TN: D'Oliveira 1989 Malvasia

[Eric Ifune]

Very dark color, almost cola colored with a green hint to the menicus.
Classic Malvasia aromas, toffee, spice, limes, brown sugar. Quite disjointed upon opening. Lots of intensity, richness, sweetness, and acid but not in balance.
Left untouched for several days (because of a head cold).
Now that I can properly taste this, it's quite good.
Much better balanced. Rich, toffee, citrus aromas. Hint of VA. Flavors carry over onto the palate. Rich and sweet, a proper Malvasia. Nice depth. Good acid balance. Long, rich, tangy finish. True vintage quality despite the minimal age. I'm hoping there's more of this in cask getting better. 93 points.

[Marco D.]

Again...thanks for taking one for the team. I've got a Madeira tasting with Steve Shapiro tomorrow in DC... hopefully I can reciprocate with some notes -- if the upcoming snow storm doesn't cancel it...