Patrick Grubb’s annual tasting of old madeiras is unmissable. It didn’t take place last year so when he invited me to taste a dozen wines going back nearly two centuries I jumped at the chance. The following wines are listed in the order that I tasted them accompanied, where relevant, by some of Patrick’s own background notes:

1. Blandy 1966 Sercial (bottled 2004) ****

 Pale amber colour, lovely gentle, floral, leafy high toned aromas, not a hint of the cheesy smell that often comes from wines of this era; very clean and pure, just short of bone dry with relatively delicate (rather than searing) acidity, apples and pears, quite austere on the finish but not shockingly so, long, pure and lovely. 17.5

2. Bual 1941 CDGC **** / *****

The late Noel Cossart set aside a pipe of this wine to mark his son David’s birth which (after annual loss due to evaporation in wood) would amount to 27 dozen bottles but very few turn up now. Mid amber with a green tinge to the rim; beautiful fragrance, slightly lifted and singed, lemon barley sugar, heavenly aroma; fine, pure and delicate, lime marmalade flavours with just a hint of cask on the finish, long and linear. 18.5

3. Cossart Bual 1958 (bottled 2006)  ***

Deep mahogany; rather soupy aromas, burnt, perhaps appealing to some (but not to me); caramelised toffee, rich toffee apple flavours, better than on the nose, more definition with a surprisingly dry and rather burnt finish. 15

 4. Leacock 1934 ‘SJ’  ****

From an outstanding vintage, the grapes for this wine came from the Leacock’s own São João vineyard (now occupied by a hotel and an apartment block), where Thomas Slapp Leacock experimented with ways to control phylloxera. Mid green tinged amber; lifted liquorous aromas, perfumed too, like an apricot liqueur (if there is one); bitter sweet (actually more bitter than sweet), dried apricots and figs, slightly singed with a touch of chocolate towards a dry finish. Complex, very unusual and rather lovely. 18

5. HFS 1896 (from the Leacock family) ****

Mid deep amber /mahogany; curiously closed and sullen, very uncommon in a madeira of this age, touch of quince jelly; quince again on the palate, medium sweet and gentle in style, almost elegant on the finsh, not rich but beautifully poised yet restrained. 17.5 

6. Cossart 1916 Malmsey **** / *****

 Mid-deep reddish amber colour; very expressive on the nose, soily, touch of cats pee on a door mat, cinnamon too (Noel Cossart in his 1984 book asserts ‘cloves’), an unusual mix but surprisingly attractive and beguiling; lovely gentle greengage fruit, spiked with richness and sweetness but delicate on the finish and over all. 18.5 

7. ‘FV’ 1920 Malvasia (stencil in the Barbeito old style). ***** 

Dr Favila Vieira’s family owned vineyards in Calheta, Ponta do Sol and Jardim do Mar on the south side of the island. He was related to the Henriques, Bianchis and Perestrelos. Mid-red tinged mahogany; rich yet subdued thick-cut orange marmalade character; full, very rich, classic Malvasia style, thick cut marmalade richness cut though by crystalline acidity, long and explosive on the finsh. Very fine, a classic. 19 

8. Pereira d’Oliveira 1905 Reserva Verdelho *** 

Slightly muddy mahogany colour; typically soupy nose, baked and lacking definition; quite rich in style for a Verdelho (hence its position in this tasting), caramelised oranges with a thick topping of brown sugar, rich but clumsy on the finish. 15.5 

10. MBV 1802 Boal (Barbeito family). ***

 Bottled in 2011 from a demi-john in the private stock of the late Mario Barbeito Vasconcelos, whose monogram seal is impressed on the wax capsule. Deep amber, green tinged rim; pungent rancio nose, powerful, aggressive, a touch of washing powder (!) perfume; rich but coarse burnt flavours, again powerful on the palate, fierce and austere, not that pleasurable but admirable. 15 

11. Ferraz 1880 Velhissimo Reserva. **** / *****

 Billed as ‘a legendary wine’ by Patrick Grubb this did not disappoint: deep green tinged amber; exuberant perfumed nose, touch of rancio, powerful but not aggressive; figgy richness mid-palate, crystallised fruits, powerful, rich and to be enjoyed. Long and fine with great poise. 18.5

