TN: Barbeito Verdelho 1981

[Otto Nieminen]

Barbeito Verdelho 1981 Frasqueira bottled 2005; 20,5% abv; 59,90€/500ml

I tried this once in a big tasting and liked it, so I was very happy to see it available in our usually pathetic monopoly (only some rainwater Madeira available in addition to this!). I decanted it after purchase, and drunk it over a week or so.

To put it briefly, it does what it says on the tin. :) Upon opening it had rather dominant toffee/coffee scents and since I prefer other aspects of Madeira more, I was happy to see them appear on day two->. I don't have much experience with Verdelho (being in a land with a monopoly is always tough), but from my limited experience I prefer the drier styles of Verdelho and Sercial to Malvazia and Bual. And also in my limited experience, this bottle was typical Verdelho: lifted/VA scent with greenish fruit aromas came more to the fore than the toffee scents. It is sweet but not in such full blown sticky levels as Malvazia - I would perhaps liken it to a Riesling Spätlese with age which also has noticeable sweetness (more than just off-dry) yet isn't a full blown dessert. And like Spätlese, it has wonderful precision, cut and purity; very refreshing acidity. I was perhaps expecting (hoping?) a touch more volatility and sharpness (I'm hoping to see some Sercial here...), but this was still a very pleasurable bottle.

[Roy Hersh]

Otto,

Thanks for your note. Very insightful!

I am in the same camp, whether with Verdelho or Sercial Madeira or Kabinett or Spatlesen from Germany. I don't like when the Oechsle level of the latter is ignored and a Kabinett seems on the borderline between a Spatlesen and Auslesen. The same for the dry styles of Madeira. I want my Sercial with next to no RS and Verdhelo tending more towards Sercial than Boal but that is just me. Terrantez as well, as I've had some recently that lacked the perfunctory dry style that I really dig from that particular grape. The sweet version of that grape, rarely is captivating. I do appreciate and enjoy fine Boal and Malvasia too, but I have a preference for something more ... "trocken" if you know what I mean. I know Peter does!

[Jan-Tore Egge]

That's one of those wines I consider buying (though ideally, I would save up for some Sercial 1910).

[Otto Nieminen]

I want my Sercial with next to no RS and Verdhelo tending more towards Sercial than Boal but that is just me. Terrantez as well, as I've had some recently that lacked the perfunctory dry style that I really dig from that particular grape. The sweet version of that grape, rarely is captivating. I do appreciate and enjoy fine Boal and Malvasia too, but I have a preference for something more ... "trocken" if you know what I mean. I know Peter does!

Yes, I understand what you mean. Oddly enough, when it comes to German Rieslings, I do not usually appreciate the trocken style and prefer noticeable sugar. I've never seen a Terrantez Madeira over here - it sounds very much like I should try to find some from elsewhere.

J-T, if you do buy it (or the 1910 Sercial) I would love to hear your views.