For The Love Of Port

I'm considering buying a bottle of this Madeira wine at $440. Is that a good price for this wine? I'm considering taking a trip to Portugal this summer, and I can only take a limited amount of bottles back home with me, so I'm trying to find out what to bring. If this Malvazia is half the price in Portugal I'd certainly buy a couple there instead of at home.

Also, is this a well recommend Madeira? I've only tasted some young Madeiras so far, and have yet to enjoy the really fine qualities of and old one. This is one of the few really old Madeiras I can get a hold of at home, and me and some friends are considering chipping in for a Madeira tasting this spring where a bottle of this wine would fit in as the main attraction.

I've recently tasted Barbeitos 20 anos Malvazia blend and thought it was magnificent, so I'm greatly looking forward to widening my Madeira horizons even further.

Are you going to mainland Portugal or Madeira ? In Funchal Diogo's has good prices.

I haven't decided yet, but I don't think I can afford a side-trip to Madeira so most probably it'll only be mainland Portugal.

Difficult to find madeira in mainland exept for a couple of shops in Lisbon.

NOTE: SAS starts twice a week flights to Funchal nonstop from Oslo at the end of October.

Just paid NOK 1.540 to Funchal roundtrip in December ! Full bonuspoints !!

Much better than superexpensive charters with Solia !

Compared to current prices in the US, that is a good price. Also, it is a VERY nice Malvasia. I've had it several times and it's wonderful... just remember to decant for a day or two.

I believe this is now the oldest wine Barbeito offers, since they sold the last of their 1795 Terrantez.

Current pricing in the USA is $595 and on the island at the Barbeito shop it was about 350 Euros. A fine bottle, especially if you've never had it. Enjoy!

Reidar, thanks for the tip! I'll look up the new SAS route. :)

It seems that (finally) we have a reasonable price for a madeira here in Norway. I probably should buy a small supply of these bottles. Do any of you know how much is left of this vintage? I know they have at least a dozen or so bottles in stock here, but for all i know it might be sold out from Barbeito!

Marco, is it necessary to decant it for two whole days? That seems like quite a long decanting time!

As far as I know, Barbeito still has some. I heard about 16 months ago that 1875 M was soon empty. But none of this is certain facts.

Inge Carlén wrote:Marco, is it necessary to decant it for two whole days? That seems like quite a long decanting time!

It is not necessary, but it will be better a least a day later.

I'm not sure when these were bottled, but in general, the longer in the bottle, the longer I would want to decant. If it was bottled in the last 2-5
years, I wouldn't worry. If 5-10, I would do a day of decanting. If over 20 years, I would do at least two days. These are just my personal rules-of-thumb.

As you probably know, there is no danger in leaving these wines open... they'll be fine for months, years even.

In general, I always decant a least a day in advance, regardless of bottling date.

Inge, isn't this available in the Norwegian monopoly anymore? I have tasted it a couple times, thanks to a Norwegian friend who lives in Finland and has brought back a bottle every now and then. My friend said that he had searched for cheaper sources, but that the Vinmonopolet was most competitive! Isn't it so?

-O

Yes, they have it in stock, and as you say it's apparently cheaper here than most other countries! That's a first for me, since the prices here with taxes are mostly a bit higher. Take for example a Fonseca 1994, which I had to pay $ 370 for, while the lowest price on Wine Searcher is around $ 135. I'm going to taste it at a Madeira-gathering in my apartment in april, which I'm looking quite forward to!

Dear Inge,

You should join us for the Fortification Tour in May. The cost of your trip will be saved by the amount of wine you decide to purchase or have shipped back home. The savings for Port and Madeira would be enormous. The time you have with our group, would fill a lifetime of memories. You would not be the only woman coming alone on this trip either!

Email me if you have any interest.


Roy

Thank you kindly for the invitation Roy! I would very, very much like to come with you but unfortunately studies and work make it impossible for me to travel abroad in May. But I can assure you that I'd like to take you up on your offer next year, if you have a Fortification Tour in 2009!

PS! I am of the male persuasion of the species, but I can easily understand why you made the reverse assumption. Inge is a female name in Sweden, Denmark and Germany, but not in Norway. Here it can be both, and it's got to do with some Norse mythology or something. :)

Sorry about that assumption and nice to "chat with you." Also, welcome aboard the FTLOP. Nice to have you here.

We are definitely going to do a 2009 Fortification Tour, unless I am hit by a bus before then.