 12. Boal Velho, Miguel Jardim, Henriques & Henriques. ****

 This wine adtes from the first half of the nineteenth century. It was bought by H&H in 1906 and bottled in 1927, re-corked in 1955, 1969 and 1991. There were 890 bottles and this is number 96. Mid-deep red tinged amber; an autumnal bonfire on the nose with a slightly sour note; nothing sour on the palate, rich autumnal flavours, clean, gentle with lovely weight and the texture of age, savoury dry finish akin to brazil nuts falling away quite fast. A fascinating wine. 18

Location: Medal Room, Honorable Artillery Company, London
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Cossart Gordon Bual 1961 ****

 I discovered this wine by accident whilst taking a tour behind the scenes at the Blandy wine lodge earlier this year. There are all too few fortified ‘61s (1261 bottles of this) so I bought a few bottles for future birthdays. Bottled in March 2004, this wine spent 43 years in wood: deep amber-mahogany in colour with a burnt nose, characteristic rancio with a touch of dried fig and prune (Francisco Albuquerque, wine maker for the Madeira Wine Company) describes finds ‘vanilla’ and ‘curry’ on the nose); lovely singed flavours, dried apricots and prunes with the natural richness and concentration offset by acidity. A bit coarse though in the company of some very distinguished Claret and Port (see Birthday Wines Part I and Part II). 17.5  

Location: Rowley's Baslow
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I previously billed this as a ‘tasting of a lifetime’ and so it turned out. Never again will these rare Vintage Madeira wines be tasted together and it is likely that I will never see some of them again. 

The following wines were shown in London at the Blandy’s 200^th Anniversary tasting in addition to those shown in New York and San Francisco (see Two Hundred Years of Blandy Part I, posted on April 11th). As I had the privilege of chairing the event I did not have time to make detailed notes in London but did have the opportunity to taste the wines beforehand in the calm of the Madeira Wine Company tasting room in April. The notes that follow are combined from both tastings.

One wine didn’t make it to London, Blandy’s Malmsey Colheita 1994 which is a pity as it won a gold medal at this year’s Decanter World Wine Awards. I have included my notes from the pre-taste that I did in Funchal in April.

It is striking how these wines change in the glass. Although all these wines were decanted of their natural deposit 3 months ago, re-bottled and poured into tasting glasses immediately prior to the start of the tasting, they changed noticeably over period of two to three hours. One wine, which showed quite badly in San Francisco (the Malmsey 1954) showed really well in both Funchal and London and scored my highest mark. The decanting process helped to rid the wine of the bottle stink that marred the nose in San Francisco. 

Francisco Albuquerque, wine maker for the Madeira Wine Company was on hand to give technical information which I have included where relevant. One useful piece of advice that I gleaned from his short section in the commemorative Blandy Bi-centennial book is that he believes that ‘you can keep a bottle of Madeira open for five years if you store it in the dark’. This will give heart Madeira wine drinkers the world over, myself included: you can uncork one of these rare bottles and come back to experience its unique qualities again and again and again and again. No other wine can give so much repeated pleasure.      

 Blandy’s Malmsey Colheita 1994  ****

Representing a new generation of early bottled, dated Madeira: pale mahogany colour, attractive, clean, fresh, fig and raisin aromas; uncomplicated but well defined raisin and sultana flavours, the richness balanced by crisp acidity and a pure, crystalline finish. Easy and accessible. 17

Blandy’s Malmsey 1985 (bottled 2009)  ****

Pale green-tinged mahogany; expressive but slightly stewed, pruney aromas with a touch of cheese-ball rancio (it belongs to that generation) which seemed to disappear in the glass; lovely concentration of flavour, very forward and quite evolved for its age, figgy, pruney depth with lovely texture mid-plate and steely acidity working its way through on a clean finish. Very good, just let down slightly by the nose. 17

Blandy’s Terrantez 1976 (bottled 2002)   **** / *****

Mid-mahogany, green rim; high-toned, savoury-smoky aromas, toast and wood-smoke and a touch of varnish; lovely, characteristically bitter-sweet fruit, very clean with apple and citrus acidity, something almost burgundian about this wine’s gentleness and finesse. A distinctive and very good example of this variety which nearly became extinct in the 1980s and 90s. 18.5

