TN: 10 Year Old Malmsey Madeira by Broadbent

[Ray Barnes]

I have to apologize for a long absence from here, first due the preparation of something close to 530 returns or more - I have lost count by now - followed by my wife's surgery on May 19, and her discharge from hospital earlier today. For many reasons, it has been an acutely stressful time, but at least everyone is healthy, or healthier.

Earlier today I had the good fortune to discover a few bottles of this wine at a specialty store in Coquitlam en route to a client meeting. It turned out this wine was offered at the Vancouver (BC) Wine Festival in April and a few bottles left over were subsequently sent there - and nowhere else. The manager elected since the wine was not selling well to reduce its price to $42 Cdn (750ml bottle) from $61. In spite of being almost broke from missing a week of work due to daily hospital time, I was barely able to buy one bottle. In the coming days when things start to get closer to normal again, I intend to buy some more.

I am not going to reiterate Roy's notes on this wine except to say I agree with his observations and might add the brown sugar aromatics are not quite as strong as in the H & H boal, since the wine smells more honeyed instead. One of the guests here noticed something like licorice in the smell and taste. My daughter made what I thought was a very astute observation - that the wine has a "sweet edge" reminiscent of fudge.

All the tasters thought it was a wonderful effort in every respect. Compared to the Boal, there is a pronounced increase in concentration and length - not unlike the progression from a German Beerenauslese to a Trockenbeerenauslese. I preferred this to the Boal, while taking nothing away from the latter. Compared to the excellent Emilio Lustau East India Solera sherry I had two days ago, this madeira was richer, had better acidity, and more complex aromatics - but both were wonderful.

To the best of my knowledge, this was my first malmsley madeira, and I hope it is not my last. Most enthusiastically recommended. No point score given, but I will give it an A grade without any hesitation.

[Roy Hersh]

Ray,

It is good to have you back again.

Glad to see your tax season has passed and that your wife is hopefully doing well after her surgery!

What a great price for Canada to have the Broadbent 10 year old Malmsey which is such a nice bottling. A few of us on the recent Fortification Tour got to try this at the source which is Justino's. Some folks here had (in the past) claimed this to be the same as the 10 year old Malvasia produced by Justino's under their own label. I never felt that was true and was told by Broadbent that they were different. On our trip ... we had them side-by-side and all of us felt there was a definite difference between them and I don't think anyone who was there would believe they possibly were the same. Certainly somewhat similar -- but quite different acidity, sweetness, aromatics, texture and especially length. Typically I am in the 91-92 point range for the Broadbent and think once even gave it a 93 blind, but the vast majority of the time, I am right at 92. It is very solid ... especially for the money.

Nice to see you here and best regards to you and your wife!

[Ray Barnes]

Thanks Roy I am glad to be back and it seems you have had a lot of wonderful things happening as of late, which is great to see. I neglected to mention the overt, candied/fudged sweetness was more prominent on the forepalate and the caramel/toffee/vanilla/mocha elements shifted on the midpalate - and frankly I was shocked by the transition. I said at the time, if you took the world's best Kahlua and dressed it up as much as you could, it still wouldn't come close to how this tastes...followed by "wow".

[Moses Botbol]

I adore this Madeira and buy it by the case. My accountant's family owns a few liquor stores around Boston and we split cases at $35 a bottle. You are getting a good deal as I don't see how anyone could get it much less than what we are paying wholesale locally.

I find there to be a guava or tropical fruit notes, along with the notes you added already. It is for sure different (and better) than the regular Justinhos brand which is the most popular Madeira in MA and RI.

[Ray Barnes]

I am glad that wine is getting such excellent feedback. It appears a local friend has also found it and is procuring another bottle or two to add to my stock. That is a true friend!

I most humbly apologize for the earlier spelling error, it is of course Malmsey. If this error is repeated, I will submit to an exfoliation.

Ray

[Andy Velebil]

Ray,

Good to have you back with us and I'm very glad to hear your wife is doing better. I do love this Madeira and it is the one I buy the most of...and one I need to restock on as I'm now down to my last couple of bottles from over a case bought.

I most humbly apologize for the earlier spelling error, it is of course Malmsey. If this error is repeated, I will submit to an exfoliation

Yes, don't let that happen again or we will flog you then force you to drink copious amounts of this juice as a reminder to never misspell it :joker:

Now if only we can get Moses to spell correctly too...

Justinhos

[Roy Hersh]

Justinhos

Yes, very Portuguese! :joker:

[Moses Botbol]

Justinhos

Yes, very Portuguese! :joker:

Funny...

I was on the Cape this weekend and my friend's band is called The Portuguese Kennedys.

[Joe Dachille]

I was in Tampa on business today and used the occasion to stop by Bern's Fine Wines and Spirits.

I have written on other threads about Bern's Steak House and how it has an upstairs dessert room with fabulous dessert wine list with many, many madeira selections. (Don't get me started on that again!).

I stopped next door at BFW&S not expecting much (the last time they had no madeira selections in stock).

Today, lucky me, they had a n/v Broadbent 10 YO Malmsey. Since my ability to get ANY madeira retail is extremely limited, I snapped it up (not even having read Roy's notes or this thread).

I think I'll keep this bottle at the office for my novice madeira drinker friends to taste. I'll post my notes later.

Joe D'Achille
Orlando

[Joe Dachille]

Oh, not a bad price either, <$30.

Joe D'Achille
Orlando

[Moses Botbol]

I think I'll keep this bottle at the office for my novice madeira drinker friends to taste. I'll post my notes later.

Joe D'Achille
Orlando

Is the 1795 for the experienced Madeira drinkers? Any Madeira lover is going to love the Broadbent! :blah:

[Moses Botbol]

Got a case coming in a few days. Came out to $35 a bottle wholesale from Boston area distributor.

So, if you can get this for $35, take it!

[Marco D.]

Got a case coming in a few days. Came out to $35 a bottle wholesale from Boston area distributor.

So, if you can get this for $35, take it!

Nice price! It's more like $45 in my neck of the woods.

[Roy Hersh]

Come to Madeira with us next year. For example, the 1968 Bual we always talk about is $125 from RWC and 60 Euros on the island. Imagine the savings on the expensive bottles.