Shortridge Lawton Madeira Boal 1861

James Forsyth

Back in February I went along to a Madeira tasting hosted by The Food & Wine Society, New York. Entitled Two Centuries of Boal, the wines were from the cellar of Andrew Jones, who is quite the authority when it comes to Madeira. We kicked off with the 1861 Boal from Shortridge Lawton & Co (which became part of the Madeira Wine Association). With Madeira, the key thing is how long it aged in barrel. Once it is in the bottle, the aging stops. So had the 1861 been bottled in 1871, it would still be a 10 year old Madiera. This wasn't the case here. Instead Jones tracked its bottling to sometime after 1965. Such long aging did well for this wine. While 1861 was considered a poor vintage at the time, this Madeira was stunning: Brown with yellow rims. Rich on the nose with caramel and raisins. Incredible richness on the palate, with an intense burst that sustains. Faded sweetness with dried fruits and sandalwood, and especially dry on the finish, that seems to go on forever with evolving complexity. Gorgeous. A beyond rare treat.

Johnny Johnson

Oldest wine I have ever imbibed. Not a madiera fan, but for something that was made from grapes that are as old as Lincoln ..it was very sweet.