Blandy’s Sercial 1966 (bottled 2004) ****

Pale to mid red-tinged amber; delicate, lifted aromas, a touch of varnish initially, almonds, slightly singed but gentle for Sercial; lovely lime marmalade flavours, just off-dry (though with 47grms / litre residual sugar), fresh tingling acidity (not searing as with many Sercials), clean and delicate rather than austere on the finish. Perhaps not very typical of Sercial but a lovely wine nonetheless. 17

Blandy’s Bastardo 1954 (bottled 1994) *** / ****

The last wine in the company’s collection made from this rare red grape that proved very difficult to grow: mid mahogany, green tinged rim; pruney and not terribly expressive on the nose; lovely fig and prune flavours, good depth and concentration, medium-sweet in style with a dryish finish. A curiosity that falls a little bit flat amongst its peers! 16  

Blandy’s 1954 Malmsey (bottled 1975) *****

Mid-deep mahogany, thin green rim; beautiful floral aromas, very lifted and quite powerful and aromatic too, touch of coffee emerging; rich and intense, figs, raisins and marmalade, lovely depth and texture, quite complex, rich (125 grms / litre residual sugar) and very beautiful, very fine, combining pungency, power and elegance. Outstanding Malmsey. (Noel Cossart compares 1954 to the greatest Malmsey vintages of 1808 and 1880). 19.5

Leacock’s Verdelho 1952 Jubilee Selection  ****

Deep mahogany, unusually deep for Verdelho; lovely lifted green tea aromas with some pungency and intensity, a touch of tobacco box emerging; quite rich in style for Verdelho, slightly smoky flavours, lovely intensity offset by lemon and lime acidity, beautiful, almost explosive finish leaving a hint of chocolate orange. 17.5

Blandy’s Bual 1920 (bottled 2006) *****

Mid-deep mahogany; very fine, pure and aromatic, really sings from the glass; crystallised fruits, marmalade too with a dry edge, pungent and powerful, crème brulée character with a thick-cut marmalade finish. Big but not brutish with very refined bitter-sweet zesty length. There is still one barrel of this wine left to bottle! 19

Blandy’s Sercial 1910 (Bottled 1984, recorked 2003) **** / *****

Mid-deep amber-orange colour; lifted, delicate candied peel aromas, fresh apricots too, a touch of coffee, toffee and wood smoke emerging, very complex; fine, gentle and linear, delicate, verging on fragile, dried orange peel and smoked almonds, bitter-sweet finish. A near-perfect example of Sercial.  18.5

Blandy’s Bual 1863 (bottled 1913, recorked in 1986) *****

Deep, red-tinged mahogany, thin green rim; very powerful, dense, pungent aromas, rich candied peel, thick cut marmalade, rich, dense, big and still very powerful, expansive bitter-sweet length, full, fine and still fresh with a lovely texture. Just a touch of cask on the nose and on the finish which Francisco Albuquerque puts down to the oxidation of the alcohol. From an outstanding vintage for Boal, especially in Campanário where part of this wine may have originated. 19

Verdelho 1822 – part of the Grabham collection  (Bottled 1900, re-corked 1986) **** / ***** 

Mid-mahogany, olive-green rim; fine, lifted, high-toned aromas, ethereal, delicate leafy, floral; fine, linear and sinewy on the palate, gentle but still wonderfully fresh with a tea leaf and candied peel character and a lovely, long linear finish. Supremely delicate but in no way fragile 18.5

Bual Solera 1811 (Bottled 1900, re-corked 1986) *****

Mid amber / mahogany, red tint, thin green rim; gentle, verging on fragile, lifted smoky-savoury aromas, nuts and wood smoke; gentle, dry, lovely linear style, citrus (lime) still fresh and kept alive on the finish by searing steely acidity. A beautiful, haunting wine from a solera laid down in 1811 that coincides with the foundation of Blandy. 19 

Location: Andaz, Liverpool St, London
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The Blandy family are celebrating their 200^th anniversary on the island of Madeira this year, John Blandy having established his business there in 1811. My wife is a member of the Blandy family and used to work for the family firm. Her cousin Christopher now represents the 7^th generation to be involved with the company. I have been privileged to take part in the preparations for the celebrations in London where I will be chairing a tasting of Madeira wines back to 1811 on 9^th June.

