For The Love Of Port

Hi guys,

A couple of months ago I bought 6 old Madeira bottles at antique auction. No producer, no vintage and no grape on the labels or bottles. And still I had to buy them.. Doing some research, I could only found this empty bottle at an auction site:
https://www.the-saleroom.com/en-us/auct ... b600ee72c5

While I was getting the bottles ready for shipment to Antwerp, 1 of the bottles was leaking. I've tried the few drups and it was still vibrant!! I'm definitely not a Madeira expert (I am a somm with a WSET 3 degree ), but I can tell you it was amazing! Amber brown colour, intens Madeira flavours. I did not make a tasting note of the few drops spilled on my bubble wrapping paper, because I was still freaking out that one of my bottles was leaking and also freaking out about the fact that I just tasted Madeira from the 1860-1880's !

http://www.veilingsylvies.be/nl/veiling ... -wijn?a=33
These are the 5 remaining bottles put up for auction at Sylvie's in Antwerp. On Friday 24th starting at 10am the leaking bottle will be tasted at Sylvie's. Auction is on Saturday.

I know this is me advertising my own bottles, but you can try the Madeira yourself! If you would like more pictures, I can send them.

Happy bidding or tasting,
Wouter

One doesn't have to freak out when it comes to leaking bottles of Madeira. In just about any other wine, if wine is leaking through the cork and capsule, that means oxygen is getting in and oxidizing the wine. With Madeira however, that is not a worry as Madeira is used to having lots of contact with oxygen and it is not going to be any worse for the wear.

Unusual bottles. Is that a Dutch styled bottle?

http://www.deoudeflesch.nl/de%20flessenloods.htm is a Dutch website for old glass bottles. The same Madeira bottle is shown on the picture and it probably was for the Dutch market(?).

Albert, as a bunch of us hung out at a FTLOP offline event at LASTAGE in Amsterdam last July, the question is ... where were you?

Trip to Thailand and Cambodia with my girlfriend