H.M. Borges Malmsey Style Madeira Wine

[Dennis Haw]

I recently acquired a bottle of the above titled wine and wondered if I could find out a little more about it and its pedigree?
See attached photographs.
Might be the worst ever but I'll never know unless I ask.

[Eric Ifune]

Old selo which means it was bottled some time ago. Likely a doce Tinta Negra and aged with estufa. Not going to be great, but Borges is one of my favorite producers.

[Glenn E.]

What does "Malmsey style" even mean?

I thought that Malmsey was the angelified name for Malvasia. Is/was the use of that term not regulated? I.e. is what they're selling here the equivalent of calling something "Cabernet Sauvignon style" which is pretty meaningless?

[Dennis Haw]

Yes, I was thinking the same thing?
Is anybody able to tell me what year this Madeira was bottled based on the code on the seal? I would be very interested to know.

[Eric Ifune]

This has a IVM selo which replaced the JVM in 1979 and eventually replaced by the IVBAM in 2006. So the Wine was bottled during that period.
Borges still uses Malmsey on some of their labels. Malmsey is the old British term for Malvasia. Malmsey style is currently Doce. So this is tinta Negara made in the doce style.

[Dennis Haw]

So this could have been bottled anytime between 1979 and 2006. Is there no way of narrowing it down? Seems like such a broad spread, especially for those who like to be more specific. Or is drinking Madeira not like drinking wines in terms of that kind of thing?

[Dennis Haw]

Anybody got an answer to my question(s) above?

[Eric Ifune]

Most producers don't keep track of the selo numbers. That said, it appears on the old side to me so maybe late 80's or early 90's. Also prior to the legislation which stipulated the term "doce" instead of the "Malmsey style." This was never a high end wine to begin with. Made with Tinta Negra Mole which is now just known as Tinta Negra. Most likely an estufa wine. I've had a similar type of wine a few years ago, Blandy's "Duke of Clarence." Nothing special, but OK.

[Glenn E.]

So this could have been bottled anytime between 1979 and 2006. Is there no way of narrowing it down? Seems like such a broad spread, especially for those who like to be more specific. Or is drinking Madeira not like drinking wines in terms of that kind of thing?

Drinking Madeira (or Port) is very much like drinking wines when it comes to these kinds of things, but to put this in wine terms you're asking for information about an old bottle of Charles Shaw. That's perhaps a bit of an exaggeration, but the point is the same. This isn't a wine for which anyone would keep track of bottling date or production date. It's better than cooking Madeira, but it's on the lower (if not the lowest) end of Madeira that's made to be drunk. My guess is that it's roughly the equivalent of a $15 bottle at retail today.

That said, Madeira is pretty bulletproof so it's probably still fine. It isn't likely to knock your socks off, but it should still be fun to taste and share.

[Dennis Haw]

Most producers don't keep track of the selo numbers. That said, it appears on the old side to me so maybe late 80's or early 90's. Also prior to the legislation which stipulated the term "doce" instead of the "Malmsey style." This was never a high end wine to begin with. Made with Tinta Negra Mole which is now just known as Tinta Negra. Most likely an estufa wine. I've had a similar type of wine a few years ago, Blandy's "Duke of Clarence." Nothing special, but OK.

Thanks Eric

[Dennis Haw]

So this could have been bottled anytime between 1979 and 2006. Is there no way of narrowing it down? Seems like such a broad spread, especially for those who like to be more specific. Or is drinking Madeira not like drinking wines in terms of that kind of thing?

Drinking Madeira (or Port) is very much like drinking wines when it comes to these kinds of things, but to put this in wine terms you're asking for information about an old bottle of Charles Shaw. That's perhaps a bit of an exaggeration, but the point is the same. This isn't a wine for which anyone would keep track of bottling date or production date. It's better than cooking Madeira, but it's on the lower (if not the lowest) end of Madeira that's made to be drunk. My guess is that it's roughly the equivalent of a $15 bottle at retail today.

That said, Madeira is pretty bulletproof so it's probably still fine. It isn't likely to knock your socks off, but it should still be fun to taste and share.

Thanks Glenn