For The Love Of Port

MADEIRA @ BISTRO CACAO (A MALVASIA AFFAIR) - Washington D.C. (1/22/2013)

A debt of gratitude to Steve Shapiro for inviting me to his "Guys' Night Out" annual Madeira dinner. This year's theme was Malvasia and Steve and his son did a fantastic job of working with the chef on an all-Malvasia menu.

I forget what the starter wine was, but it was a custom blend by Steve which consisted of (I believe) 90% Rare Wine Company's "New York Malmsey" along with various older vintage wines from the early 20th century. While I did not take notes on it, it was quite excellent.
AMUSE BOUCHE
Cheese Quiche, Sesame Salmon, Meatballs

• 1920 Favilla Vieira Madeira Malvazia - Portugal, Madeira
  This showed so much better than my last taste back in 1999. Assertive and fragrant with a caramel, toffee and lime zest nose. Weighty on the palate, but still fresh and uplifting. Some volatile acidity, but not off-putting. Fantastic cling on the palate with a lengthy, zippy, juicy, orange peel finish. Wonderful acids on this outstanding bottle. (95 pts.)

FIRST COURSE
Pan Seared Foie Gras with Goat Cheese Stuffed Apricot Ginger Cherry Sauce

• 1954 Barbeito Madeira Reserva Velha Malvasia - Portugal, Madeira
  Quite delicious for a relative "youngster". Dark flavors here... chocolate, coffee, damp earth and praline. Very deep on the mid-palate with some vanilla caramel notes. The acidity was on the medium to light side and the finish was a bit attenuated and had a dusty quality, hinting at cocoa powder. Excellent wine. (92 pts.)
• 1948 Barbeito Madeira Reserva Velha Malvasia - Portugal, Madeira
  When first poured, this seemed a bit "dirty", but this blew off after a bit and unveiled a perfect wine for a winter's evening. Full of autumnal spices like nutmeg, cloves and cinnamon. A hint of VA here, but again, this doesn't detract, as it cuts the weighty, figgy middle and helps the wine finish clean and vibrant. Complex, lengthy and very well balanced. (93 pts.)

SECOND / THIRD COURSE
Pistachio Crusted Sea Bass Served with Celery Carrot Puree and Mango Champagne Sauce
&
Pan Seared Duck breast with mushrooms and Port Wine Blueberry Sauce

• 1885 Barbeito Madeira Malvazia Reserva Velha - Portugal, Madeira
  I always wanted to try this wine side by side with its 1886 counterpart for educational reasons. Both were procured from the Afonso family and comes from Camo dos Lobos vineyards. The main difference is that the 1885 spent most of its time in wood and the 1886 spent most of its time in glass. This 1885 proudly flaunts it unctuous richness from its lengthy cask life. Rich, fudgey, chocolatey and honeied, with notes of fruitcake. Dense and concentrated, but oh so precise with powerful and precise acidity. Outrageous length. I had to rest and contemplate what I was drinking before I could take another sip. Fabulous showing. (97 pts.)
• 1886 Barbeito Madeira Malvazia Reserva Velha - Portugal, Madeira
  I always wanted to try this wine side by side with its 1885 counterpart for educational reasons. Both were procured from the Afonso family and comes from Camo dos Lobos vineyards. The main difference is that the 1885 spent most of its time in wood and the 1886 spent most of its time in glass. The nose on this 1886 was a bit shy compared to its flamboyant sibling from 1885. On the palate, the chocolate, fudge and caramel flavors took a back seat to the lighter, more lifted notes of tea, sandalwood, lemons and floral notes. A very racy expression of Malvasia. Not as concentrated as the 1885, but more refined, elegant and filigreed. I kept going back and forth between this wine and the 1885 trying to pick a favorite, but I couldn't. Equally impressive for different reasons. (97 pts.)

FOURTH / FIFTH COURSE
Lemon Sorbet
&
Venison Tenderloin Topped with Melted Roquefort Cheese Served with Sweet Potato Gratin and Asparagus and Black Truffle Red Wine Reduction

• 1907 D'Oliveiras Madeira Malvazia Reserva - Portugal, Madeira
  This was a pleasant surprise, much more depth here than I remember in two previous outings with this wine. Inky dark, almost like molasses. The nose was a bit ungiving but the palate held a fireworks display of honey, tea, dried flowers and dates. Electric acidity that left my lips smacking for more. Medium finish. Excellent showing. (94 pts.)
• NV Rare Wine Company (Henriques & Henriques) Madeira Imperial Malmsey Old Reserve - Portugal, Madeira
  This showed a bit more fresh fruits (as opposed to dried fruits) to compliment the leather, smoke and spice. The acidity was sound, but perhaps not as nervy as I prefer. While not a powerhouse, this showed excellent balance and poise. (91 pts.)

SIXTH COURSE
Pear Tart and Raspberry Mango Coulis

• 1894 Henriques & Henriques Madeira Malmsey "Founder's Choice" Solera - Portugal, Madeira
  A shy nose, but a flavorful and deep palate, offering maple, figs, honey and creme brulee. Hints of antique wood and vanilla on the lengthy finish. Moderate weight, but riveting structure. The toffee, creme brulee and vanilla notes, with its balanced sweetness, made this an excellent choice for dessert. (93 pts.)
• 1875 D'Oliveiras Madeira Malvazia Reserva - Portugal, Madeira
  The nose exhibited a pronounced acetone note; not offensive, but enough to detract. This was immense, concentrated and oozing with rich toblerone chocolate, butterscotch, fruitcake and coffee. Incredibly complex, weighty and lengthy. Dessert in a glass. So much here, so much detail, so much flavor, but in the end... a bit too much acetone for me, even though I am quite tolerant of VA in Madeira. This could have been the wine of the night, if not for this distraction. Still an impressive wine. This was my first taste of this wine, so I am not sure if this is a representative bottle. (94 pts.)

Posted from CellarTracker

Sounds fabulous!
How much did the wines change with the food? I have to admit I've never had Malvasia with a main course of meat.

Eric Ifune wrote: I have to admit I've never had Malvasia with a main course of meat.

I don't think there was a dramatic difference... perhaps a bit drier when matched with the sweeter sauces.

Does sound fantastic. Thanks for sharing!

Great stuff, Marco! YUM.

Marco,

94 points for the 1875 D'Oliveiras?

Really???

Normally I don't question anybody's scores ... but as I know and trust your palate ... this just seems so out of whack.

Great seeing you on Saturday!

Roy Hersh wrote:Marco,

94 points for the 1875 D'Oliveiras?

Really???

Normally I don't question anybody's scores ... but as I know and trust your palate ... this just seems so out of whack.

Great seeing you on Saturday!

It was a fantastic wine indeed, but the VA was just a bit too high to ignore. I looked at all your notes on this wine and saw no mention of VA at all, so I do wonder if it was a representative bottle.