as i am currently preparing for an important wine tasting exam, i am all too aware that some wines are so powerful that they are better tasted after others. their sheer intensity and strong personality are sure to overtake the subtle character of other wines in a flight.

this is especially true of exceptional and beautiful wines. they overtake the senses so completely that it is very difficult to immediately return to normality after tasting them. they create a sort of benchmark against which everything else is measured and enjoyed. the emotions they convey are hard to match and it is all too easy to lose the sense of perspective for a period. eventually things return to normal and, hopefully before all is lost, a new balance is established…

and so it was this evening when i tasted of a series of fortified wines ranging from sherries to madeiras, from portos to maurys…

the madeira barbeito verdelho old reserve 10 years old was just enchanting and captivating… completely standing out of the flight, it went straight to my heart and overtook my emotions completely. so much so that time stopped and all of my senses were electrified to the point that i forgot i was tasting for a rational and academic purpose and not only for sheer pleasure…

the nose was mystical, reminding me of beautiful feelings from a precise moment… roasted and toasted with delicate nutty aromas and a lovely rancio character so typical of fortified wines matured for very long period in oak. this is the exotic aromas reminiscent of exquisitely blended dried fruits with citrus peels, various nuts, and with touches of caramel, honey, leather and dried tobacco giving the wine an altogether unforgettable aroma… a beautiful perfume that makes one want to return to over and over again…

the palate was stunning. rich, silky, caressing and so expressive…. it had an intensity that was so overtaking that everything else was forgotten to focus precisely on that sensation. it wanted to remain there to tantalize and to arouse. rich with sweetness and concentration yet ethereal and graceful from its lovely and refreshing acidity…

its finish was long & so expressive… ending with a powerful sigh, at once unforgettable and haunting….

a truly beautiful wine made to enjoy for pleasure and certainly not for rational purposes….