For The Love Of Port

2009 Port Gala
Friday, January 30th, Madeira tasting
Flight 1: Mystery Madeira, 1960 Leacock's Terrantez

1960 Leacock's Terrantez

Medium tawny in color, with a solid tan overtone. Clear but not bright in the glass.

Typical (to me) Madeira VA on the nose.

"Tastes like Madeira." Hey, that's what I wrote. I was 12 glasses of Colheita toward stupor by this point in the night! I do vaguely remember this one seeming rather neutral as Madeiras go, meaning that there just wasn't anything there for me to comment on.

Again not the most forthcoming.
In particular, the rim was very pale - showing a lack of age (hey aren't people born in 1960 still not in their prime?). But some coffee grounds and candied nuts on the nose, promising some richness.
Yet on the taste still showing huge acid and muscularity. No sign (yet?) of the chocolate I often encounter withTerrrantez, with the taste dominated by vanilla and dried citrus fruit and the huge acidity cutting the finish short.
Probably for my grandchildren!

I did get the chocolate in this one. However, I found the aroma to be of offensive bad must, and did not prefer this one.

This was not only my least favorite Madeira of the evening but probably my 2nd to the least favorite wine of the night (the '41 Moreira was more disappointing). I finished off the Terrantez the last two nights while knocking off the newsletter. I must say that it did not improve at all in that time. I think the RWC New Orleans is a significant step up for a Terrantez. Even the younger Broadbent version is more enjoyable to me. This one just lacked any real panache. It wasn't bad, just nothing beyond basic delivery of aromas/flavors.

Quite dry, I thought - orange rind, sharp acidity, lacking richness, depth, complexity - 87 pts

I've never had this vintage, but from my experience with Leacock, I would have expected it to show more sweetness. The 1954 Leacock terrantez is on the sweet side. The Leacock verdelho that I've had has been on the sweet end of the range.

Gary the 1954 Terrantez is MUCH better than this showed and agreed, it does have some RS to it. This was not in the same league and I fear it had nothing to do with its youth. Richard's impression was spot on with mine.