Archive
Images from Dirck Pietersz. Pers “Bachus wonder-werken” (1628)
The three images in this post come from Dirck Pietersz. Pers’ Bachus wonder-werken Vaer in het recht gebruyck en misbryck des Wyns (1628). In this book, Dirck Pietersz. Pers (1581 – 1659) recounts that wine drives away sadness, worries, and pain but the central point is that it must be taken in moderation. [0]
“There sat a proud lion, who wanted to feed all the people he ruled over, and kingly areas, all the sweet mistress and all the fears” [1]
“the smoke was unprecedented” [1]
“keeps my drunkenness alive” [1]
[0] Dirck Pietersz. Pers. Digitale bibliotheek voor de Nederlandse letteren. URL: http://www.dbnl.org/auteurs/auteur.php?id=pers001
[1] Pers, Dirk. “Bachus wonder-werken”. 1628. Osterreichische Nationalbibliothek. URL: https://search.onb.ac.at/primo_library/libweb/action/dlDisplay.do?vid=ONB&docId=ONB_alma21317115100003338&fn=permalink
A good Crozes-Hermitage from Les 4 Vents
Lucie Fourrel’s first vintage was in 2010 after working at Clusel-Roch and Vincent Paris. When her sister Nancy Cellier joined, the new venture was named Domaine Les 4 Vents. Today the sisters farm some 10 ha in Crozes-Hermitage. I was surprised by the 2015 Domaine Les 4 Vents, Les Pitchounettes Rouge, Crozes-Hermitage. No doubt this wine is from a ripe vintage but the pure fruit and floral flavors of the Northern Rhone are not lost. What you gain is a savory, slightly salty, wine that fills the mouth and continues to expand in the aftertaste. I find that rather impressive for a Crozes-Hermitage. I recommend you grab a few bottles from MacArthur Beverages.
2015 Domaine Les 4 Vents, Les Pitchounettes Rouge, Crozes-Hermitage – $22
Imported by Wine Traditions LTD. Alcohol 13%. The flavors start off with focused grapey, purple fruit with a slightly floral touch. The fruit is pure, backed by some extract, and almost crunchy acidity that becomes more watering by the end. This is a savory wine revealing good weighty flavors over moderate structure. With air it becomes more floral and certainly more expansive with ripe, floral flavors in the mouth filling aftertaste. *** Now – 2021.
Historic Wells Liquors wine lists 1980-1981
As I work on my wines of the year post I started going through old notes. I thought it would be fun to post some price lists/tasting sheets from my earliest days in wine as an eager 18 year old at Wells Liquors in Baltimore. These price lists represent 1980-1981 I believe. There are only notes attached to one. For that Cali cab tasting it looks like my favorite was the 1976 Mondavi Reserve. The price was really high for California then at $21. I note that I gave that wine 90 points, which was a big deal in those days before more consistent winemaking and lots of “grade inflation.” I also see that the “mystery wine” in this blind tasting was the second wine of Pichon Lalande (1978 probably) and just $8.
Lou
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- Wells wine lists 1980-1981
Bastardo & Mostcatel: the dinner wines 2011 – 1959
After working through 20 different Madeira at Bastardo & Moscatel: The Tasting 1927 – 1830 it was time for the transition to dinner service. As always there is an array of Champagne to work through. A pair old label and very tasty NV Krug, Champagne Brut Grand Cuvée, an oxidized 1985 Salon, Champagne Brut Le Mesnil Blanc de Blancs, a substantive 1996 Bollinger, Champagne La Grande Année, 1998 Pierre Peters, Champagne Brut Le Mesnil Blanc des Blancs, and 1982 Tattinger, Champagne Brut Millesime. There is an interesting trio of Dom: 1996 Moët & Chandon Champagne Cuvée Dom Pérignon, a magnum of good 1988 Moët & Chandon Champagne Cuvée Dom Pérignon Rose, and an old survivor the 1959 Moët & Chandon Champagne Cuvée Dom Pérignon.
To transition from Champagne to red wine is a very good bottle of 1989 Clos St Hune, Riesling Vendanges Tardives Hors Choix of which I took note. Then came a grab bag of Bordeaux, Burgundy, Rhone, and Portuguese wines. I missed out on tasting a number of bottles but then I did manage to receive some healthy pours of some great wine! Please find my general impressions below.