The following wines are those that have already been shown by the family at commemorative tastings in San Francisco and New York. Due to the very limited stock of some of the older most historic wines, these wines will not be shown in London. I was tasted them with Francisco Albuquerque, Blandy’s wine maker, at the Madeira Wine Company's lodges  in Funchal. Where the information is available I have including some notes on the background of the wines.

Part II of this tasting will be posted after the London tasting has taken place on 9^th June. Having been given a preview of the wines I can say,  without doubt, that it will the tasting of a lifetime!

Blandy’s Bual 1968 ****

Mid-mahogany, green tinge to the rim; lovely, lifted and expressive on the nose, figs and walnuts and wood smoke; very clean, piercing fruit, crystallised fruits, long and sinewy with good poise, length and concentration of flavour. 17.5  

Leacock’s Sercial 1950 **** 

Mid amber-orange, green rim; lovely lifted, floral aromas, green and leafy too, freshly crushed leaves, gunpowder tea; quite delicate; very clean yet gentle grassy character, off-dry with a powerful savoury finish (salted nuts) but not too punishing or austere. Very fine Sercial. 17.5 

Blandy’s Bual 1948 ****

Mid-deep mahogany, thin green tinge to the rim; rich, savoury (almost cheesy - (apparently this wine didn’t show well at one of the US tastings due to a certain amount of bottle stink) with good depth and intensity; lovely rich, savoury-sweet flavours, big, full and concentrated with a lovely expansive finish, giving the impression of being savoury rather than sweet. 18

Cossart Gordon Verdelho 1934 (bottled March 2006) *****

Mid-mahogany, thin yellow rim; lovely smoky, nutty aromas, hazelnuts, gentle and delicate; similarly gentle toasty flavours, almonds, lemon and lime acidity, very fine balance and poise. Salted nuts on the finish. 19  

Blandy’s Terrantez 1899 (Bottled into demi-john1921, re-bottled 1986) *****

Deep mahogany in colour, thin yellow-green rim; penetrating and concentrated on the nose, savoury, wood smoke and nuts; wonderfully rich in texture, thick, powerful and intense with a pronounced thick-cut marmalade and orange peel character balanced by beautiful zesty acidity, very powerful peacock’s tail of a finish that goes on and on. Not typical of Terrantez (perhaps due to its relatively early bottling) and therefore quite difficult to mark but a fabulous wine. 19  

Blandy’s Bual 1874 *****

Produced at the height of phylloxera, possibly from grapes grown at the famous Leacock quinta (Quinta de São João) which was one of very few properties producing anything at the time; mid-deep mahogany, thin green rim; fine and scented, damp autumnal leaves and decaying woodland flowers, haunting and very expressive; lovely rich citrus peel tang, very powerful, rich and intense with a big, full, expressive finish. Very complex and long. 19 

Blandy’s Terrantez 1870 (Bottled 1921 and re-corked in 1986) ****

Mid-deep amber –mahogany with a red glint and yellow green rim; very fine, lifted perfume, garden flowers with a touch of wood varnish; bitter-sweet candied peel, clean, med-dry in style, gentle but lithe, very fresh and alive. Delightful wine, just pre-phylloxera. 18 

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I was fortunate to spend a morning with Ricardo Diogo at Barbeito’s new adega above Câmara de Lobos. It was the day of the Big Fortified Tasting in London and some of these wines were on show there but it is even better to taste them in situ with the winemaker.

Ricardo explained his philosophy to me during the tasting which goes some way to explaining the character of his wines. He told me how he had been bowled over by a tasting from cask at Chateau d’Yquem (who wouldn’t be) and that he came to love late-harvest wines, especially Riesling which share the high natural levels of acidity encountered on Madeira (in fact for many years Sercial was reputed to be related to Riesling). Consequently Barbeito have recently been making a much more restrained delicate style of madeira with less power and pungency which marks them out from other houses on the island. They also have a purity and honesty about them. Ricardo Diogo is emphatic about eschewing the caramel that other shippers use to colour their sweeter wines.

