Tasting Henriques and Henriques Madeira

After a full weekend of seeing the sights, I spent Monday with Humberto Jardim, the chairman of Henriques and Henriques Madeira. Heading to Câmara de Lobos in the early morning, we had a chance to visit the whole operation – tanks, barrels and the aging and the blending areas. While most wineries have their wine aging in gloomy cellars, in Madeira, you can have barrels aging in front of large picture windows or in the attics, rather than in a cool basement.

The highlight of my day was the tasting, for sure. We tried a lot of Madeira, all Henriques and Henriques products. Here are a few brief notes on the wines; these might not be available in all markets, but are certainly worth looking for.

Monte Secco: Quite pale and very dry, very similar to a fino. Almonds, sherry, spice, orange rind, mineral notes, fresh and tasty.

5 Year Old Finest Dry: Still pale in colour, plenty of toasted almond and biscuit notes. Very good wine.

10 Years Old Sercial: Fairly salty and smoky, citrus lemon, marmalade and very tasty while still quite dry.

15 Years Old Sercial: A keeper, but one to drink. Slight amber notes, orange spice, caramel and lime zest, super bright acids and easy to drink in abundance.

5 Years Old Medium Dry: Slight confection and brûlée notes, certainly not dry, but easy and enjoyable.

10 Years Old Verdelho: One of my favourites, it’s just plain good.

15 Years Old Verdelho: Fairly dark in colour, beautiful aromas, includes a mild mint note and a touch of chaparral. A touch of smoke on the very long finish.

1898 Old Verdelho Solera: A very interesting wine and one to remember. Inky brown with molasses notes, mineral concentration and mild, smoky brine aromas. This is rich, tasty and tactile. It just washed back over the palate and opens up more with every sip. Simply brilliant.

2000 Bual: From a single harvest, coffee notes, orange spice and a slight savoury component, the palate brings some sweetness with orange flambé and chocolate cream. Sweeter, but a great after dinner wine.

15 Years Old Bual: A winner of several trophies and packs toffee, brown sugar, hazelnuts, lifted alcohol, heat and Christmas oranges. On the palate, look for lime, chocolate, coffee bean, tobacco and nuts. It’s balanced and long on the palate.

1995 Single Harvest: Richer and sweeter, a wine for small functions or intimate events. Very tasty.

1998 Medium Rich Single Harvest: This wasn’t my favourite, I found it a bit disjointed on the palate. I’d love to try it again in the near future.

20 Years Old Malvasia: At this age, Madeira has a really dark colour in the glass. Dark chocolate, tea tree oil, caramel, lemons and smoke all make an appearance on the palate. Thick and creamy in the mouth, flavours are very true.

20 Years Old Terrantez: This rare grape makes wine that is not for the faint of heart — prickly acids and a mild bitterness make this unique and exciting to drink. Fantastic.

1954 Terrantez: This is a wine that I will remember for a long time. Bitter floral notes, dried berries, salty, mineral and a touch of smoky rubber. Mild cola notes on the palate join the aromatic nose with a little tea and appealing brûlée flavours.

1980 Bual: I think this wine might have had a minor cork issue, but it was certainly okay.

1954 Bual: Super complex with brown sugar, lifted spice and citrus fruit. It was quite the treat.

After the tasting, we visited some of the vineyards owned by Henriques and Henriques, including one of their winery facilities and one of the largest continuous vineyards on the island. After a quick but extremely filling lunch, I was off to the airport. I loved every second on the island and cannot wait until I visit again.

See you there.