Recommendation: Not recommended.
Winery/Producer: The Madeira Wine Company; Funchal, Portugal.
Grape Variety: Malvasia.
Geographic Region, Appellation: Madeira, Portugal.
Vintage: Non vintage.
Price: $22.99
Purchased From: Total Wine; Thousand Oaks, California.
Paired With: Sipping.
Tasting:
He said: Dark garnet red color. Strong prune and raisin aromas. Rich caramel and raisin taste through mid-palate, changing abruptly to a fairly rough taste that continues through the long finish. It has the strong Malvasia taste initially, but it’s clearly a tad harsh and bitter on the finish. The sweetness is good the acidity is rough, but it’s exactly the way it was when we tasted it in Blandy’s tasting room in Madeira last Spring (see our write-up under “Travels of a wine blogger”). This was the only Malvasia we could find in the Agoura Hills, California area; it was this or several “California Madeiras”…which we will probably never try!!! I would recommend either D’Oliveira’s or Broadbent Malvasia over this in a heart beat.
She said: There is Madeira wine and then there is Madeira wine. Not all Madeira’s are equal and you may find that you love some and don’t like others. Ray spoiled me by taking me to a tasting at D’Oliveira’s on the island of Madeira. We had (a free) tasting that included the four different grapes. In the end we tasted Madeiras from different ages including the Boal, 1908. The 1908 was knock down fabulous and set the standard for Madeiras on my palate. Full of rich, deep flavors this wine was an incredible journey into wine heaven especially with a Portuguese honey cake accompaniment. We also had a tasting at Blandy’s (about $7) but the wines were shallow in comparison. This Blandy’s non vintage but 5 year aged that we had in California did not compare favorably with the other Madeira wines we have tasted because it was one dimensional, harsh, and lacked depth. If you like Madeira, there is much better available so don’t bother with this one. And if you go to Madeira, avoid Blandy’s and walk a bit further to D’Oliveira’s where you will find wines that are well worth the walk.
Comments:
Alcohol: 19%
Bar code: 0 94799 05002 5
Imported by: Premium Ports & Madeiras; San Francisco, California.