1989 Clos St Hune, Riesling Vendanges Tardives Hors Choix
Moderately sweet with Riesling fruit this is well balanced and dense. There is a lovely floral note.
1967 Chateau Latour, Pauillac
In fine shape, one gentleman described as the “perfect luncheon claret”. I agree, dark fruit, cedar, fresh acidity, and easy to drink.
1971 Chateau Latour, Pauillac en magnum
Shipped by Nathaniel Johnston & Fils. Wow, in fine shape and drinking very well right now. Dark fruits, wood box, and yes, graphite.
1990 Chateau Latour, Pauillac
Shipped by SEMAV. Imported by Ginday Imports. Alcohol 12.5%. A beautiful color, lighter than the 1989 Haut-Brion. Aromatic on the nose and flavorful in the mouth. The wine is thick in a sense, textured, and still developing yet the minerals and graphite are engaging right now.
1989 Chateau Haut-Brion, Graves
Shipped by Armand Roux. Attractive animale nose. Wow in the mouth, mineral, dense, and sexy with fat coated flavors. The animale quality persists in the flavor making it complete. This is only just starting to open up.
1959 Berry Bros & Rudd, Chateau Montrose, St. Estephe
Imported by Marine Trading Consultants. This is great and even better than my two chateau bottled experiences. The fruit is more concentrated and sweet. Clearly well-stored.
2011 Remoissenet, Montrachet Le Montrachet
Starting to mature.
1985 Bonneau du Martray, Corton Charlemagne
Yeasty and rich in the mouth with apple orchard flavors. The acidity makes it crisp and tense with a citric note.
1991 La Pousse D’Or, Volnay 1er Cru Clos de la Bousse D’Or Monopole en magnum
Imported by The Rare Wine Co. Alcohol 14%. This is entering maturity with vibrant red fruit over underlying blue fruit flavors. I am happy to discover the fine evidence of maturity.
1970 Avery’s, Domaine Gros-Renaudot, Richebourg Grand Cru
This is a gentle wine with an introduction of sweet, concentrated fruit infused with fat. The fruit is still supported by structure which leaves a sweet, wood note.
1990 Pierre Bouree Fils, Clos de la Roche Grand Cru
Selected and shipped by The Wine Society. Sweeter and softer with good depth of flavor. The wood notes are infused with a sweet finish.
1996 Jose Alfonso e Filhos, Rogenda, Veiras
Alcohol 13%. Fine ripe blue and black fruit, ripe wood texture, and spice. Nicely structured.
1990 Domaine Jean-Louis Chave, Hermitage
A good nose which is earth and animale. It is barely entering maturity. Right now it is perfectly balanced with the structure well-integrated. Plenty of grip.
Bastardo & Moscatel: The Tasting 1927 – 1830
On April 22, 2017, I attended my third amazing Madeira event Bastardo & Moscatel – The Tasting in New York City. This was the sixth in a series of definitive annual Madeira tastings organized by Mannie Berk (The Rare Wine Co.) and Roy Hersh (For The Love of Port).
Unlike the previous two events I have attended, I did not write an article for the tasting booklet. Bastardo and Moscatel were produced in such small quantities that I have yet to come across references in the correspondence of our Founding Fathers, historic newspaper advertisements, and even 19th century auction catalogs. For this post I explore the history behind the Bastardo we tasted.
Noel Cossart writes that even before phylloxera the production of Bastardo was so small that it was not kept separate, instead it was pressed with other grapes. Cossart Gordon typically pressed their Bastardo and some other varieties with Verdelho. They did replenish their 1844 Camara de Lobos Solera with Bastardo according to Henry Vizetelly. So scare are descriptions that the 1970 advertisement by Sherry-Lehmann for 1875 Shortridge-Lawton, Bastardo is the earliest I know of in an American paper.
The rarity of Bastardo is evidenced by Mannie Berk’s determination that the only pre-World War II vintages are 1830, 1836, 1858, 1870, 1875, 1876, and 1927. As far as post-War vintages, it became extinct until Ricardo Freitas convinced a farmer to plant a small vineyard in 2004. Today there is just over 1 hectare of Bastardo planted on the island. Bastardo has always been scarce and bottlings of it even more so.
