1990 D'Oliveiras Malvazia Madeira

The 1990 Malvasia offers an uncomplicated bouquet of over-ripe oranges and apricots, with hints of barley sugar in the background. The palate is well-balanced and builds convincingly towards an elegant, tangy marmalade finish that lingers in the mouth. It might lack depth, but it is well crafted. 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