotel and traffic was an incredible mess. So unless you had decided to take BART, you probably would not have made it.

You are correct that by 5pm some producers were down to a few bottles to pour. There was a Master Class that had a nice selection and there were plenty of seats available.
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