For The Love Of Port

Bought a few years ago at auction. Generic front label with a Malvasia strip label. Back label states "This very old wine was bought by MESSRS. Henriques &Henriques, LDA. in 1906 as an old wine. It was first bottled in 1927, re-corked and re-bottled in 1955, 1969 and 1991. When originally bottled the bottles were numbered 1 to 890. The wine is part of the reserve wines belonging to Mr. Miguel Jardim, theis bottle bears the number 224."

Wax capsule, nice long (for Maderia) cork. Upon first opening, dark mahogany color with a green-bronze meniscus. Dried fruits on nose; prunes, raisins, figs. Not much VA noted. Full bodied, not particularly sweet. More dried fruit and nuts on palate. Missing that scintillating acidity I love in Madeira. Good, long finish. After 30 hours in the decanter, similar color and aromas. Not quite as rich on the palate, but has become better balanced. The acidity had come forward. Still, not as acid as many; but this has a nice balance. The finish is richer than the palate. Not in the first rank, but a very nice wine.

Miguel Jardim lives in Canada (now in London Ontario, formerly in Toronto) and is the agent for H&H (and I believe also a Director of the company). He has occasionally attended our 'Estufarian' tastings here in Toronto.
He culled his cellar a few years back, and these wines were mainly retailed through Rare Wine Company (well known on this Board). I spoke to him about these and he felt that they were mostly at their peak - and he wasn't drinking enough to consume them before he (or they) expired.
So in general they shouldn't be kept 'indefinitely' and are unlikely to significantly improve further.
I think the subdued acidity demonstrates that. But still very pleasant (I have a couple of bottles left).

Alan,
Thanks for the info. Any idea of the approximate age?

I assume you mean the age of the wine (not Miguel!).
H&H was a partnership where the founders all 'contributed' wine. bear in mind that even at the start of the 19 (yes 19)70's, Portugal was essentially an agricultural society. And until the land reforms, after the revolution, still operated under a system akin to what I was taught at school was the 'feudal system' - large (and wealthy) landowners who parcelled out land to 'worker/tenants' who often paid their 'rent' in produce - and in madeira, specifically wine. This was then sold or stored (usually in cellars, but also barns and suchlike) without necessarily documentation that would be standard today (we hope).
There just weren't reliable records on these stocks.
And then the H&H Principals bought 'old wine' (and occasionally distributed stock (i.e. barrels/bottles) to partners - clouding the trail even further. Sometimes they 'guessed' (presumably intelligently) at the identities of some of the wines - maybe based on recollections of older generations. But often it was just guesses. And the legal structure today can be harsh on an 'incorrect' guess - so often the safe route is to just call it 'old wine'. Miguel 'speculates' that it might have been up to 50 years old when purchased (in 1906) - but that is pure conjecture.
Even today (actually within the past few years) bottles/barrels are still being found in estate sales. We had a tasting last year of 'unknown madeiras', mostly acquired on the island at estate sales. We also encountered a 'quantity' of 1905 Sercial (we think) that was astounding - knocks the socks off the Blandy version that has been knocking around.
So, in summary - nobody really knows - but we can still enjoy them!