Relentless rain, but fortunately it is still abnormally cold (5oC this morning) so vegetative is limited. My worry is that we will go from straight winter to summer and that weeds will explode into life. I want to reduce our use of herbicides this year by mowing in between the rows but unfortunately we still have too much stone lying in the vineyard (Pedra Basta!). At the moment the ground is just too waterlogged for any machinery to venture out into the vineyard. So we just sit and wait for the rain to stop.          

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Patrick Grubb generously uncorked 12 bottles of very fine madeira wine for his unmissable annual tasting at the Honourable Artillery Company in London. Where relevant I have included background information on the wines as well as the price per bottle (provided more than one bottle was available).  

Sercial 1790 (Araújo Family) *****

This wine comes from the private reserves of the Araújo family who still own vineyards at Quinta do Jardim da Serra: mid-nut brown / mahogany, olive tinge; fragrant and delicate, very fresh, floral (jasmine) aromas, very fine; dry, savoury, nutty character (brazil nuts and almonds), very delicate, plays on the tongue, crystalised fruits (Elvas plums) on the finish. Remarkable for its age. (£2,200) 19

Perreira d’Oliveira, Verdelho 1905, Reserva ***

Mid-deep mahogany, green tinged rim; a rather coarse, meaty rancio nose, verging on rancid; quite rich for a Verdelho, fresher on the palate than on the nose with good weight and texture and a thick cut marmalade tang. (£260) 15 

 Barbeito, Verdelho 1895 **** / *****

Mid-red tinged mahogany; fine, savoury toasted character, toasted almonds and cashews; very fine, well poised, lime and lemon marmalade, great finesse, very clean with lovely nervy, fruity acidity. Remarkably fresh. Fantastic.   (£230) 18.5

Blandy, Bual 1911 ****

Red tinged mahogany; fragrant, sings from the glass, quite pungent autumnal aromas, autumn leaves, teal leaves and a hint of white pepper; light, delicate, flavours, crisp and quite dry for a Bual, clean as a whistle, long, fine and still very fresh. (£215) 18

Cossart, 1868 Solera *****

Island bottled and shipped to one of Denmark’s best wine merchants. Grapes from Cama de Lobos. An excellent year for Bual. Pale amber with a green tinge; very toasty and appealing, savoury aperitif style, toast and peanut butter on the nose; fine delicate, saline flavours akin to a bowl of mixed salted nuts, almost no sweetness but with lovely poise and gentle length. A crème brulée finish. Very impressive (£233) 19

Bual Barbosa c1820 **** / *****

From the label: ‘Owing to the absence of the owner grapes were picked almost as raisins. Grown at Quinta Stanford. Vintage about 1820, in wood for 65 years, demijohns for 50 years, bottled around 1935’). Quinta Stanford was located just to the west of Funchal in between and behind the modern-day Pestana Carlton Hotel and the Reid’s Garden apartment complex. It was also known as Quinta Pitta (sic), the name of which lives on in the Rua Dr Pita. The label, observes Patrick Grubb is reminiscent of the late Dr Grabham’s collection which was passed on to the Blandy family. Mid-amber/mahogany, olive green rim; delicate, high-toned aromas with a touch of varnish and polish; powerful, thick cut marmalade and barley sugar flavours, long, rich and gripping, very powerful with fine concentration and a big finish. (£600) 18.5 

Barbeito, Malvazia 1916 ***

Mid-deep mahogany, olive green rim; very pungent, rich, baked and slightly coarse in this company; rich and caramelised on the palate, the richness offset by citrusy acidity. Savoury-sweet length. Very satisfying. (£180) 16

 Blandy, Malvasia Velha 1862 ****

Mid-amber with a green tinged rim; delicate honeyed aromas, not very expressive but very fine, acacia honey; lovely rich, honeyed flavours, Manuka honey, very fine, rich but not pungent, long. Liquid honey. (£510) 18

