1850 D'Oliveira Verdelho Vintage Madeira

[BB]

The wind was high,the weather chilly and so,as were all sentient beings in this clime,I turned to a few (well maybe more than a few) sips of a Madeira that I had not had in a few years.Lo and behold this bottle nearly fell into my lap and so a good friend and I began,with my favorite accoutrement to Madeira,some aged Stilton and ripe almonds,to savor the:

1850 D'Oliveira Verdelho

Now we're talking!Dusky with dry acidity complemented by toffee,sweet citrus and smoke,the aromas and palate presence were utterly captivating.For me this particular D'Oliveira stands out prominently in the mid 1800s and seems to be somewhat dissimilar in nature (depth and raciness) from its later incarnations in the early 1900s and so this is a spectacular and singular representative of Verdelho.

[Roy Hersh]

Bill,

Thank you for your extraordinary tasting note written with soul and verve!