TN: 1850 Companhia Vinicola da Madeira Madeira Verdelho (Portugal, Madeira)

[Jay Hack]

• 1850 Companhia Vinicola da Madeira Madeira Verdelho - Portugal, Madeira (12/9/2010)
  At Bern's in Tampa, in the Harry Waugh dessert room after dinner. My first Verdelho madeira. Nose of hazelnuts and caramel. Bone dry and very highly in acidity, to the point that it was bitter on the rear palate. Color was very light yellow gold. Extremely nutty with hazelnuts, pecans and cashews. Some sharp citrus and a tiny bit of fruit flavor as in sherry - gee, that's why they must call it "maderized." The acidity in this wine was so sharp that it was not to my liking, but how often do you get to try a wine made from grapes that first flowered when Zachary Tyler was President, and were picked when Millard Fillmore was President? Pre-oidium and pre-phylloxera. For that alone it was worth it.