Madeira

Broadbent Madeira
Malmsey – 10 years old
$27.00
Shane’s Notes

The great fortified wines of the world include Port, Sherry and Madeira (with all due respect to Guns ‘N Roses, we will leave Night Train off the list). We absolutely love Port and have mixed feelings about Sherry. If this Malmsey is representative of Madeiras, we have mixed feelings about Madeiras as well. The four types of Madeira, in order from driest to sweetest, are Sercial, Verdelho (Rainwater is a Verdelho), Boal and Malmsey. We decided to try a Malmsey figuring we would prefer a sweet Madeira. This Madeira is similar to a Sherry – it is Mahogany with an amber meniscus and smells like sweet, caramelized hazelnuts. It is very tangy and sweet and tastes a bit like a raisiny carrot cake. There may have been a hint of chocolate on the finish. It was mildly enjoyable, but the tangy taste was a bit too much for me. It reminds me more of sweetened brandy than of wine. We will probably try another Madeira or two in the future, but Port is definitely the king of fortified wines.