For The Love Of Port

MADEIRA 1775 TO 2026 - Brooklyn, New York (5/21/2026)

• NV Rare Wine Co. (Vinhos Barbeito) Madeira Historic Series Declaration of Independence - Portugal, Madeira
  Bottled in 2026. A blend of five old Madeiras; all different varietals: Bual, Verdelho, Sercial, Bastardo and Tinta Negra. An 80 year old Tinta Negra makes up 15% of the blend. Relatively light in color and medium dry in taste. The flavors are in the lighter, higher-toned register; mainly citrus and florals. Elegant, nimble and lifted. Although light and elegant, there is no shortage of flavors here. Sleek and mouth-watering. The addition of a 1991 Sercial from the North of the island, near the ocean, seems to have given the wine a lovely saline tension on the finish. One of my favorite wines from the Rare Wine Company Historic series. (92 pts.)
• NV Barbeito Madeira Malvasia 40 Years Vinho do Reitor Lot 2 - Portugal, Madeira
  Bottled in 2023. A blend of wines from both the Barbeito family and others. Piercing citrus peel on the nose, with apple and dried peach flavors. Quite light and elegant for a Malvasia, but that is the Barbeito style. A bit of honey and dates come through on the mid-palate. Fruity, juicy and long. (94 pts.)
• NV Barbeito Madeira Pai António Verdelho 50 year old - Portugal, Madeira
  Bottled in 2025; 100% Verdelho A blend of different vintages, including an 1890. Nuts and butter abound. Linear and focused. Very well balanced between the fruit, acid and sweetness. Lovely cling on the palate, with a lingering finish. (94 pts.)
• NV Barbeito Madeira Trés Amigos 50 Years Meio Doce - Portugal, Madeira
  Bottled in 2022. Medium Sweet; a blend of Boal, Verdelho and Malvasia. Light bronze in color, with glints of green on the edge. The entry is soft. light and round, gaining weight, breadth and focus as the wine sits in the mouth. Lovely array of flavors: chrysanthemum, tea, honey and baking spices. Strong citrus on the long finish. A deep wine with immense appeal. My second favorite of the 50 year old blends presented. (95 pts.)
• NV Barbeito Madeira Malvasia 50 Years Old O Americano - Portugal, Madeira
  Bottled in 2024. This showed a bit more torrefaction than the other 50 year old blends presented, but still retained a sense of elegance and balance. Rich and luscious with heavier notes of molasses, dates and figs. Lovely acidity and fantastic length. A Madeira to sip slowly and contemplatively. (96 pts.)
• 1836 Unknown Madeira L.P. Madeira March & Benson “Black Warrior” - Portugal, Madeira
  London Particular from the Goelet Collection, recorked in 1919. Departed Madeira on September 1839 for the East Indies. Arrived in Bombay on January 1840. Departed Ceylon in March 1840. Arrived in New York on June 18, 1840. Very light in color. A ridiculous, exotic and kaleidoscopic nose of chestnut, cedar, antique wood, tea and baking spices. Bone dry and severe (in a good way); a bit reminiscent of a fino sherry. Buttery, nutty and savory on the mid-palate. Tastes very much like a glass-aged Madeira with little cask time. An intriguing, savory, nervy and lip-puckering finish. A unique and fascinating wild ride of a wine. Wow. (98 pts.)
• 1899 D'Oliveiras Madeira Terrantez - Portugal, Madeira
  Bottled in 2023. Quite a shift in gears, which is to be expected, given the D'Oliveira style. Heavier and richer with a darker flavor profile. Treacle, citrus peel, raisins, fresh tobacco and fruitcake. At first this came across as a bit sweet, but I think it was just my palate shock, given the previous drier-styled wines. As I sat with it, it firmed up and took on that bitter quality (in a good way) that I associate with Terrantez. An amazing, complex and layered wine, albeit in a richer style. (96 pts.)
• 1890 D'Oliveiras Madeira Terrantez - Portugal, Madeira
  Bottled in 2024. Dark in color and taste. Molasses, figs, walnuts, dates and raisins. Seems a bit sweeter than the 1899 D'Oliveira Terrantez, but it still retains a lovely tension and finishing bitterness. Really spreads out on the palate. (95 pts.)
• 1892 Bolger Madeira Terrantez - Portugal, Madeira
  Bottled from demijohn in 2020; labeled as "Dermot Bolger". This had an unusual "sweaty" aroma at first, which thankfully did dissipate with air. Great palate impact, with lovely balance between richness and acidity. This had magnificent lift, with an almost saline finish. A bit of baking spices, nut skin and tea notes were detected on the long "clingy" finish. (96 pts.)
• 1895 Favila Vieira Madeira Malvasia - Portugal, Madeira
  This was bottled in 2026 specifically for this tasting, having never been bottled before. Very dark in color, with a luscious, dense, sweet, almost candied character. A hedonistic Malvasia that fills in the nooks and crannies on the palate. A long, lingering, whiplash finish. If I was to nit-pick, I would prefer a bit more acidity to balance the extreme richness. (95 pts.)
• 1893 Bolger Madeira Malvasia - Portugal, Madeira
  Bottled from demijohn in 2026. Labeled as "Dermot Bolger", from Torre Bella. This registered on the sweeter side of the Malvasia spectrum for me. Rich, luscious and unctuous. The flavors were on the darker side, with molasses, raisins and fruitcake. Long and layered. (95 pts.)
• 1880 Barbeito Madeira Malvazia MMV - Portugal, Madeira
  Bottled from demijohn in 2025. When first poured, this wine showed an unusual "soapy" note. Lighter-toned, with citrus and tea notes. With air, this improved markedly. Although a lovely wine, I have had this wine before where it showed much better. Not rated as I am not sure I was able to fully evaluate it.
• 1863 Drummond Madeira Malvazia Camara de Lobos - Portugal, Madeira
  Bottled from demijohn in 2024. Very unique in both aroma and taste. On the drier side of the spectrum with a prominent herbal (eucalyptus?) streak. Very savory, with notes of antique furniture, cinnamon, sage, tea and soy. Different "high-tones" flavors kept hitting me from different directions. Fabulous and intriguing; a wild ride of a wine. (97 pts.)
• 1775 Fajã dos Padres Madeira Malvasia - Portugal, Madeira
  Unknown bottling date; labeled as Fajã and assumed to be from Fajã dos Padres. I believe this is the oldest wine I have ever tasted. Medium bronze in color with that lovely greenish edge that older Madeiras acquire. I detected a hint of volatile acidity on the nose, but not enough to be off-putting... just enough to add complexity. In the mouth, the wine was quite different: citric, elegant, polished and full of tension. A pleasing bitterness, with hints of tea leaf on the finish. In my notes, I wrote less about flavors and more about textures; I kept writing descriptors like linear, precise, focused, ethereal, tense, nervy. I could not bring myself to rate this, as it was so much out of the realm of what I am used to. A truly contemplative experience. Wow!

Hi Marco,
regarding 1775M Fajã: 16 bottles, all recorked 2019, minus those that have already been drunk.
As to what I have been told, this is supposed to be "dos Padres", but without the guarantee based on the stencil.
Extraordinary wine of highest class, btw.

Best,
Andreas

Andreas Platt wrote: ↑Mon Jun 01, 2026 1:41 pm regarding 1775M Fajã: 16 bottles, all recorked 2019...

Makes sense. The contributor mentioned it was purchased in a Christie's auction in 2020.

Amazing rundown Marco, thank you for sharing.