I Have Just…

Posted on March 7, 2012 by Come Due Maiali

I have just drunk an 1870 Blandy’s Verdelho Solera Madeira with fois gras.

No, it is not a typo.

It was fresh like a luscious (but elegant), butterscotch-flavored daisy.

44 thoughts on “I Have Just…”

The Mouse on March 7, 2012 at 10:45 pm said:

Wow! Speechless.

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- Come Due Maiali on March 7, 2012 at 10:46 pm said:
  
  Me, too! Thus the brevity.
  
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Razel Rull-Navarro on March 7, 2012 at 11:02 pm said:

Brilliant! I could taste it as I read your description 🙂

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- Come Due Maiali on March 8, 2012 at 9:40 am said:
  
  Sometimes you have to use a bit of poetry to preserve the sensation. Thanks!
  
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Sybarite Sauvage on March 7, 2012 at 11:23 pm said:

You’re such a tease! There has to be more to the story– did you just happen to have this lying around the house? Who were you with? Did they like it or did they make a face because the wine was too sweet?

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- Come Due Maiali on March 8, 2012 at 9:59 am said:
  
  You are going to make me pierce the veil of mystery…very well.
  I was fortunate enough to attend a historical Madeira tasting at Arrowine wine shop with the 7th generation Blandy’s Madeira Company owner (following their bicentennial celebration last year). Very exciting for a wine geek like myself. Vintage Madeira is aged for a minimum of 20 years, so we tasted a total of 9 Madeiras ranging from recent releases to 1870.
  
  Vintage Madeira is a wine of exquisite balance; I don’t believe anyone would have the heart to pronounce it “too sweet”.
  
  My eating and drinking companion 9 times out of 10 is my husband Jeff (he is the 2nd of the Two Pigs, although my enthusiasm alone often rivals that of several piglets). He is a delightful companion who has a very well developed palate ( that’s a nice way of saying he is spoilt rotten :-)). I do the spoiling, but you have probably already guessed that.
  
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  - Sybarite Sauvage on March 9, 2012 at 8:25 am said:
    
    Your Hubster is a Blessed Bastard (I mean that as a compliment). As you have probably surmised by now, those of us with an affinity for good food and drink usually take spoiling our companions to extremes! Otherwise, what do you become? You become Richard Nixon– secretly sipping Chateau Margaux by yourself (http://sybaritesauvage.com/2011/05/08/another-nixonian-dilemma/). That ranges from being merely very sad to the completely pathetic. In his case probably more of the latter.
    
    You clearly have it figured out. I believe I do as well. At least that’s what Ms. R tell me…
    
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    - Come Due Maiali on March 9, 2012 at 9:12 am said:
      
      Yes, for me pleasure shared is definitely a pleasure doubled. I absolutely love your Nixon Dilemma post!
      
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cravesadventure on March 7, 2012 at 11:30 pm said:

O M G 1870 – I was elated last week when I found a 2004 in the store – ha!

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- Come Due Maiali on March 8, 2012 at 9:43 am said:
  
  Hey, I totally get excited when I find anything beyond 2007. That was a very, very special treat (a 1994, 1985, 1969, 1963, 1958, 1920, and the 1870).
  
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  - StefanGourmet on March 10, 2012 at 11:26 am said:
    
    I know what you mean. That’s why I have all those wine fridges (5 of them with 1000 bottles or so; it’s too wet for a cellar where I live). Except for French wine, it’s next to impossible to buy most wines properly aged. Everything is sold as soon as possible and then sadly drunk too young in many cases.
    
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filingawaycupcakes on March 8, 2012 at 8:43 am said:

Blandy’s, far from bland. hehe I wish I were sitting at that table!

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- Come Due Maiali on March 8, 2012 at 10:58 am said:
  
  Well said!
  
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jlee5879 on March 8, 2012 at 9:48 am said:

Thanks for stopping by my blog! Great blog you have here as I am a fellow wine and Italian lover! 🙂

http://jleesblog.com

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- Come Due Maiali on March 8, 2012 at 10:04 am said:
  
  Thanks so much! I certainly enjoyed yours.
  
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The Blissful Adventurer on March 8, 2012 at 11:47 am said:

I would love to drink that with my breakfast!

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- Come Due Maiali on March 8, 2012 at 1:49 pm said:
  
  My preference is dinner. As we were tasting through the 9 Madeiras, various snacks were provided to show off the remarkable acidity of those wines (marcona almonds, various artisanal cheeses, and fois gras). Those are killer food wines!
  
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  - The Blissful Adventurer on March 8, 2012 at 2:12 pm said:
    
    I have had some of these back in the day. I would enjoy having them again
    
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Anastasia on March 8, 2012 at 12:30 pm said:

Thanks for teasing! 😉 Happy International Women’s Day!

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- Come Due Maiali on March 8, 2012 at 1:45 pm said:
  
  You, too!
  
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  - Anastasia on March 8, 2012 at 2:24 pm said:
    
    By the way, reading your recommended author – Tolstaya – love her!
    
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    - Come Due Maiali on March 8, 2012 at 2:28 pm said:
      
      Right on! What specifically are you reading by her?
      
