June 2008 VT : Malmsey Madeira

[Frederick Blais]

For this June, we'll venture into the world of Madeira. The Mamsley is the sweetest white grapes on Madeira Island which leads to a sweeter style of wine and will probably attrack the lovers of the tawny style of Port. I hope many curious will come and share their comments about their Madeira experience this month.

[Roy Hersh]

I love the idea. Actually it is spelled Malmsey. I am sure we'll get some good participation. TNs here or in the Madeira Forum? I think you should specify that in both places, Frederick, so there will be consistency.

[Frederick Blais]

The best is to post it at both place so people who are doing search can compare to other Malmsey or just read one TN.

[Roy Hersh]

That works just fine, I just wanted a clarification as to the rules, so thanks!

[Frederick Blais]

Blandy's Mamlsey 10 yo: Tawny/brown color with green olive oil rim. The nose is dominated by that all spices pumkin pie, candied figs and molasse also come to complete this bouquet. On the palate, the entry is sharp and sweet, again that pumkin pie really takes the main attraction there, the balance between acidity and sweetness is great, while the acidity is taking over on the finish, it is still short. An enjoyable Madeira but I don't think we get pleasure for our bucks here at almost 50$ can for a bottle. 15.5/20

[Todd Pettinger]

Broadbent Madeira – 10 Year Malmsey

A rather dark caramel brown with a yellow rim. When tilted at an angle, the glass reveals a deep orange (not tawny, but bright orange) center and a light green tint in the predominantly yellow meniscus.

Upon opening, I found the nose rather dull and uninteresting. I did sense that as the hours went along, the nose started to reveal a little more complexity but I still find myself unable to pinpoint anything in particular.

Tasting immediately after opening resulted in a drier, acidity-dominated wine than I was expecting. Knowing that Malmsey is supposed to be the sweetest (and I assumed, richest) of the varieties of Madeira, I was surprised by how dry this was. The sweetness came late to the party, but did not deliver the intensity of residual sugar that I expected. Later on in the evening I picked out what I believed to be leather and what I imagine gasoline would taste like if one were silly enough to try sipping a glass of it.

This Madeira didn’t do wonders for me. We’ll see if there is any evolution over the next day or so, but I doubt it, I thought Madeira was not supposed to really evolve all that much (which is why it is so hearty.) It is, however, the perfect sipper for me this weekend as I am on call and can only indulge in a small glass or two a night, so I am not worried about this bottle remaining open and unfinished for a few nights.

As a side note, I shared a couple of glasses with my wife, who definitely prefers Tawny style Port over the ruby style. She enjoyed it a lot. I was kind of shocked as I expected her to turn up her nose at the high acidity. May be that I have found something that she will enjoy with me more often than the small glass she will share if I open a ruby Port! 

For $56Cdn, this was not a good deal. It is really hard to find Madeira in Edmonton though. The 10 year Henriques (Bual and Verdelho?) was $51 and I may have even enjoyed one of those better. I find this wine simplistic and uninteresting. I have way less experience with Madeira than Port however, so this could just be a very naïve and untrained palate…

[Todd Pettinger]

Day 2
While the general impression I get on day 2 is a bit sweeter, and the nose perhaps a tad more expressive, there is little change. I do, however, realize that my palate may have been muted a tone or two over the past couple of days – I woke up this morning with the sniffles and that can affect my palate a great deal.

Day 3
Finishing up the last couple of glasses (who said Madeira could last for weeks after being opened??? Not in THIS house baby?!) Nothing new is noted on Day 3. A decent, but not great Madeira. One which I would certainly hesitate to spend the same amount of money on, but one, that several dollars cheaper, I could see becoming a staple at our house – the wife was very pleased with this new discovery. $56Cdn was ridiculous for it though. I’m betting this doesn’t go for over $35 in the US.

[Peter Reutter]

1890 Malmsey, Cossart Gordon
This wine was another highlight of the tasting we did last Sunday. With dark iodine color and a very harmonious caramel nose it showed its full power in the mouth. The wine was very impressive with lots of sweetness but well balanced, raisins were dominant at first, but also bread, huge amounts of caramel and a creamy toffee taste as well, mellow and mouth watering, then a shift towards more darker and roasted aromas with coffee and molasses and finally a long toffee finish. The roasted aromas kept the wine from being cloying and so this malmsey was very pleasant. A perfect wine, a classic malmsey, complex and impressive.
Tasted last Sunday, 8th of June at a small private Madeira tasting of 8 old bottles. TNs to follow soon.
Peter

[Kris Henderson]

Broadbent Madeira Malmsey 10 Years Old
Produced & Bottled by Vinhos Justino Henriquesw, Filhos, LDA.

Burnt caramel color. The nose gives off scents of vanilla, caramel, dates, and lemon. The palate is rich, viscous, and slippery sweet. Coffee, figs, dried fruits, and other flavors. Acidity that doesn't quit and a very persistent, complex finish with just a little heat. 90

[Kris Henderson]

Todd,

As luck would have it, I picked up the same bottle as you.

* For $39.99 full retail in Seattle, I think this is a good value. A case discount of 10 to 15 percent would make it even better. Looks like wine prices in Canada have not caught up with the relative value of the dollar.

* Don't give up on Madeira just yet. Though I think this is representative of the Malmsey style there are others you may like better. Are the Rare Wine Company historic series available in Canada? I've enjoyed their Malmsey and Boal. Also, Vintage Madiera though similar adds layers of richness and complexity.

* Moscatel is even sweeter and richer than Malmsey. If rich and sweet is what you like then look for a Moscatel.

