NV Rare Wine Co. (Vinhos Barbeito) Madeira Historic Series George Washington Special Reserve- Portugal, Madeira (6/24/2017)
This is just plain beautiful…I wish i had been able to get more than one bottle of this. Pale amber, almost orange in hue. Scents of ocean air, walnuts, orange rind, and antique furniture fill the glass. The palate is an odd blend of orange marmalade, cashew, and cherry muffin. This is just plain brilliant…if you see this available and like Madeira, snag a glass. You’ll be more than happy…Outstanding!!!
Nice! I love reading Madeira tasting notes. It’s the only wine where I can see descriptors like “antique furniture” or “cherry muffin” and have full confidence that the writer wasn’t just stretching for the obscure. All that stuff really is in there!
I’ve got a bottle of this George Washington blend in the cellar - looking forward to giving it a try…
I’m kicking myself for not jumping when RWC sent out the email to this. I waited a day or two and was only able to secure this lone bottle. We had this with chocolate chip cookies after eating sushi and I honestly think this would have been amazing with the sushi as well. This is a special, special wine…well worth the price-tag.
It’s like a Bual…but not as dark. The label has it listed as “medium sweet” and I’d say that with the acidity it could honestly pair with a normal meal. I may even have to run down the street to The Eagle’s Nest to try this with a lobster roll. If you’re in the area in August I should still have some…swing by for a taste.
The Wine
I am indebted to Barbeito’s Ricardo Freitas—who created this remarkable new Madeira—and Aaron Nix-Gomez—the gifted wine historian who writes hogsheadwine.com—who sifted through Washington’s Madeira correspondence to learn what he most liked to drink. Based on what Aaron found, we concluded that Washington favored “rich” Madeira, which in the parlance of the time meant sweet.
Ricardo pulled out the stops to craft a Madeira of surpassing elegance to honor Washington. To achieve a level of sweetness of a Bual, Ricardo married a diverse palate of components, including young Tinta Negra (some from very old vines), Malvasias and Sercials, along with a very dry 25-year-old Tinta Negra and a very sweet 60-year-old Tinta Negra. Once again, Ricardo has shown that his skills as a blender are really remarkable.
Ricardo Freitas is the most dynamic and forward thinking of Madeira winemakers. He loves blending and inherited a treasure trove of lots from his mother. He still finds demijohns of fantastic wine that his mother squirreled away in some hidden corner years ago. He also experiments a lot with different vinification techniques and he’s currently experimenting with Bastardo macerated on skins.