TN: 1912 D’Oliveira Verdelho Vintage Madeira

Eric LeVine · Post by **Eric LeVine** » Mon Oct 22, 2007 11:16 am

1912 D'Oliveiras Madeira Verdelho - Portugal, Madeira (10/21/2007)
For the past month I have been working hard to extend CellarTracker to enable integration with multiple sources of professional wine reviews, and first on the docket was Roy Hersh's For The Love of Port. So for the past month, literally every day, I have been taunted by Roy's jubilant reviews of amazing Port and Madeira wines. Talk about temptation! Well, on the verge of completion of this project, I simply HAD to open a killer Madeira, and Roy's personal recommendation was this 1912 Dolly Verdelho. Since I was making a "game-time decision" and opening this with just a few hours to decant, Roy thought this wine was likely to be pretty clean and ready as a recent bottling.

Cola colored, quite brown with a bit of translucency. A sharp nose of onion, showing some heat and volatility, quite floral and room-filling, this was expressive from the very first pour. The palate is mindblowing with coffee, toffee, very sharp and vibrant acidity, utterly mouthwatering. The length and acidity of this wine are just staggering, and I can't really put words on how bright and piercing the aromatics are. This is not for the faint of heart, but it is heavenly elixir. Sherried, quite tart, lime, salt, caramel, really gorgeous. I am going to nurse this bottle for a month or two I suspect, and it is simply beautiful stuff. (93 pts.)

Post by **Roy Hersh** » Mon Oct 22, 2007 9:30 pm

I am going to nurse this bottle for a month or two I suspect,

You're a better man than I, Gunga Din!

I wish I had it in me to have great bottles of Madeira hang longer than a week. A month or two is a dream for me, but I don't have that kind of willpower, unless the cork has not been removed.

Glad to see you are really enjoying this Eric and I hope you will chime back into your own thread with updated TNs or at least further impressions as the bottle has time to fully come into its own. I don't think it will change dramatically, but I do think you will notice some improvement nonetheless.

Eric LeVine · Post by **Eric LeVine** » Mon Oct 22, 2007 9:56 pm

Roy, I promise, I will chime back in on this one. It will take some willpower to nurse it along...

Post by **Roy Hersh** » Fri Nov 02, 2007 5:08 pm

Stingy at 93 points. Thanks for sharing some the other night. I inadvertently started a new thread by accident. Hmmmm, if only I was Squires, I could merge the two threads, but I am clueless how to go about doing that.

Eric LeVine · Post by **Eric LeVine** » Fri Nov 02, 2007 5:18 pm

It just keeps picking up weight. It's not going last 2 months, as we put a strong collective dent in the other evening--but who better to share with than you and Justin.

I could see this at 94-95. In some ways I did like this a little more on day 1 as I thought the aromatics were perhaps a little more explosive. It is pretty impressive how little this has budged in a couple of weeks.

Post by **Roy Hersh** » Fri Nov 02, 2007 5:38 pm

I wrote it up when I got home and gave it a 94+. Just fantastic juice that will outlive us all.

Thanks again!

Roy

Eric LeVine · Post by **Eric LeVine** » Fri Nov 02, 2007 5:43 pm

Well then I wasn't exactly *that* stingy then--and you had the advantage of tasting it after it had plenty of time to breathe...