It is incredible then that we sat down to 12 different bottles of Bastardo at the tasting. It might even seem impossible that of these selections, nine bottles were organized into three single-vintage flights: 1927, 1875, and 1870. These groupings become understandable if the wines originally came from the same source, i.e. single pipes of each vintage. Thus the important task of the tasting was to ascertain if each flight originated from a mother wine.
There have been three commercial releases of 1927 Bastardo and we tasted all three: the D’Oliveira, Leacock, and Blandy. There is a fourth known Bastardo, the two casks sitting at Henriques & Henriques but it has not been released for sale and Mannie Berk was unable to obtain a sample for our tasting. We know that the D’Oliveira came from Adegas do Terreão which they purchased in 2002 including this Bastardo in barrel. Of the five known wines from this vintage there are at most four different sources.
For the 1927 and 1875 vintages I feel reasonably certain that two wines in each flight came from the same source. The 1927 Leacock, Bastardo and 1927 Blandy’s, Bastardo Demijohn Selection I found similar. The Blandy was recently bottled from demijohn and the Leacock was in bottle much longer given the dusty nose. Despite differences in bottle age, both wines still share a pungent flavor that is remarkably similar as is the acidity. This similarity narrows down the potential sources to three. Without tasting the 1927 Henriques & Henriques I cannot specify further.
I found another strong commonality with the 1875 Cossart Gordon, Bastardo and 1875 Shortridge-Lawton, Bastardo which both show a similar copper color and bear a citrus flavor.
The comparisons fall apart with the weaker 1870 vintage. The bottle of 1870 Blandy’s, Bastardo is fully mature, the 1870 Unknown, Bastardo is round, sweet, old and the 1870 Favila, Bastardo fresh, floral, and elegant.
Phylloxera
Physical map of the Island of Madeira. London : E. Standford, [1856]. ETH-Bibliothek Zürich via Old Maps Online.
The scarcity of Bastardo even prior to the arrival of phylloxera means we do not have a clear picture on where it was grown. However, contemporary sources reveal there are at least two areas where Bastardo was grown during the 1870s. Those are Camara de Lobos and Sao Martinho. According to Noel Cossart, the 1870 Avery’s Bastardo came from Henriques’s Camara de Lobos vineyard. He also writes of Cossart Gordon having an 1875 and 1876 Bastardo as coming from the Doria family vineyard Quinta do Salao at Camara de Lobos. According to Ricardo Freitas, the 1870 Favilia Bastardo came from Sao Martinho as the wine belonged to Manuel Jose Vieira who had substantial vineyards in that area.
There are no detailed maps or timelines regarding the spread of phylloxera on Madeira. We can form a general understanding on the impact on these two regions by reviewing O Archivo Rural Jornal de Agricultura (1876), Victor Fatio’s Etat de la question phylloxérique en Europe en 1877, Henry Vizetelly’s Facts about Port and Madeira (1878), Francisco d’Almeida Brito’s Le phylloxera et autres epiphyties de la vigne en Portugal (1884), Alfredo de Villanova de Vasconcellos Correia de Barros’ Relatorio ácerca dos serviços phylloxericos em 1887 (1887), and Dwight Morrow Jr.’s Phylloxera in Portugal (1973).
Phylloxera was first introduced to the island in 1872. The importation of vines through the port of Funchal was regarded as the source. Curiously enough, the phylloxera first bypassed nearby Sao Martinho, instead showing up in the revered vineyards of Camara de Lobos. This was the first area affected and it was in serious state through 1875 and 1876. At the time of Henry Vizetelly’s visit in 1877, phylloxera had destroyed nearly all of the vineyards in Camara de Lobos. The production ranged from 8,000 pipes in 1871 to 300 pipes in 1877 with an estimated 100 pipes for 1878. The region was considered completely destroyed by 1887.
The vineyards of Sao Martinho were only slightly affected in 1876 and 1877. This could be due to the orientation or generally higher elevation. Sao Martinho would see significant devastation by 1887 but for the period of our interest it was a viable source for fruit.
