Madeira,1954MadeiraWine

Sans

This 1954 Madeira from the Barbeito Family collection offers an intriguing bouquet of melted butter, quince, rosewater and a touch of furniture polish. It demonstrates wonderful clarity and precision. The palate is medium-bodied with a rounded, viscous entry. It is very pure, with touches of quince, burnt toast, creme brulee and lemongrass, and it fans out beautifully across the mouth with a sensual, caressing finish that is irresistible.

Barbeito Madeira is a renowned producer of Madeira wine, which is a fortified wine from the Portuguese island of Madeira. Established in 1946, Barbeito is one of the few independent, family-owned producers of Madeira. Mario Barbeito founded his company in what was a dark time for Madeira with many companies going out of business. He had faith in the future. He also believed—just as Charles Ridpath Blandy, H.M. Borges and João D’Oliveira had done decades earlier—that the value of great Madeira could only go up as it became older, and production of young vintages declined. And so, a former accountant, Barbeito went around the island buying substantial stocks of priceless old vintages from important families. This bottle represents one of thos acquisitions.