Barbeito’s wines can be over-powered by others in comparative tastings (and I fear that they are marked down for not tasting like madeira) so they need to be seen on their own, hence the beauty of this flight (below). They are versatile wines and can indeed be drunk like late harvest wines with dessert at the end of a meal. 

Since 2007 Ricardo has been experimenting with making wine in lagar and in 2010 he installed a purpose-built stainless steel lagar at his new winery equipped with robotic plungers. This is being used for experimental quantities of Malvasia grapes to give a maceração pelicular extreme(!) with five or six days of slow, cool maceration before the fermentation is arrested   The results were on show in a vertical tasting of Malvasias (below).

Malvasia 2010 (lagar): deep golden colour, lovely depth showing already, fresh apricots and pears. Concentrated and delicious.

Malvasia 2009: mid-deep amber, smoky aromas, dusty but beautiful already, clean, sweet, lemon drops.

Malvasia 2008: slightly turbid, closed but fresh, toasty-nutty character beginning to show with a smoky bonfire finish

Malvasia 2007: deeper amber, smoky, casky nose, still very fresh, lovely acidity and clean, steely length, crystallised fruits and dried apricots, the true Madeira character just beginning to emerge. 

Malvasia 2004: green tinged, old gold; dried apricots, savoury sweet, very pure, lemon and lime marmalade finish.

The following wines have been recently released by Barbeito, many of them single cask bottlings

Single Harvest 2000, Meio Seco (bottled June 2010) ***

One hundred percent Tinta Negra from a single vineyard at Estreito, 50% / 50% picked a week apart to safeguard the natural acidity in the grapes: mid deep, lemon-gold; very clean pure aromas, dried apricots, slightly smoky; soft, gentle, clean lime marmalade character, lovely crisp acidity on the finish. 15.5  

VB Lote , Casks 7, 136, & 272 *** / ****

A blend of Verdelho (60%) and Boal (40%), hence the name from the 2003 harvest: pale amber – gold; honeyed aromas and flavours, very clean and pure, soft, medium-sweet in style with a lovely late harvest feel to it. 16.5

Boal 1996 Colheita Cask 307 ****

Green tinged amber; gentle lifted aromas, naturally caramelised smoky aromas; full butterscotch and tawny marmalade flavours offset by lovely acidity, long and very beautiful with great poise for a young wine. Very fine expression of Boal. Just 404 litres of this wine will be bottled in 2011 from a cask of 620 litres set aside 13 years ago. The rest has been lost to evaporation. 17.5

Dôce, Colheita, 2002, Cask 110 (bottled June 2010) ** / ***

100% Tinta Negra: pale amber colour, smoky, rubbery aromas rather off-putting, cleaner on the palate, honeyed sweetness and a good clean finish. 14.5

Colheita 1995 Cask 24 (bottled November 2010) *** / ****

The first Colheita from Barbeito made from Tinta Negra: green tinged mid-amber; delicate citrus aromas, a touch synthetic on the nose perhaps, floral, violets; lovely depth and concentration of age, intense, clean crystallised fruits (Elvas plums), fine thread of acidity to offset the sweetness (not quite 3 baumé). Who says Tinta Negra can’t make really good wine? 16.5

Madeira Collection Lote 1 ****

The first of a new range of wines from Barbeito bottled as ‘The Madeira Collection. This is a complex blend of Tinta Negra, Verdelho (dry) and Malvasia (sweet) from 2000 (29%), 2002 (30%) 2003 (40%) with 1% of the blend made form wine that is 60 years old. Mid-amber colour; lovely gentle orange peel aromas, spring flowers; very fresh, very pure, delicious citrus flavours, lime and orange, complex yet clean as a whistle. Elegant. 17.5    

Malvasia 2000 Casks 39 a & e (bottled November 2010) ****

Mid-amber; quite powerful on the nose, perfumed too, lifted and expressive aromas; figs and apricots, sweet, intensely so, gentle and very pure with fine sinewy acidity on the finish.   17.5

Malvasia 20 Anos Lote 10292 (bottled November 2010) **** / *****

Mid-deep green tinged amber; lovely smoky perfume, touch of autumn bonfire and decaying flowers; lovely depth (extract) and mouth feel, butterscotch, vanilla and quince, very complex but with a lightness of touch and so, so fresh for a 20 year old blend. 18.5

Sercial 1988 (bottled January 2011) *** + ?