1875 Cossart Gordon and Shortridge-Lawton
Cossart Gordon produced an 1875 and 1876 Bastardo from Camara de Lobos during the most devastating period for the region. It seems counterintuitive at first but then their vineyard was located at Quinta do Salao in Estreito de Camara de Lobos. The phylloxera first affected vines at lower altitudes of Camara de Lobos. The unaffected vines were located at several thousand feet in elevation in the Estreito parish. Henry Vizetelly writes that this area was untouched as of 1877 which explains why Cossart Gordon could produce the 1875 Bastardo that we tasted.
As for the Shortridge-Lawton, we can infer its history due to the Madeira Wine Association (MWA). The MWA was founded by Blandy’s and Leacock in 1925 with Cossart-Gordon joining in 1953. Shortridge-Lawton joined as well eventually becoming just a brand. Our bottle of 1875 Shortridge-Lawton, Bastardo is labeled as being selected for Sherry-Lehman by the MWA during the 1970s. The MWA pooled wine from its various members so it is reasonable that the Shortridge-Lawton is really the same as Cossart-Gordon’s Bastardo from Estreito de Camara de Lobos.
1875 and 1870 Blandy’s
While the number of existing vineyard sites reduced from the 1870 to the 1875 vintage, the Cossart Gordon vineyard in Estreito de Camara de Lobos and Vieira’s vineyard in Sao Martinho survived for the 1875 vintage. I doubt these are the sources for our bottles of Blandy’s based on taste and history. I found both wines savory and different from the other wines I tasted.
The origins of the 1875 and 1870 Blandy’s Bastardo at first appear somewhat of a mystery. Noel Cossart writes that the 1870 Avery’s Bastardo came from the Henriques Camara de Lobos vineyard. The Henriques family owned vineyards at the lower elevation Pico da Torre in Camara de Lobos as well at the higher elevation of Estreito de Camara de Lobos. If Noel Cossart is being specific then the 1870 Avery’s came from Pica da Torre which would have been destroyed by the 1875 vintage.
Alex Liddell writes in Madeira (1998) that the 1870 Blandy’s, Bastardo is originally from the cellars of Padre Henriques, vicar of Estreito de Camara de Lobos. It is possible that Blandy’s grew Bastardo at both Estreito and Pico da Torre. However, given its scarcity I suspect they would have grown Bastardo just at Estreito. This leads me to believe that the 1870 Avery’s is from Henrique’s Estreito vineyard just like the 1870 Blandy’s. If the 1875 Blandy’s Bastardo came from Henriques as well then it had to come from Estreito and not Pico da Torre because it was destroyed by phylloxera by the 1875 vintage.
Conclusion
That I found commonality between wines from the 1875 vintage and not the 1870 vintage is due to our sample size. At first I thought Bastardo vineyards which existed in 1870 were destroyed by 1875. However, Bastardo was grown at higher-elevations on the south-side of Madeira. These areas remained untouched for both the 1870 and 1875 vintages. The known Bastardo vineyards for these vintages are Cossart Gordon’s Doria family vineyard Quinta do Salao at Estreito de Camara de Lobos, Padre Henriques’ vineyard at Estreito de Camara de Lobos, and Manuel Jose Viera family vineyard at Sao Martinho. This of course leaves one last wine, the 1870 Unknown, Bastardo. While it tasted like no other wine, I doubt it is pure Bastardo so I cannot confirm a fourth source. Please find my tasting notes below.
Bastardo Tasting Notes
1927 D’Oliveira, Bastardo
Bottled from cask in 2014. The lightest color of the trio of 1927s. A pungent nose that is balsamic then with air enjoyable aromas of sweet confection and brown sugar. This liquidy, puckering, and salivating wine had a drier finish. The most gentle of the three, there is a shorter finish followed by a gentle wave of flavor in the aftertaste. ***.
1927 Leacock, Bastardo
This is the darkest of the trio with more brown hints. The low-lying musk mixes with old dusty books then brown sugar. The nose likely affected by a long time in bottle. There is a sweeter and rounder entry with wood box flavors and a fine vein of acidity lurking. The pungency returns in the end as does some searing acidity. I enjoy the integration of wood flavors. ***(*).