[Todd Pettinger]

* For $39.99 full retail in Seattle, I think this is a good value. A case discount of 10 to 15 percent would make it even better. Looks like wine prices in Canada have not caught up with the relative value of the dollar.

Kris, I would agree. This is a decent price for this bottle, which is not bad, I just have a hard time paying so much for it when I know that there is a bunch more Port and other stuff out there that I would much prefer!

* Don't give up on Madeira just yet. Though I think this is representative of the Malmsey style there are others you may like better. Are the Rare Wine Company historic series available in Canada? I've enjoyed their Malmsey and Boal. Also, Vintage Madiera though similar adds layers of richness and complexity.

RWC Madeira is not available in Canada (that I know of) although Roy has been working in the background to stimulate the flow of Madeira into Canada through other channels. I am not sure if it will come in at a decent price (knowing how silly prices can get here, I rather doubt it) but I am looking forward to it as the selection is sadly lacking.

* Moscatel is even sweeter and richer than Malmsey. If rich and sweet is what you like then look for a Moscatel.

Funny you should mention Moscatel. I was directed to a bottle (JM Fonseca) Moscatel a while back. Sweet and rich, yes. As complex as Port or Madeira, I thought not, but then again, it was a very basic bottle and like everything, the entire category of wine cannot be judged on the one example alone.

[Kris Henderson]

Funny you should mention Moscatel. I was directed to a bottle (JM Fonseca) Moscatel a while back. Sweet and rich, yes. As complex as Port or Madeira, I thought not, but then again, it was a very basic bottle and like everything, the entire category of wine cannot be judged on the one example alone.

Sounds like you got something other than Madeira. There are certainly Madeira's made from the Moscatel grape. A quick look on wine-searcher shows a few vintage examples. Perhaps nobody makes a NV bottling of Moscatel Madeira.

[Glenn E.]

Rare Wine Company
Historic Series Madiera
10-yr old New York Malmsey

This is my 3rd ever Madiera, so take it with a grain of salt. The 3 Madieras have been vastly different, also, which isn't really helping me get a feel for what Madiera is supposed to taste like! I have now had Leacock's Rainwater, Fernandez Brothers 40+ Verdelho, and this one.

I do have to say that while I can appreciate the complexity of Madiera, I'm discovering that it really isn't something I like. It leans too far toward savory for me flavor-wise, and I'm finding that the savory notes disturb my enjoyment of the sweeter flavors. I also have an even more difficult time with descriptions when it comes to Madiera than I do with Port... if my vocabulary for Port is limited, it is downright non-existent for Madiera. So...

The color is a rich golden brown, like browned butter only deeper and more vibrant. There's just a hint of red within the glass, and the color fades to a khaki with a greenish tint right around the rim. Deep in the center light strikes a bright red note .

The nose has some faint dried apricot in it as well as something vaguely citrus. There's something that my brain is telling me smells like salt (which, of course, makes no sense) and there's also a fairly strong savory note that I can't identify. It's not the beef boullion or any of the various green peppers that I found in the Fernandez Brothers Verdelho... it's more like an unfinished, soft suede or leather.

There is a lot of acidity in the mouth, bordering on lemony. The first few tastes also carry a bit of a briney flavor, but after 4-5 swallows it fades (or is overpowered) by other flavors. The acidity makes it refreshing in a way that Port cannot match, but the savory notes that I noticed in the nose carry over to the palate as well and make it strange to drink. The fruits are dried and simultaneously sour, with the only one I can identify being apricot. It is not unpleasant to me, but neither is it particularly enjoyable. This is a very strong and bold drink.

The finish is smooth and clean in a way that says my taste buds are happy to be free of the acidity and assault of flavors. :)

An interesting experiment, but probably not one that I will repeat very often.

Anyone have any recipes for cooking with Madiera?

[Eric Ifune]

[quote][Todd Pettinger wrote:
Funny you should mention Moscatel. I was directed to a bottle (JM Fonseca) Moscatel a while back. Sweet and rich, yes. As complex as Port or Madeira, I thought not, but then again, it was a very basic bottle and like everything, the entire category of wine cannot be judged on the one example alone.

Sounds like you got something other than Madeira. There are certainly Madeira's made from the Moscatel grape. A quick look on wine-searcher shows a few vintage examples. Perhaps nobody makes a NV bottling of Moscatel Madeira./quote]

This is a Setubal, made from Moscatel. Another variety of Portuguese fortified wine. Sounds like a basic bottling. These are ususally wood aged. Some of the old vintage ones can be fabulous.

[Kris Henderson]

Here's a quick note on Blandy's 10 Year Rich Malmsey Madeira:

The nose is giving off light scents of brown sugar, herbs, and spices. The palate is rich and full bodied. The acidity is soft but comes on stronger towards the finish. This is a nice Madeira but for the same price, I think the Broadbent 10 Year Malmsey is a better buy. 88

[Roy Hersh]

OK, so I am late to the party, but did not want to disappoint Fred this month, doing Madeira for the first time that I can remember here in the VT.

Thank you Peter for sharing this with me!

1890 Cossart Gordon Malmsey, Vintage Madeira – Medium tea color with tawny edge. Fragrant sugar cane, straw, orange blossom and pekoe tea round out the undulating aromatics. Powerful, rich and searing acidity focused my consciousness deeply with medium weight that seemed heavier as it rolled around my mouth. Acid freaks will really love this one, as I did, maintaining the aftertaste for an eternity. There was a distinct coffee dominant flavor but it was supported by citrus zest, a good dose of sweetness and crazy, mouthwatering butterscotch. Fabulous nectar! ~ 97 points ~ 6/26/08