TN: Broadbent 1996 Sweet

[Ray Barnes]

Tasted on my birthday after a day trip, purchased from Fred Meyer in Bellingham for about $50. Made from Tinto Negra, first madeira consumed in quite a long time. While it is not in the class as a Colheita from one of the noble(r) varietals, it was a large step up from a basic Tinto Negra. Nice brown sugar and licorice aromas, with surprisingly lively acidity, decent concentration, and good length. Not quite as complex in the mouth as I would have liked, but the flavor was good. I believe it is made by Justino's for distribution to the US. Very good, almost excellent. Fair value for money. Tasted twice again with similar results. My wife liked it a lot, thought it was a great bargain. Maybe a step below a 10 to 15 year old malmsey from H & H. Would buy again, but preferably if the Canadian dollar picks up a bit.