Blandy Terrantez 1969 ** / ***

One of the last vintages of Terrantez before the grape was driven to near extinction by commercial development west of Funchal. Mid-nut brown colour, olive rim; rather baked, savoury, slightly cheesy aromas, not really reflecting the grape variety but quite appetising nonetheless; rich bitter-sweet flavours (typical of Terrantez), gentle flavours, dried apricots, not especially long in this company but with a fine savoury-sweet finish. (£150). 14.5

Believed 1862 Terrantez H.M.B. Purchased by Leacock. *****

HMB stands for H.M. Borges who were important stockholders of old vintage wines who sold the wine on in demi-john or bottle. This wine probably originated from one grower, João Alexandrino Santos. Michael Braodbant is a huge fan of this wine and awards it 6 stars in his Vintage Wine book. I can't get quite so excited: lovely old golden-green colour; very fine, delicate aromas akin to an old amontillado Sherry, a hint of coffee; dry, delicate (bitter-sweet), very clean and focused, like a good old amontillado but without the same tang, candied peel with a touch of toffee and butterscotch with a slightly casky finish. (£1150) 17.5

W.W. Casa dos Leilos. ***

From the family of Dr Fredercio de Freitas: mid-pale amber; lovely gentle, savoury aromas, hint of butterscotch with casky overtones; fine, dry, delicate in style, dried fruit (figs) with fresh acidity, gentle length. 16

Very Old Madeira, Fearon, Block and Smith * / **

Bought by Patrick Grubb from a fellow wine merchant about twenty years ago. The wine came from a deceased customer’s reserves after World War II when proof of ownership was impossible because so many of the firm’s records had been destroyed in the blitz. Pale amber with a green tinge; slightly burnt, singed grapey fruit on the nose; dry attenuated, savoury-nutty flavours, rather earthy and soily on the finish. Rustic. A rather disappointing end to a tremendous tasting. 12.5 

Location: The Medal Room, Honourable Artillery Company, London
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IVBAM, the body now responsible for the control and promotion of wine, embroidery and handicraft held their annual tasting at the Portuguese Embassy in London. There were nearly 40 wines at the tasting so I made a selection of the best and most interesting wines:

 Blandy’s Alvada ***

Blandy’s Bual Colheita 1983 (Lodge 2, Cask no 14011) ****

Blandy’s Malmsey Colheita 1990 (Lodge 1 Este, Cask no 16094) ****

Blandy’s Bual 1920 *****

Henriques & Henriques 10 Year old Sercial ***

Henriques & Henriques 10 Year Old Verdelho ***

Henriques & Henriques 10 Year Old Malmsey ***

Henriques & Henriques 15 Year Old Verdelho ****

Henriques & Henriques 15 Year Old Bual ****

Henriques & Henriques 15 Year Old Malmsey ****

Henriques & Henriques Bual Harvest 2000 ***

Justino’s Old Reserve, Fine Rich 10 Years Old ***

Justino’s Bual 10 Years Old ****

D’Oliveira’s Boal Colheita 1983 (bottled 2003) *** / ****

D’Oliveira’s Boal 1908 (bottled 2008) ***

Barbeito 10 Years Old ‘Old Reserve’ Verdelho ****

Barbeito 10 Years Old, Malvasia *** / ****

Barbeito 30 Years Old Malvazia **** / *****

Barbeito VB Reserva Meio Seco (Cascos 12d and 46a) ****

Location: The Portuguese Ambassador's Residence, London
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Opened to celebrate my daughter Isabella's Christening:

Malmsey, 1902 (Blandy) ****/*****

 Deep mahogany, almost dark coffee coloured with a thin olive green rim; high toned, lifted, toffee and roasted coffee beans with a touch of molasses on the nose; very rich, wonderful texture, creamy toffee, fudge, richness offset by a fine thread of nervy acidity, long and very fine. Still very good when re-tasted three weeks later. 18.5

