Madeira 1875… What does it taste like?
Whenever I join a tasting organised by Nigel and hosted by the HK Wine Society, I count my blessings. And much I have to count! Especially last month when we experienced quite a few "Old Madeiras".
On the flight, we had wines from 1875, 1900, 1920, and 1968 and some younger wines.
What was beautiful to me was trying to understand the character of such old wines. Very unique. These wines were made partly due to the grape and partly due to the production method.
The oldest were all Malvasia based, a.k.a. "malmsey". Typically, Malmseys are the sweetest wines from Madeira. In part, it tends to produce a high amount of sugar and partly because fermentation is stopped when the wines have at least 60 g/l. It also has a high natural acidity, which is key to the obtain wines with a good balance so that the resulting sweet style is not sentimental and stays fresh.
Here, such wines undergo an extraordinary maturation process after fermentation. It will be stored in barrels and in the "canteiro", usually the winery's hottest room. Most likely an attic with a roof well exposed to the hot sun. In the process, part of the wine will slowly evaporate, not only concentrating the remaining sugar, acidity and alcohol, but it will also expose the wine to air and so ever so slowly oxidise it, or as we often hear, "maderise" it. The resulting flavours will be reminiscent of burnt sugar and or roasted nuts. An acquired taste for most who like their wines fresh & fruity...
And so it was no different with this wine. Obviously, the longer it remains in the canteiro, the more intense the effect of “maderisation” will be. For this 1875, I could not find out when it was bottled. However, from the relative cleanliness of the label and the relatively "modern" looking typeface, I suppose it was bottled less than 20 years ago.
And so?
Reserva Velha Barbeito Malvasia Madeira 1875
The nose was extraordinarily complex. Very difficult to explain simply by descriptors. It was a mixture of aromas and a general impression not unlike what could be used to describe a richly and carefully woven fabric. Here, the expression "layers" of complexity is not a cliché. Each sniff releases something entirely different, all working together in beautiful harmony. I suppose much like a symphony of aromas. Indeed notes of citrus, but more like the dried zests from a potpourri composed of grapefruits, lime, and lemon. Certainly nuts. Roasted, smoky walnuts, almonds, and chestnuts. Indeed caramel, burnt sugar, and sponge toffee. Certainly a touch of coffee and blond tobacco...
On the palate, rich & luscious... Seductive... Delicious... Sinful... A wine that no one wants to part with reflecting how much it engages, caresses, seduces and enchants... Beautiful mid-palate: sweet but not cloying, delicious... A long length of after-taste, very long and engaging. Complex and lip-smacking. Impossible not to go for another taste. Sinful...
A wonderful experience....to say the least...