1927 Blandy, Bastardo Demijohn Selection
Bottled from demijohn in 2013. Francisco Albuquerque states this came from the best 40-50 liters owned by the family. This is the most aromatic of the trio with pungent note, aromatic musk, and an attractive animale quality. The wine is sweet as well as immediately pungent with round flavors, a spicy middle, and compelling liveliness on the tongue. The flavors stand out on the tongue moving to a drier finish that is fresh and powerful with citric hints, and wraps up both savory and saline. With additional air this pungent wine retains its grip in the mouth and persistent aftertaste. ****.
1875 Cossart Gordon, Bastardo
A moderate level of aromas that are deep with supporting pungency. There is a savory start on the tongue tip before the wine builds both pungency and power that is soon joined by searing acidity. The body has weight up front, the finish is dry but some sweetness clings to the gums in the aftertaste. Additional complexity comes from lemon citrus and bitters. This is more powerful than the Shortridge & Lawton. ****.
1875 Shortridge-Lawton, Bastardo
One of 120 bottles reserved for Sherry-Lehman of New York. This nose is subtle and gentle. The watering start brings a bit of a separate sweet aspect. There is weight to the wine as well though more noticeable up front. At first it is less balanced in the finish with residual sugar in the aftertaste but upon revisiting, it comes together well. It mixes with orange and lemon citrus with bitters. ****.
1875 Blandy’s, Bastardo
Bottled 7 of 180. There is, perhaps, a hint of citrus on the nose. The savory, dense powerful start moves on to a mature, red-wine like middle with old wood flavors. There is body with plenty of grip in the savory, citrus coating finish. **.
1870 Blandy’s, Bastardo
The nose is low-lying with sweet musk aromas. The round entry is not assertive, rather savory with fine complex flavors that become gentler as the wine progresses ultimately fading away in the aftertaste. There is a tobacco note as well. This is certainly less vigorous than the 1875s. ***.
1870 Unknown, Bastardo
This is the darkest of the trio of 1870s, in fact, almost cola like. The nose is stinky. In the mouth this taste of sweet, old, poor pruned clunky fruit which lacks acidity to support it. The round, sweet, and savory wine tastes past prime which is ultimately too distracting. What is this? Poor.
1870 Favila, Bastardo
The reddest and brownest of the trio. There is a minty, fresh hint to the nose with a delicacy that marks it completely different than all other wines. The flavors are sweeter and rounded with fresh, floral tea flavors woven throughout. There is fine balance to this elegant wine. ***.
1858 Leacock, Lomelino, Bastardo
Rebottled 1900. The nose offers subtle tobacco and subtle fruit. The flavors are tobacco infused with low-lying custard sweetness and eventually some bitterness. There is a thick, mature wine like middle before the bitter finish of licorice and tobacco. Perhaps musty in the aftertaste. **.
1836 Leacock, Lomelino, Bastardo
Rebottled 1926. The nose offers fine wood notes and perhaps licorice. In the mouth this is a fine and elegant wine with a zip of acidity supporting the rounded body. This is ultimately a bit sweeter in flavor than acidic. It is certainly an older wine but it still sports a bit of racy character. ***.
1830 Welsh Bros, Bastardo
There is a pungency to the nose that the other wines do not have. The nose is strong and decent but on revisiting it is smelly. This is a salty wine with less body and drier than the nose suggests. All of the power is up front, the wine is not balanced. It is dry, bitter, and the alcohol is noticeable. **.
Moscatel Tasting Notes
1900 D’Oliveira, Moscatel
This wine is very dark and the nose is sweaty and pungent. It is round, sweet, and racy in the mouth. The residual sugar is certainly present up front and in the aftertaste. A wood note adds complexity. There is power throughout with the wine sharpening up in the finish as more acidity is brought forth. ***.
1900 Leacock, Moscatel
Rather dark. The nose is subtle compared to the D’Oliveira but the pungency does come out. There is plenty of sweet such that you can practically feel it. The start is higher-toned with some lift from acidity. A bit of tea and pungency add complexity. ***.
1900 Avery’s, Moscatel
This is an oak color with a touch fruitier nose. This is lively from the start with flavors of black, sweet tea and ripe texture. It does not have the level of sweetness that the D’Oliveira and Leacock posses. It is an interesting old-school type of wine. **.
