1999 Colheita Madeira - Broadbent Selections

Sweet Medjool date, roasted macadamia nut, caramelized apple. Dried citrus peel, butterscotch, hard raspberry candy. Dehydrated fig, toffee, and oversteeped tea highlight a beautifully layered and viscous attack dripping with nectarous notes of orange marmalade and molasses. Dried roses, forest floor, and slow-cooked mushroom gracefully emerge to impart a charming organic edge that does not detract from the rich decadence of gooey caramel, raisins, and stewed fruit. Impressions of baked almond and hazelnut reveal pronounced concentration of delightful nuttiness amplified by high-toned aromas of cognac, vanilla extract, and maple. Massively tertiary yet not the slightest bit tired; pleasantly overlaid with tones of dusty oak and cellar musk above its luscious and inviting core. Medium plus in body and sweet on the palate with low tannin and gorgeously elevated acidity. This 1999 Colheita Madeira by Broadbent Selections is a brilliantly complex and balanced fortified wine from the Madeira Islands.

Located over 400 miles off the coast of Morocco in the midst of the Atlantic Ocean, the Portuguese Madeira Islands have a storied history and their own distinct style of fortified wine. Although they originally intended to make something similar to Port, producers of Madeira discovered their wine became exposed to extreme heat and oxygen during its long journey across the sea which beneficially altered the course of its maturation. This offering, crafted entirely from the red Tinta Negra grape and bottled by Broadbent Selections, marvelously showcases how the wines of Madeira are so unique. While it possesses a rich, sweet, port-like fruit core, the hot oxidative aging process has endowed this wine with incredible tertiary depth. It is simultaneously contemplative and delicious, and should continue to develop and improve for potentially centuries to come; a truly awe-inspiring achievement.