D'OLIVEIRA MADEIRA BASTARDO 750ML 1927

The 1927 Bastardo from Pereira d’Oliveira is nowadays quite difficult to track down, though I have encountered it two or three times in the past. It feels a little more austere than before, with potent, resinous, furniture polish scents. But then the fruit comes out of its slumber, revealing desiccated orange peel, tangerine and light smoky notes. Great vigour. The palate is medium-bodied with quite firm grip, tangy and vibrant with that grilled walnut/hazelnut note on the finish. It does not have the same “braggadocio” as previous bottles, but at a century-old, it continues to ooze class.

I have tasted the 1927 Bastardo on two or three occasions and it is always a great Madeira. Having originally come from the Adegas do Torreao family, it has a swaggering bouquet of tangerine, beeswax, dandelion and a touch of sea foam. The palate might lack a little delineation, but it has a bravura quality with unashamed tangy orange peel, Seville orange marmalade, lemon peel and nutmeg, with a touch of walnut informing the oxidative finish. This is a Bastardo with braggadocio. 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