1900 D'Oliveiras Verdelho Madeira

The 1900 Verdelho has a resinous, sappy, almost introverted bouquet that is quite butch and masculine. The palate is spicy and masculine on the entry with notes of marmalade and a touch of tobacco. There are firm, quite dry tannins, but there is more than sufficient fruit on the finish, plus an attacking acidity to back it up and keep everything harmonious. This is an excellent Verdelho. It was in 1850 that Joao Pereira d’Oliveira founded his company. He initially sold wines to other shippers, and it was not until the 1970s that they began to sell Madeira wines under their own label (though they continued to sell and buy lots, to and from other shippers.) It is a small company, but there are plentiful stocks of reserve wines. Their policy is to bottle on demand, which means their vintage wines can invariably benefit from extended cask aging. Let us begin with their reserve wines, which are mainly Tinta Negra Mole and are matured under estufugem. Importer: The Rare Wine Company, Sonoma, CA; Tel: (203) 457-1431; Fax: (203) 457- 4471