1890 Barrous e Sousa, Moscatel
In bottle for 60 years. A little stinky. This is thick with integrated sweetness and texture. There is an interesting, odd flavor in this weighty wine that drapes over the tongue. Dried fruit develops in the soft middle with textured sugar in the finish. There is both less sweetness and acidity but the wine is balanced. ***.
1875 D’Oliveira, Moscatel
Bottled in the 1970s. This is the darkest along with the 1870 Blandys. There is less sugar up front but the balanced start conveys sweetness and pungency. There is an attractive mineral, racy vein as the wine reveals density and tea flavors. It is concentrated but not too much. ***(*).
1870 Manuel Jose Vieira, Moscatel, Camara de Lobos
This is the lightest color. Wow, this is an acidity driven with minimal sugar, old perfume, and thin body. It is old-school but volatile. *.
1870 Blandy’s, Moscatel
The sweetness comes from textured brown sugar. The wine has power and some searing acidity near the finish but the residual sugar drapes over the acidity. In the end this is satisfying with good flavor from the baking spices. **.
1856 Barbeito, Moscatel
A medium color compared to the others. This is pungent and acidity driven like a non-Moscatel Madeira. The acidity builds and is persistent but not offending like the 1870 Vieira. The body has glycerin. The driest wine of the flight. Is it pure Moscatel? ***(*).
“The Lagar or Wine Press” a Madeira wine making scene from 1834
“The Lagar or Wine Press” from Recollections of Madeira. ca 1834. BNP. [1]
[1] – Pitt-Springett, William Samuel. Recollections of Madeira. ca 1834. Biblioteca Nacional de Portugal. URL: http://purl.pt/24029
The 1869 Lomelino, Boal first sold in 1882
The 1869 Lomelino, Boal. Picture taken by Eric Ifune at the Beauty of Bual Tasting (2014).
The global Great Depression and international financial crisis led to difficult years for many Madeira shippers during the early 20th century. In 1925 Leacock joined forces with Blandy’s to form the Madeira Wine Association (MWA). Over the next several decades every major Madeira shipper joined the MWA. Under the MWA management was centralized. Members continued to sell under their own labels but old stocks of Madeira were brought together for use by all and new vintages were bought collectively. Thus a shipper’s name could act simply as a brand with the wine itself having come from another member firm. A recurring question for consumers of old MWA labels then is which firm was the source of the Madeira in the bottle?
The question arose at The Beauty of Bual Tasting (2014) with regards to the 1869 Lomelino, Boal. Lomelino joined the MWA where its name was eventually used as a brand beginning in the 1930s. As a result it was suspected that the 1869 Lomelino, Boal served at the tasting did not contain actual Lomelino wine. Just two other 1869 Boal wines are listed in Noel Cossart’s Madeira the Island Vineyard (2011) the Blandy’s and an unknown producer. The vast majority of the bottles sold appear under the Blandy’s name.
We may never know the actual source of these wines but we now know that beginning in 1882, Lomelino sold an 1869 Boal from Campanario. We know this because Commander Tarquinio T. da C. Lomelina advertised his wines in the French periodical Revue de Vins et Liquors from 1880 through 1892.[1] Whether the bottle tasted in 2014 is the same wine as that sold 125 years earlier remains a mystery but the possibility exists!
Here is the wine list from 1882, in descending cost, including the prices in French Francs per dozen bottles ex Madeira.
1821 Sancto Martinho 350
1821 Campanario 350
1821 Camara de Lobos 350
1835 Campanario, Malvasia 269
1838 Campanario, Malvasia 230
1838 Campanario, Boal 230
1844 Sancto Martinho 140
1844 Camara de Lobos 140
1848 Campanario, Boal 115
1847 Campanario, Malvasia 115
1848 Camara de Lobos 115
1848 Sancto Martinho 115
1850 Campanario Boal 80
1850 Sancto Martinho 80
1850 Camara de Lobos, Malvasia 80
1865 Camara de Lobos, Boal 70
1870 Monte, Moscatel 70
1851 Campanario, Sercial 70
1851 Sancto Martinho 70
1869 Campanario, Boal 55
1872 Campanario, Malvasia 55
1868 Sancto Martinho 55
1868 Camara de Lobos 55
1870 Quinta da Paz 50
1870 Sancto Martinho 50
1871 Sancto Martinho 45
1871 Quinta da Paz 45
1873 Santo Roque 40
1873 Campanario 40
1876 Camara de Lobos 35
1877 Sancto Antonio 30
[1] Revue des vins et liqueurs et des produits alimentaires pour l’exportation. 1882. URL: http://catalogue.bnf.fr/ark:/12148/cb410434488
“[A] real revelation for France”: Tasting notes for Lomelino Madeira wine at the 1882 Bordeaux International Wine Exhibition
Lomelino Madeira label with medals from Paris Exposition 1878 and Bordeaux Exposition 1882.
