The wines we tasted were:
Hidalgo Manzanilla Pasada Pastrana Sherry
£18 Waitrose Cellar
Very fine Manzanilla Pasada. From a single vineyard, it has the typical and unique freshness and delicacy of Sanlúcar wines. Superb, mature, nutty manzanilla from the fine Pastrana vineyard in the Miraflores region, which has long produced the finest wines in the Hidalgo cellars. A manzanilla with the strength of character to stand up to all manner of dishes, try it with fresh tuna steaks, or a shellfish stew.
Country – Spain, Region – Jerez
Grape – Palomino, ABV 15%
Henriques & Henriques 10-Year-Old Sercial Madeira
£22 for 50cl Waitrose Cellar (equiv £33)
Reminiscent of brown spices, nuts and citrus peel on the nose. The slightly smoky aroma with walnuts, apricots and vanilla transfers onto the palate with mild acidity and an extraordinarily long finish. Paler, drier and with brisker acidity than the bual and malmsey styles of Madeira, this smooth, refreshing and nutty amber glassful may be served chilled as an aperitif, or with cheese.
Country – Portugal, Region – Madeira
Grape – Sercial, ABV 20%
Kopke 10-Year-Old White Port
£38 Waitrose Cellar
Made by blending wines of different harvests and matured in oak. Serve chilled as an apéritif – or pair with scallops, mushroom risotto, a spicy apple crumble or blue cheese. Gorgeous golden colour, elegant and complex aromas, and a fresh, delightfully flavoursome palate. Dried fruit, cinnamon spice and old wood flavours from an average of 10 years in barrel. Wonderful stuff; a sweet wine full of savoury complexity, comparable to the best from Sauternes.
Country – Portugal, Region – Douro, Vintage – 2013
Grape – blend, ABV 20%
Harveys Signature 12yo Sherry
£18 for 50cl Waitrose Cellar (equiv £27)
Inviting and mellow with notes of sandalwood, sweet spice, dried fruit and hazelnut. Intense nut, dried fruit and peel flavours, sweet, rounded mouth feel. Deep mahogany colour with copper tints. Smokey aromas, burnt caramel, roast nuts, treacle, dried citrus, pecan nuts and spice.
Country – Spain, Region – Jerez
Grape – Palomino Pedro Ximenez, ABV 19%
Croft Reserve Tawny Port
£19.99 Majestic
Croft is the Port industry’s oldest producer still active today. Founded in 1588, the house has a rich and fascinating history. Their innovative thinking saw them create the very first vintage Port, and the house continues to lead the way with some of the region’s finest fortified wines. This Reserve Tawny is a prime example. It’s beautifully smooth and round, with warm aromas of butterscotch, walnut and spice. Ripe and jammy fig flavours will complement a strong cheddar or a dark chocolate dessert.
Grape Touriga Nacional, Country Portugal, Region Douro, ABV 20%
Blandys 15-Year-Old Bual Madeira
£27 for 50cl Waitrose Cellar (equiv £40.50)
Blandy’s is unique in being the only founder family to still own and manage its wine company – the family still lives on Madeira. Clear, amber colour with a golden rim. Characteristic, complex, good intensity, strong bouquet of dried fruits (figs, prunes, almonds), wood and vanilla. Medium sweet, smooth, good balanced, long and exuberant aftertaste bodied and warm. Blandy’s 15-year-old Bual is fined and does not require decanting. It is a superb accompaniment to dessert dishes, especially fruit, cakes, rich chocolate puddings and cheeses. It has been bottled when ready for drinking and will keep for several months after opening.
Country – Portugal, Region – Madeira
Grape – Bual, ABV 19%
Samos Vin Doux 2021
£9.99 Waitrose Cellar
Country – Greece, Region – Aegean Islands
Grape – Moscatel, ABV 15%
A classic expression of small-berried Muscat from one of Greece’s oldest cooperatives. Ripe stone-fruit flavours are balanced with sweetness and a fresh acidity. This fortified wine has a gorgeous golden colour. Primary grape aromas of flowers, fresh fruits and honey, notes of pure lemon curd & cardamom. A soft mouthfeel with natural sweetness with well-balanced acidity, giving a long-lasting aftertaste. Samos Vin Doux belongs to the Vins de Liqueurs category and is the most popular wine of Samos. It perfectly accompanies not only sweets that are light in texture and colour, such as apple pie, lemon pie, fruit tarts, but also creamy desserts with full-bodied taste. Perfect served as an aperitif with fruit, cheeses and nuts.
Andrew Quady ‘Essensia’ Orange Muscat 2021
£15.99 half bottle Majestic (equiv £31.98)
Full bodied, sweet and complex, this is made with rare Orange Muscat grapes. Winemaker Andrew Quady aimed to create a wine that celebrated the grapes’ intense aromas and spicy fruit flavours – and he’s certainly succeeded. Essentia is full of apricot, orange and pear flavours with a balancing acidity and a long, lingering finish. It’s delicious with rich chocolate puddings. In 2022, this wine won an IWC award for the 2019 vintage.
Grape Muscat, Country USA, Region California, ABV 15%
Accompanied by
Dark chocolate, crackers, dried apricots and figs, salted almonds, cheddar and blue cheeses, amoretti biscuits and madeleines
Wine of the evening, as voted for by the group, was the Henriques & Henriques 10-Year-Old Sercial Madeira