A recently bottled vintage or frasqueira madeira: mid-orange amber; high toned, slightly rubbery on the nose, porridge and honey, not that expressive as yet, the rubberiness goes after an hour in the glass; steely fresh, dry but not austere, caramelised orange offset by typically grassy acidity, lovely clean finish. 1.4 baumé so not quite dry.  15.5 +

Sercial 1978 (bottled January 2011) ****

Pale-mid amber, slight green tinge; very expressive on the nose, aromatic, fine, meadow flowers and grassy, lifted and slightly smoky; deliciously pure and delicate, not austere at all, a touch savour-smoky with great poise and expression. 1.2 baumé 17

Bual 1978 (bottled January 2011) ****

Pale mahogany; apple, toffee and bonfire, lovely concentration and depth, rich and quite powerful, savoury-sweetness offset acidity on an explosive finish which is just a touch casky. 17.5

Savannah Verdelho, Special Reserve **** / *****

A wine bottled specially for The Rare Wine Company in the USA (www.rarewineco.com) which includes some very old wines in the blend: mid-pale mahogany, green tinge; lovely aromatic quality, floral, leafy hedgerow character on the nose; very fine and expressive with lovely concentration and depth, touch of butterscotch offset by leafy acidity. Peacock’s tail of a finish. Not expensive: I love this wine. 18.5

Benjamin Franklin Special Reserve **** / *****

A blend of all the main madeira varieties made to a medium sweet Bual-style wine for The Rare Wine Company and bottled in September 2010. Wines back to 1920 in the blend: deep, green-tinged mahogany; touch of treacle (molasses) on the nose but lifted, elevated and slightly singed; lovely, intense, rich wine with beautiful texture and feel, liquorice, tobacco too, essence of madeira yet fine and delicate too like an old Terrantez. 18.5

Malvasia 1920 ***** 

From a magnificent madeira vintage: very deep mahogany; beautifully perfumed, lifted, leafy, expressive – stunning aroma; rich, sweet, intensely so (6.3 baumé), quite powerful and concentrated as a result but the richness but offset by oh so fine, steely acidity, this has everything going for it – so beautiful on the finish that it makes my eyes water! 19 

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All five Madeira shippers managed to attend the BFT 2010 which was held in London earlier this year and I made a special effort to taste their wines. Of the 55 Madeiras on show these are the wines that impressed me the most (listed by shipper).

Blandy

Blandy’s Alvada ****

 Mid-deep, nut brown with a tinge of green, lifted, smoky with a touch of balsamic; lovely texture, clean figgy flavours, very smooth, seductive and easy going in style, delicious served chilled after a meal in place of an aged tawny Port. 17       

 Blandy’s 10 Year Old Bual ****

Mid-amber mahogany in colour; toffee and butterscotch on the nose; round, soft toffee and caramel flavours, rich, full, malty and very easy to drink. 17.5

Blandy’s 10 Year Old Malmsey ***

Mid-deep mahogany, rich prune-like fruit on the nose showing some concentration of age; fat, round, with a lovely mouth-filling quality, raisins and prunes, rich and satisfying 16

Blandy’s Malmsey Harvest 2001 *** / ****

Mid-amber; hint of wood smoke on the nose; smooth, rich with fine texture in the mouth, dried fig richness offset by delicate acidity leaning for a fresh, clean finish. Very good. 16.5

Blandy’s Colheita Bual 1991 ****

 Pale to mid amber-orange; very fine high-toned citrus peel aromas and flavours, lime lemon and orange, very pure, taut and beautifully balanced. Great poise and finesse. 18

