‘New’ Wines from Henriques & Henriques

Over a morning in November last year I tasted these newly bottled wines with Humberto Jardim, Managing Director of Henriques & Henriques (H&H). We spent the time chatting and tasting in equal measure with me gleaning information for the new edition of my book Madeira, The Islands and their Wines. We began the tasting with an amuse bouche: Monte Seco, a wine unique to H&H. It was first made as a prank by Peter Cossart in 1937 as a substitute for his favourite La Ina fino sherry which was unobtainable on the island. During the period of the Second World War it came to be used as a substitute for vermouth in dry Martinis. It was originally made from the local Listrão grape (Palomino) but Monte Seco with its pale amber colour and simple appley flavours is now produced from Tinta Negra. It is made off-dry (with 25 g/l of residual sugar) and mostly kept in stainless steel before bottling to limit oxidation: this is madeira with a difference. The wines below are listed in the order they were presented, with driest and youngest first finishing with a rich and rare Bastardo from 1927. It is all the more remarkable that a wine from 1927 can still be classed as ‘new’.

Henriques & Henriques 2001 Single Harvest Sercial ****

Made from grapes grown at Seixal (on the north side) and Quinta Grande: iridescent, pale orange/amber; lifted, very expressive nutty-leafy aromas, very characteristic of Sercial; lovely dried-apricot dimension and concentration offset by seemingly saline acidity, a lovely aperitif wine with a long, crystal clear, off dry finish. A fine representation of Sercial: there is still more of this in cask which is waiting to graduate to frasqueira. 18

Henriques & Henriques Single Harvest Verdelho 2007 ****

Effectively a single vineyard wine with all the grapes coming from H&H’s own vineyard at Quinta Grande: mid-deep amber-mahogany; leafy, slightly singed aromas, baked Alaska nose with spicy candied fruit (72g/l residual sugar), a touch of eucalypt with a lovely balance between sweet and savoury leading to a long, lithe lemon and lime marmalade finish. 17

Henriques & Henriques Verdelho 1981 ****/*****

A wine made exclusively from grapes grown at H&H’s own vineyards at Quinta Grande, with a beautiful green, leafy yet slightly tropical lifted nose with a hint of wood smoke. It sings from the glass. Similarly complex on the palate with a greengage and grapefruit character (68 g/l residual sugar and 9.46 g/l acidity expressed as tartaric), in glorious balance that left me completely lost for words. Spicy and a touch phenolic with a toasted finish. 18.5

Henriques & Henriques Single Harvest Boal 2009 ***/****+?

Bottled shortly before I tasted it, hence rather spirity on the nose with the richness more evident on the palate: marmalade with a touch of butterscotch. Lovely texture with the richness offset by pronounced acidity. Good poise for a wine of this age: it tastes older than its years. 16.5

Henriques & Henriques Boal 1997 ****

Bottled in 2018: deep amber / mahogany in colour; still quite closed on the nose but with toffee-like concentration underlying; lovely fresh sweet figgy fruit (92g/l residual sugar), a touch green too with steely acidity (7.57 g/l tartaric) and a character that Humberto Jardim describes as moedas (‘coins’) the comes from the ferruginous soils where this Boal was produced. 18

Henriques & Henriques 1928 Sercial *****

Bottled in 2021, tasted this with Humberto Jardim in the same year: golden amber in hue; ethereal on the nose, lithe and lifted (2g/l volatile acidity) with a lovely, very typical green-floral character and a touch of toffee underlying; still astoundingly fresh with well-defined greengage fruit (46g/l residual sugar) and nervy acidity that penetrates the finish (12 g/l total acidity). Long and linear: goes on and on. 19.5

Henriques & Henriques 1932 Verdelho *****

A wine bottled earlier in 2021: this wine really sings from the glass with fabulous leafy (green tea) aromas, multi-layered on the palate but pure and focused with bitter-sweet lime marmalade at its core (76 g/l residual sugar) and tea leaf astringency on the finish (10.46 g/l total acidity). Very fine indeed. 19

Henriques & Henriques 1927 Bastardo ****

Bastardo is synonymous designation of the Trousseau grape grown in parts of France. It ripens early and reaches significant sugar levels. This wine is real rarity and was only bottled in 2021: nut brown – mahogany in hue with spicy though slightly baked-toasted aromas and a pronounced torrefaction richness on the palate (114g/l residual sugar) redolent of dark chocolate and roasted coffee. The acidity really cuts though (11 g/l tartaric) leading to a long bitter-sweet finish. A rather wonderful curiosity and a great survivor. 18