TN: 1895 Araujo de Barros Verdelho

[Eric Ifune]

At the anniversary get together in Seattle last weekend, the only Madeira; but a good one!
I've never had this producer before. Can't seem to find a reference in Liddell's book.
Bottled in 1949. Decanted the day before.
Light molasses colored with green-gold rim. Closed at first, but with vigourous aeration got toffee, caramel, dried fruits and nuts. No VA. Medium bodied, dryish. Seemed a bit dull and lacking in acidity. However over the course of the next three or four hours and more vigourous aeration, this put on more weight. The flavors became more intense and more precise. The acidity became more prominent and the finish lengthened. This has become a proper Verdelho and quite lovely and nice! I wonder how it would have showed with another day or two in the decanter. I'd score this a 95, but wouldn't be surprised to give another point or two with more decanter time. Not the depth, richness or intensity as the 1850 D'Oliveira, it has a 100 years less cask time; but at least on par with the 1905 and 1912. I'd love to see this again sometime, and would like to see more of this producer.

[Peter Reutter]

I promised some info on this wine but I have to admit, when I read Eric's TN I confused it with the 1885 Mavasia from Joao Araujo Afonso that had been purchased and bottled by Barbeitos. So I am sorry to tell that I can offer no further info on Araujo de Barros. With all these similar-sounding Madeiran names I simply got confused
Peter

[Marco D.]

At the anniversary get together in Seattle last weekend, the only Madeira; but a good one!
I've never had this producer before. Can't seem to find a reference in Liddell's book.
Bottled in 1949. Decanted the day before.
Light molasses colored with green-gold rim. Closed at first, but with vigourous aeration got toffee, caramel, dried fruits and nuts. No VA. Medium bodied, dryish. Seemed a bit dull and lacking in acidity. However over the course of the next three or four hours and more vigourous aeration, this put on more weight. The flavors became more intense and more precise. The acidity became more prominent and the finish lengthened. This has become a proper Verdelho and quite lovely and nice! I wonder how it would have showed with another day or two in the decanter. I'd score this a 95, but wouldn't be surprised to give another point or two with more decanter time. Not the depth, richness or intensity as the 1850 D'Oliveira, it has a 100 years less cask time; but at least on par with the 1905 and 1912. I'd love to see this again sometime, and would like to see more of this producer.

Eric,

Is there a picture of this wine anywhere? I would love to compare it to the the wine mentioned here:
http://www.fortheloveofport.com/ftlopfo ... =2&t=10221

[David Spriggs]

The picture is here in the FTLOP portraits: http://www.fortheloveofport.com/portrai ... fullsize=1

It look quite different.

[Roy Hersh]

Along with David and Eric, I was a participant in tasting this bottle of Madeira and as crazy as it sounds, it was probably my biggest "wow" moment of all wines tasted during the weekend (at least the fortified wines, as Eric's bottle of 1990 Quintarelli Amarone rocked my world). After Terrantez, Verdelho is my favorite grape from Madeira. I'd have to have this side by side with the 1850 to come to the same conclusion as Eric. To put this wine in the same league as the D'Oliveiras Verdelho from that gorgeous bottling ... which I believe it deserves to be compared to ... albeit not alike but close to being on a par, is amazing. This was one of the best bottles of Madeira I've had all year (saying a ton after the Barbeito special tasting and this year's Fortification Tour greatness). I guess I found more love in that bottle than others, but to me it was nothing short of remarkable. I'd fly anywhere in the USA to take part in another bottle of it!