From time to time, bottles of Lomelino Madeira have been tasted at the annual Madeira events organized by Mannie Berk, The Rare Wine Co., and Roy Hersh, For The Love of Port. My first experience came at the Bastardo & Moscatel – The Tasting (2017). Here I tasted the 1858 Tarquinio T. da C. Lomelino, C. de B., Bastardo and 1836 Tarquinio T. da C. Lomelino, Bastardo.
According to Noel Cossart Madeira The Island Vineyard (2011) Tarquinio Torquato da Camara Lomelino took over the old firm of Robert Leal and started shipping Madeira under his own name in 1820. For such an old firm I could not help but wonder if any old tasting notes survive.
Fortunate for us, Lomelino submitted a number of wines at the 1878 Exposition Universelle or third Paris World’s Fair.[1] It is here that Commander Lomelino won the grand prize for his Madeira wines, an achievement for which he was awarded the Legion of Honor.[2] He deservedly drew attention to his submissions at the Bordeaux International Wine Exhibition of 1882 at which the Revue des Vins et Liquers took notes. Lomelino exhibited wines from the 1802 to the 1877 vintages. Of these the Revue commented on the following:
1802 Serial – “very dry with an exquisite perfume and delicacy”
1812 Verdelho – “dry and with a superior bouquet”
1824 and 1830 Boal – “medium sweet very agreable and full of body”
1830 Malvasia – “soft mellow delicat, and the most delicious one can imagine”
1844 Martinho – “dry and very fine”
1844 Camara de Lobos – “medium dry, remarkable for their exquisite bouquet”
1848 Boal, Sercial, and Malvasia – “irreproachable”
1868 Camara de Lobos and Sao Martinho – “recommend them selves by their delicate aromas”
1870 Quinta da Paz – “leaves nothing to be desired in the way of perfume and delicacy”
Though a number of these very same Lomelino vintages have appeared at recent auctions, these specific wines themselves have not, preventing the comparison of notes from across the centuries.
[1] – Revue des vins et liqueurs et des produits alimentaires pour l’exportation. 1882. URL: http://catalogue.bnf.fr/ark:/12148/cb410434488
[2] Lomelino received a Gold Medal and the Island of Madeira received a Diploma of Honor equivalent to the Grand Medal. See Catalogue officiel : liste des récompenses / Exposition universelle internationale de 1878, à Paris ; Ministère de l’agriculture et du commerce. 1878. URL: http://catalogue.bnf.fr/ark:/12148/cb33385079f
Before, during, and after: other wines at the Madeira tasting
I have come to the carefully considered position that Champagne is required at a Madeira tasting. The aroma of Madeira always fills the room but a glass of Champagne makes everyone jolly before sitting down. A bottle served while service is performed on the second flight refreshes the palate. Finally, a bottle at the end resets the palate for dinner wines. Sadly, two of our four bottles of Champagne were not as they should be. Fortunately, there were plenty of other bottles to occupy our interests.
Before
2000 Krug, Champagne Vintage Brut
Imported by Envoyer Imports. Alcohol 12%. Good, integrated bubbles with focused flavors of sappy fruit. It finished with tart apples and acidity. Young with good promise. **** Now – 2033.
1990 Moët & Chandon Champagne Cuvée Dom Pérignon
Shipped by Allyn & Scott Wines. Imported by Wine Cellars LTD. Alcohol 12%. Some corrosion around the cork. A nutty straw color. The nose is mature and oxidative, a bit more advanced than it should be. In the mouth are fine, textured bubbles, dry apple orchard flavors, and exotic spices. The bubbles quickly dissipate. Completely drinkable but this bottle is probably heat damaged. Not Rated.