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      - Anastasia on March 8, 2012 at 3:18 pm said:
        
        Кысь
        
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        Come Due Maiali on March 8, 2012 at 3:30 pm said:
        
        Cool! That was my first, too. There is lots more; she is a good and prolific writer.
manoverboardnt on March 9, 2012 at 7:38 pm said:

faaaaantastic!

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Cooksploratrice on March 10, 2012 at 8:35 am said:

How I wish I could have had a sip. Or even, had a sniff. Just the smell of that bottle must have been completely tantalizing. What aromas was your nose able to detect?

Much more interesting, how did you get your hands on such a rare and venerable vintage?

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Come Due Maiali on March 10, 2012 at 11:07 am said:

For me, Madeira is a totally unique wine in that it combines characteristics of several other fortified wines and spirits, turning it into a gentler, more complex drink with an amazing food affinity. The tasting organized by one of the wine shops in the DC area (in cooperation with The Madeira Wine Company) gave us an opportunity to experience several Madeira styles (Sercial, Verdelho, Bual, and Malmsey) and different vintages 1994, 1985, 1969, 1963, 1958, 1920, and the 1870. The nose and mouthfeel on all these wines was fascinating, with elements of sea water and funk on the dryer Madeiras, butterscotch on most of them, smokiness on the Bual (especially on those from Cossart Gordon), brandy-like vanilla, warm spices, and caramel on the rich Malmseys, and even intense fruitiness on a couple of Buals (dried apricots, figs, etc.)

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StefanGourmet on March 10, 2012 at 11:14 am said:

I haven’t tried a lot of madeira yet, and the ones I did try were a bit too oxidized for my taste. Your description sounds delicious though 🙂

For sherry “solera” means that it is actually lots of vintages mixed together in a system where each year the new wine is added after taking out some of the mix to make room for the new. The year then means the starting date of the solera, and so only part is actually from that year. I’ve had Pedro Ximenez from a Solera started in 1927 and that was very nice! I don’t know if the same applies to madeira.

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- Come Due Maiali on March 10, 2012 at 11:16 am said:
  
  Yes, I believe so. Blending is a real art, and solera madeiras are quite rare.
  
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Jar Of Salt on March 12, 2012 at 7:57 am said:

Gasp! Thinking of words to say. Must pick up jaw that just dropped. :-p

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mylunchanddinner on March 12, 2012 at 12:31 pm said:

Wow! That must have been an interesting experience!! I wish I could have been there! Thanx for visiting my blog the other day. It gave me an opportunity to read this story! Hope to see your storys!

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- mylunchanddinner on March 12, 2012 at 12:32 pm said:
  
  stories! ha
  
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- Come Due Maiali on March 13, 2012 at 9:26 pm said:
  
  Any fan of Jamie Oliver and Nigella Lawson is a friend of Come Due Maiali! You are welcome here anytime 🙂
  
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Joanie Karapetian, Italian Wine Geek on March 12, 2012 at 8:00 pm said:

Unbelievable! I am so excited for you!

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- Come Due Maiali on March 13, 2012 at 9:23 pm said:
  
  I felt like it was a very complete experience. Tasting an exceedingly well preserved wine from two centuries ago is cool in its own right, but the commentary from Chris Blandy, and the food pairings with the 9 madeiras really provided unique context for the tasting.
  
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  - Joanie Karapetian, Italian Wine Geek on March 14, 2012 at 11:00 am said:
    
    That is just. Awesome.
    
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Sauce Boss on March 13, 2012 at 7:23 pm said:

Thanks so much for stopping by my blog… 🙂 And wow, I am so jealous of you and that bottle!!

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- Come Due Maiali on March 13, 2012 at 9:02 pm said:
  
  Thanks for looking me up! And yes, I am well aware of my good fortune 🙂
  
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The Passionate Culinarian on March 15, 2012 at 3:09 pm said:

One word: (ahem…clearing throat)…JEALOUS.

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- Come Due Maiali on March 15, 2012 at 3:39 pm said:
  
  Thanks for being honest 🙂
  
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  - The Passionate Culinarian on March 15, 2012 at 8:54 pm said:
    
    Mostly I’m jealous because I just had to suffer through an atrocious bottle of domestic nonsense mistakenly labelled as White Merlot. Okay, I only had a sip. I poured the rest down the drain, and my bride applauded. She hated it, too. Bless her heart.
    
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    - Come Due Maiali on March 16, 2012 at 9:56 am said:
      
      Actually, throwing something away takes guts. So many people would still drink it if they bought it, poured it, etc., even if they hate it or are not crazy about it. There is a mental commitment to go through a less than perfect experience.
      
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dianeskitchentable on March 30, 2012 at 3:18 pm said:

You caught my eye w/this picture since my husband’s last night is Solera. I will definitely have to show it to him although he is of Italian ancestry rather than Portuguese. Thanks for stopping by,hope to see you again.

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- Come Due Maiali on March 30, 2012 at 3:24 pm said:
  
  He will at least appreciate the name of my blog: “Come Due Maiali” 🙂
  Cheers, and thanks for visiting!
  
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