 Blandy’s Colheita Malmsey 1992 *** / ****

Mid-deep amber-orange; lovely lifted citrus marmalade aromas; thick-cut marmalade character in the mouth, rich texture, fat yet well balanced. 16.5  

Blandy’s 1977 Bual ****

 Bright amber-orange; lovely lifted tea leaf aromas, touch of butterscotch, positively sings from the glass; rich and refined with a lovely steak of citrus acidity cutting through the caramelised fruit. Gentle finish. Very fine. 17.5

Barbeito

Barbeito Boal Reserva ***

 Very pale amber-yellow (Barbeito use no caramel in their wines); singed, baked biscuit aromas, light, delicate, slight savoury cheese character with a gentle smokey finish. 15.5

Barbeito Sercial Old Reserve 10 Year Old *** 

Pale, old gold colour; subdued nutty character on the nose, slightly dusty; gentle, savoury, spiced nuts on the palate with a hint of dried apricot on the finish. Just short of dry and but very true to style..16

Barbeito Verdelho 10 year Old ***/**** 

Very pale amber; gentle, fragrant, leafy aromas, very characteristic of Verdelho; soft, round, savoury sweet and quite rich in style, orangey flavours. Fine balance. 16.5  

Barbeito Boal 1982 Frasqueira **** 

Mid-amber; fine, pure high-toned tea leaf character on the nose; lemon tea and dried apricots, lovely poise with a fine streak of acidity to offset the gentle richness. 17.5

 Barbeito Sercial 1988 Frasqueira ****

 Mid amber; very fine butterscotch character on the nose, yet bone dry and quite austere (just as Sercial should be). Well balanced. Very pure.17 

Justino’s

  Justino’s 10 Year Old  Sercial ***

 Pale gold, enchanting floral aromas with a slight undertone of cheese-cake; fresh tangy fruit, touch of toffee apple, fresh acidity, slightly rustic but not without charm. 15

Justino’s Boal 1978 *** / ****

 Mid-deep amber with an olive-green tinge to the rim; vegetal aromas, wild sorrel; quite full, rich and well-defined with a lovely thick-cut marmalade character, brisk acidity and a slightly dusty finish. 16.5

Broadbent Terrantez 1978 (bottled for Broadbent Selections in the USA by Justinos) ***

Amber tawny, slightly subdued and dusty with savoury-sweet aromas; fine bitter-sweet orange marmalade tang balanced by fresh acidity and a dusting of tannin. Slighly rustic in style but good nonetheless. 16

H.M. Borges

 H.M.Borges Old Reserve Sercial (10 Years Old) ****

 Pale-mid amber, olive green tinge; fine, high toned, perfumed, floral aromas; dry yet full, nutty character, toasted almonds, followed by bracing acidity. Very fine poise and balance for a 10 year old. 18

H.M. Borges Old Reserve Boal (10 Years Old) ****

 Mid-amber mahogany; fine high-toned aromas, very expressive; clean and zesty with fine figgy richness and a bitter sweet finish. Very good poise and overall balance. 17.5

H.M. Borges Old Reserve Malmsey (10 Years Old) ****

 Deep mahogany, olive green tinge to rim; very attractive smoky, autumnal aromas; rich and concentrated with lovely round texture, slightly blunt but with soft figgy fruit offset by fresh acidity. 17

H.M.Borges Boal 1977 ****

 Mid –deep amber, thin green rim; very fine, gentle,.ethereal lifted aromas, another wine that sings from the glass, floral with a hint of green tea; delicate leafy character, candied, thick-cut marmalade richness. Very fine. 18  

Henriques & Henriques

 Henriques & Henriques 10 Year Old Sercial ****

 Mid-deep amber; fine, floral high-toned aromas, lifted, fresh and very clean; crisp, clean, slightly singed leafy fruit, very incisive with a long, fresh, mouthwatering finish, very characteristic of Sercial. 18

Henriques & Henriques 10 Year Old Malmsey **** 

Mid-mahogany; singed leaves, dried fruit and flowers with a touch of resin; rich fruit cake character, full but far from cloying, a lovely complex wine. Very good in its class. 17.5