During
NV Jacques Selosse, Champagne Brut Substance
Imported by The Rare Wine Co. Disgorged 20 November 2007. Alcohol 12.5%. An attractive, rather mature color. There are hints of yellow fruit in the mouth with yeast notes, and oxidative, tangy apple orchard notes in the finish. It is a little foxy and earthy with tons of acidity and a sharp finish. Not right. Not Rated.
After
NV Ulysse Collin, Champagne Blanc de Blancs Extra-Brut
Imported by Louis/Dressner. Lot No. 10. Disgorged March 2014. Alcohol 12.5%. A light straw color. The very fine bubbles are perfectly integrated with piercing acidity and some tropical fruit. This wine has power with lemons and other citrus which puckers the mouth in the middle. The bubbles mix with baking spices leaving chalk in the finish and a long, textured aftertaste. Bracing stuff best with food. ***(*) Now – 2028.
2008 Trimbach, Riesling Cuvee Frederick Emile, Alsace
Imported by Espirit du Vin. Powerful, dry, white fruit flavors of apple and citrus with a good vein of acidity. Certainly a food wine. Tart overall but there is some Riesling flesh. This will be long-lived. *** Now – 2028.
2014 Escarpment, Te Rehua Pinot Noir
Imported by Meadowbank Estates. Alcohol 13.5%. A black cherry, Pinot nose. In the mouth are focused, fresh, and deep flavors of attractive black fruit which is almost bitter. Watering acidity carries black cherry and licorice towards the dry and herbal finish where tannins are left on the gums. The long aftertaste is clean. ***(*) Now – 2023.
2003 Chapoutier, Hermitage Le Pavillon
Shipped by Allyn & Scott Wines. Imported by Wine Cellars LTD. On the second night this is a seamless wine of brooding strength. The savory and salty start builds incredible depth of flavor backed by tactile sensation of extract. This is an inky, mouth coating wine with licorice, floral flavors, and new oak. This is an intense, modern wine. **** Now – 2033.
1982 Chateau La Lagune, Haut Medoc
Shipped by Andre Labarda. Imported by Majestic Wines & Spirits. A mature nose with leather aromas. It is off to a savory start with this medium bodied wine. There is a nice mix of fruit, both red and black, along with hints of floral perfume in the finish. I would drink these gentle wines now. *** Now.
1977 Cassayre-Forni Cellars, Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley
This offers a good nose of black fruit and leather. In the mouth is a linear delivery of black fruit, integrity acidity, and some greenhouse notes. Best within one hour. *** Now.
1977 Simi, Cabernet Sauvignon, Alexander Valley
At first this was gentle with foxy, simple flavors. But after an hour in the decanter it became mouth filling with darker fruit and a touch of greenhouse. Good weight. ***(*) Now.
The wicker capsule on the 1880 CVM Malvasia Madeira
The 1880 Companhia Vinicola da Madeira (CVM), Malvasia Madeira served at my Introductory Madeira Tasting was sealed with a decades old wicker capsule. According to Alex Liddel’s Madeira (1998), wickerwork expanded on the island during the 1870s as a result of the phylloxera. It is not clear when bottles were first sealed with a wicker capsule but some shippers did use them widely. The practice faded out by the 1980s. This particular bottles bear a Junta Nacional do Vinho da Madeira (JNC) paper seal under the capsule so it was applied between 1937 and 1979.
The wicker capsule is composed of a partially woven top which covers the opening of the bottle and a single piece, spiral wound around the top of the neck. The end of the spiral is tucked into itself. It may be unwound.
Upon unwinding the spiral piece of wicker, you can see how the legs of the top wicker piece lay underneath.
The top piece comes right off revealing a thin paper covering. It was certainly fragile and a bit stuck to the bottle but I soon peeled all of the pieces off.
The paper JNV seal is revealed covering the opening of the bottle and the cork. Once I removed the JNV seal I extracted the cork using my Durand. This bottle was sealed with one of the notoriously short, yet effective, corks.
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