Recommendation: MEMORABLE Madeira wine every wine lover should taste at least once in their life.
Winery/Producer: Pereira D’Oliveira (Vinhos), Lda.; Funchal, Madeira.
Grape Variety: Malvasia Fina (Boal).
Geographic Region, Appellation: The Island of Madeira.
Vintage: 1968, Bottled in 2014.
Price: $120.00 plus a $20 ship corking fee*.
Purchased From: D’Oliveira tasting room; Funchal, Madeira.
Paired With: 1st Pour: Chocolate mousse, 2nd Pour: Danish blue cheese, 3rd and 4th Pour: Stilton blue cheese.
Tasting:
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He & she said: This wine was so special we combined our thoughts for this review. There were four pours from the bottle during four consecutive days. For the first pour the bottle was opened one hour before drinking, then recorked. Clear, dark plum color. An extraordinary complexity of aromas including caramel, molasses dried fruits, orange zest and leather were simply out of this world. The intertwined taste was intense with the sweetness and acidity playing a role individually and together in perfect balance. All this continues through an unbelievably long finish that’s full of distinct flavors including fresh ground coffee, apricot, crushed nuts, a smooth smokiness and hints of spice.
The chocolate mousse desert was not a good pairing, both blue cheeses were excellent pairings, but we both liked it best without any food. It is also interesting to note that we both commented that each night it became softer, with slightly less acidity and was a little more delicious. There are not enough superlatives to describe this wine…it was MEMORABLE Madeira every wine lover should taste at least once in their life…it was simply humbling.
We have another bottle, but were not rushing to open it. The Boal 1968 is considered one of the best vintage wines available…at a “reasonable” price and we fully understand why!!!
Comments: 1. See our “Wine Tasting: Pereira D’Oliveira, Funchal, Madeira Portugal” where we purchased this wine. 2. Purchased from D’Oliveiras tasting room in Funchal, Madeira and consumed in the Britannia Restaurant on board the Cunard Queen Mary 2.
Special Note: This wine was selected as one of the ten best value wines we reviewed in 2015, See The Best Value Wines of 2015
Alcohol: 20%
Bar code: NA
Imported by: The Rare Wine Company, Sonoma, California.
* Consumed on board the Cunard Queen Mary 2.