New MADEIRA offering by RWC
Posted: Mon Jun 25, 2012 4:47 pm
A Wine as Compelling as its Story
H.M. Borges’ 1940 Reserva Solera
In the century after Phylloxera (1875-1975), the number of
Madeira producers declined by more than 90%. Only ten
exporters remained.
One of these was H.M. Borges. Founded by its namesake in 1877,
it thrived for forty years until he died in 1916. From that point on
it, the firm was a gritty survivor, living off of stocks of ancent
Madeira acquired by H.M., relying on sales to Scandinavia and,
on occasion, purchasing wine from other houses that failed.
And so, a few years ago, Borges bought a remarkable solera from a now largely
forgotten firm named Silva Vinhos. This was a great find for Borges but
ironically, the solera’s story goes back further than Silva. It had been started in
the 1940s by a third house, Veiga França, which failed in the 1980s.
I can pinpoint the time of Veiga França’s failure because, by chance, one
day more than 20 years ago, I was walking past Veiga França’s lodge just
as it was being demolished. I snapped the photo you see above. Weeks
later, there would have been nothing for me to see.
But while Veiga França’s walls were being torn down, its stocks of wine,
still in barrel, were being sold to other producers, like Silva Vinhos. And
when Silva Vinhos failed, the process was repeated.
Multiple Bottlings
While it was still in business, Veiga França bottled and sold some of the
solera. Silva Vinhos, on the other hand, bottled none of it, passing it on
to Borges intact (except for a loss of volume due to evaporation).
Borges has now bottled all that remained, and—according to the
Norwegian wine blogger Niklas Jorgensen—the Borges bottling is
“far superior” to the one that appeared under the Veiga França label.
The reason was as clear to Jorgensen as it may be to you: extra
time in barrel. Niklas is in a position to know, having compared
bottles of both Veiga França and Borges in the past four years.
While he gave the Vega França bottling 92-93 points, he rated
Borges 94.
He writes: “... notes of bitter almonds, figs, corinths, tobacco,
burnt sugar and fudge. Elegant and complex. Beautiful! On the palate the
impeccable balance continues. Nothing moving in the opposite direction.
Caramelised taste with nutmeg, figs, old casks, sweet pipe tobacco, orange
like acidity and fine sweet balance. Long, intense aftertaste.”
As of late last year, little remained of the 1940 Solera. Fortunately, we were
able to acquire it all directly from Borges. It is not only a beautiful wine, it
is a truly remarkable value. But there’s not much to go around, so you’ll
want to hurry.
1940 H.M. Borges Rsva. Solera
94 Niklas Jorgensen
$135 bottle
H.M. Borges’ 1940 Reserva Solera
In the century after Phylloxera (1875-1975), the number of
Madeira producers declined by more than 90%. Only ten
exporters remained.
One of these was H.M. Borges. Founded by its namesake in 1877,
it thrived for forty years until he died in 1916. From that point on
it, the firm was a gritty survivor, living off of stocks of ancent
Madeira acquired by H.M., relying on sales to Scandinavia and,
on occasion, purchasing wine from other houses that failed.
And so, a few years ago, Borges bought a remarkable solera from a now largely
forgotten firm named Silva Vinhos. This was a great find for Borges but
ironically, the solera’s story goes back further than Silva. It had been started in
the 1940s by a third house, Veiga França, which failed in the 1980s.
I can pinpoint the time of Veiga França’s failure because, by chance, one
day more than 20 years ago, I was walking past Veiga França’s lodge just
as it was being demolished. I snapped the photo you see above. Weeks
later, there would have been nothing for me to see.
But while Veiga França’s walls were being torn down, its stocks of wine,
still in barrel, were being sold to other producers, like Silva Vinhos. And
when Silva Vinhos failed, the process was repeated.
Multiple Bottlings
While it was still in business, Veiga França bottled and sold some of the
solera. Silva Vinhos, on the other hand, bottled none of it, passing it on
to Borges intact (except for a loss of volume due to evaporation).
Borges has now bottled all that remained, and—according to the
Norwegian wine blogger Niklas Jorgensen—the Borges bottling is
“far superior” to the one that appeared under the Veiga França label.
The reason was as clear to Jorgensen as it may be to you: extra
time in barrel. Niklas is in a position to know, having compared
bottles of both Veiga França and Borges in the past four years.
While he gave the Vega França bottling 92-93 points, he rated
Borges 94.
He writes: “... notes of bitter almonds, figs, corinths, tobacco,
burnt sugar and fudge. Elegant and complex. Beautiful! On the palate the
impeccable balance continues. Nothing moving in the opposite direction.
Caramelised taste with nutmeg, figs, old casks, sweet pipe tobacco, orange
like acidity and fine sweet balance. Long, intense aftertaste.”
As of late last year, little remained of the 1940 Solera. Fortunately, we were
able to acquire it all directly from Borges. It is not only a beautiful wine, it
is a truly remarkable value. But there’s not much to go around, so you’ll
want to hurry.
1940 H.M. Borges Rsva. Solera
94 Niklas Jorgensen
$135 bottle
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