Having just finished and defended my Ph.D. dissertation, I not surprisingly have quite the backlog of tastings and notes to post, some of which are quite noteworthy. Mea culpa, mea culpa, mea maxima culpa for not getting this particularly amazing tasting posted sooner, since it took place fully 5 months ago! The 1896 Madeira in question came from the Leacock Collection, via the Rare Wine Co (http://www.rarewineco.com/html/feat/leac.htm). I had very little experience with fine Madeira before organizing this tasting, and so tried to offer a nice set of wines that would give some impression of the range of styles, as well as giving some context for the 1896. To be honest, I didn't really know how I felt about Madeira before this - but I can say that I am a big fan now! The first 4 wines were decanted about an hour before tasting. The 1896 was decanted for about 2 hours the night before, then an additional hours before tasting. It was very fortunate to have opened the 1896 in advance, as the cork completely disintegrated, and the wine had to be strained. Now the notes, with a few comments after.
The wine in the decanter (left side) is the Rainwater.
Cossart Gordon, Rainwater, Madeira NV
Tinta Negra Mole, aged 3 years. Amber/orange. Excellent, deep, strong nose of citrus and toffee. On the palate, orange rind, hints of red fruit, and toffee/caramel. Rich mouthfeel, excellent acidity. $18, outstanding value for a fortified of this quality. *** (3 stars) [3/26/11]
Blandy's, Bual, 5-year-old, Madeira NV
Dark bronze toward mahogony. Rich, subtle nose of citrus and toffee. Palate: hints red fruit, citrus, toffee/burnt sugar, and chocolate, with brandy/spirit showing through. Good finish, very persistent. Good quality. *** (3 stars) [3/26/11]
Blandy's, Malmsey, 5-year-old, Madeira NV
Mahogony. Excellent, subtle, deep, complex nose. Dried cherry, orange rind, caramel, and coffee/burnt sugar. Porty, rich, powerful, persistent body. A little bitter. I like it - very good quality. *** (3 stars) [3/26/11]
Decanter on left holds the 10-year-old Bual, decanter on the right holds the 1896.
Cossart Gordon, Bual, 10-year-old, Madeira NV
Dark bronze with a hint of orange, green at rim. Great nose - blasts you with caramel and orange. Palate: dried red fruit, tons of orange acidity, with caramel and coffee. Huge body. Lots of coffee on the nose and palate as it opens. A truly exceptional fortified, and an outstanding value at $40. **** (4 stars) [3/26/11]
Leacock Collection, HFS "E", Madeira 1896
From the private stock of the Leacock family. Details unknown. Suspected to have been laid down for Edmund Leacock (born 1891). Dark bronze with warm red, and a hint of green. Big, awesome nose, that explodes from the glass - can smell it from 6 inches away - lovely red fruit, orange, caramel, coffee/chocolate, and fruitcake - heavenly nose! As nose opens, more chocolate emerges. And the palate: powerful body!! Has the dignity of age, but still incredibly youthful. Loads of dried red fruits and dried citrus peal, really prominent citrus acidity with caramel, and burnt sugar/coffee. A bit salty, a lot of spirit showing. Such warmth to the fruit. An amazing wine! Decanted several hours, but might not have been long enough. With its power and still youthful structure, this might go 50 - 100 more years. What an experience! **** (4 stars) [3/26/11]
Some of the group, tasting the 1896.
So, a few comments. Although the sample size was small, there is a very distinct difference between the house styles of Cossart Gordon and Blandy's: Cossart Gordon features prominent citrusy acidity, and is a fresher, more focused style, while Blandy's features a prominent brandy/spirit note, and is a bit richer. Both are nice, though I preferred Cossart Gordon. Obviously everyone thought the 1896 was a tremendous and interesting experience, but it was not necessarily everyone's favorite. The Rainwater was very popular, as it is accessible, and people always appreciate a good value. The 10-year-old Bual was actually preferred over the 1896 by a large fraction of the group, and I must say that it was nearly as good as the 1896 in terms of drinking pleasure, though not anywhere near as interesting, of course. Whether I'll ever get to taste an older wine is hard to say, but the 1896 is sure to remain one of the most memorable wines of my life.