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I always marvel at Patrick Grubb’s Madeira tastings for two reasons. Firstly they take place at Armoury House, with its historic rugby and cricket field besieged by the gawping modern office blocks of the City of London. Secondly, every year Patrick Grubb generously uncorks bottled history. There are usually one or two mysterious wines, often a single and almost certainly the last bottle in existence. This year was no exception with a bottle named  Madeira Velhissimo MFV (the initials are probably those a member of the  Madeiran Vasconcelos family). The wine was amber-gold in colour with a delicate, unusually pure high-toned honeyed aroma that sang straight from the glass. On the palate it was still beautifully fresh and pure with flavours of dried apricots, honey and a touch of bees wax. Lovely weight and texture indicating long cask age yet incredibly clean and pure: delicious, delicate and very fine (19). Another wine, a single bottle without a vintage proved to be a disappointment. Labelled Victoria Wine (presumably by the now defunct wine merchant), it has a detailed pedigree. The wine was imported to the UK in 1841 by March & Benson, bottled in 1843, transferred to demi-john in 1883 and rebottled in 1884. It appeared a pale green tinged amber in the glass but reeked like an old wardrobe. Dry and delicate with some richness of age it was marred by a musty mothball character which overwhelmed it on the finish. A curiosity. No mark.   

The other wines in the tasting were all (at the time of tasting) available for purchase from Patrick Grubb’s remarkable list. They are written up in the order they were tasted, from the driest to sweetest in style: 

Sercial 1891, Reverta, Prazeyres. José Gomes Henriques Araújo ***

Mid-deep amber; fine, floral, expressive high-toned aromas; caramelised, casky flavours, bone dry, rustic but quite powerful in style. The acidity is searing rather than steely and the finish rather coarse and woody.  15.5

Verdelho 1850, Companhia Vinicola da Madeira   ***

Mid-deep nut brown to amber, rich, signed and rather lacking in definition on the nose, autumnal aromas; rich, rather soupy caramelised flavours with a slightly cheesy undertone, crisp acidity and a rather treacle-like finish. 15

Verdelho 1915 Solera, H.M. Borges ***

Mid-amber hue, rather stewed on the nose, touch of bonfire; fine medium-rich, spicy flavours, quite sweet for Verdelho, lovely texture and a rich warming finish. 15.5

Bual 1954, Leacock ****

Deep amber-mahogany; fine and expressive, high toned, thick cut marmalade aromas and flavours, fine richness texture and weight with a lovely tang on the finish. Good balance and depth. 17

Boal 1930 Torre Bella Estate ***/**** 

Deep amber; powerful nose, high-toned, floral with just a hint of mothballs; fine rich concentration of flavour, lime marmalade with citrus-like acidity, slightly burnt on the finish but very fine nonetheless. 16.5

Boal 1895 Barbeito ***

Mid amber; unusual dusty smell, redolent of dog biscuits, meaty but not terribly expressive; much fresher on the palate, lovely medium rich quince marmalade flavours with nutty-savoury complexity, lovely length and purity despite the strange nose. 16

Malvazia 1950, Barbeito ***/****

Amber-mahogany, lovely rich raisins and dried figs on the nose; fine and concentrated, peppery, spicy and rich, quite spirity but with fine figgy length. 16.5

Malvazia 1865 Solera, Cossart Gordon ***

Amber centre, olive-green rim; high toned and varnishy on the nose, hint of boiled sweets (which would be a fault in any other wine!) and a caramelised tang; wonderfully soft, rich and figgy with a powerful tang. Sweetness and acidity in near perfect counterpoint. Fine but seemingly confected on the finish. 16

Malvazia 1875, Barbeito ****

Mid-deep amber; pungent, rich and expressive; prune and fig with a tawny marmalade tang, sweetness offset by fine, fresh zesty acidity. Good balance, and poise. Overall very fine indeed. 18   
 
 

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