Henriques & Henriques 15 Year Old Boal *****

 Mid-mahogany, olive green rim; very fine, fragrant aroma, leaves, green tea and flowers; rich yet gentle with near perfect concentration and an incisive flavour followed by a finish that goes on and on. Outstanding. 19

Henriques & Henriques 15 Year Old Malmsey **** / *****

 Deep mahogany, olive green rim; enchantingly beautiful nose, fresh, floral, jasmine; wonderfully rich, concentrated flavours, a touch of toffee apple, with fine incisive acidity to counterbalance the richness. 18.5

Pereira d’Oliveira

 D’Oliveira’s 15 Year Old Sweet ***

 Mid-deep red-tinged mahogany (Tinta Negra Mole  is presumably the main grape variety); rich rather medicinal fruit, very rich and intense in the mouth, sweetness offset by crisp acidity, slightly casky length. 15.5

D’Oliveira’s Colheita Verdelho 1985 **** 

It is still a mystery to me why this wine is bottled as a colheita when it would qualify for frasqueira / vintage status: deep colour for Verdelho; powerful citrus character with the tang of old fashioned marmalade, rich and pungent with lovely fresh acidity and a slightly rustic finish. 17

D’Oliveira’s Reserva Verdelho 1973 ***

 It is another unexplained mystery why these wines are bottled as ‘reservas’, a term that usually designates a five year old blend: mid-amber mahogany; lovely high-toned, caramelised aromas with a touch of Demerera; full, pungent, incisive with a powerful tawny marmalade tang and bitter-sweet length. 16.5      

D’Oliveira’s Reserva Boal 1958 ****

 Mid-deep mahogany; pungent smoky – casky character on the nose, wet leaves, but not without charm; very rich, intense and powerful, beautifully developed with a lime marmalade tang. Slightly rustic but good.  17

Location: Glaziers Hall, London
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I have a vivid memory of the 'Acciaioly' Madeira sale hald at Christies on 15th June 1989. It was the pre-sale tasting that was a revelation as it was the first time that I had tasted these amazing 19th century wines. I was taken aback at just how fresh and alive the wines were after spending so long in cask and  glass demijohns. I scribbled notes on the catalogue without realising just how important the sale was. Most of the wines were from a private cellar in Funchal belonging to the late Oscar Gil Borges Acciaioli and inherited by his sons, Michael and David on his death in January 1979.

Both these wines came from Quinta do Serrado in Camara de Lobos, a property that still exists. The once extensive vineyards were planted with Malmsey, Bual, Verdelho and Sercial. From 1812 the grapes were pressed on the quinta and the wines stored in oak casks at a lodge on the property. One of the heirs of the estate, Antonio Eduardo Henriques, also known as the Menino de Belem founded the Madeira firm of Henriques & Henriques and these wines were sold by the heirs of the family at the 'Acciaioly' sale in 1989. There was an enormous quantity of wine. For example the 1827 Bual (below) ran to nearly 80 dozen bottles divided into 33 lots. The estimated price for one of the ten dozen lots was £600 / dozen. Now two of these wines have come back on the market through Bonhams in London and I had an opportunity to re-taste them (with the benefit of 21 years experience) thanks to Anthony Barne and Richard Harvey who are jointly responsible for the wine auctions at Bonhams.  

Bual 1827  *****

Matured in cask until 1935 then put into demijohns and bottled in 1988 just before being shipped to England: deep mahogany colour, olive green rim; slightly rustic, lifted coffee bean aromas with a lovely leafy quality and a touch of toffee; quite rich for a Bual initially with penetrating acidity to offset the sweetness, very pure and fine, nothing rustic about this, lovely freshness, quite powerful yet very fine and elegant with a touch of roasted coffee on the finish. Long and clean, supremely elegant with very little residual sweetness on the finish. Exquisite.  19.5

Malmsey 1830 **** / *****

Also in cask until put into demijohns in 1935 and bottled in 1988: very deep mahogany, amber-green rim; very fine, rich think-cut maramalde aromas, pungent, slightly smoked; very rich and intense with wonderful texture and intensity, fig and dried apricot with candied fruit peel, offset by a wonderful streak of acidity, quite sweet, rounded, almost fat, full yet beautifully clean. 18.5 

Location: Bonhams, London
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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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