20th century Madeira tasting

I mentioned this wine dinner at which we were scheduled to taste 8 vintages of 20th century Madeiras right back to 1908 last week. I will make some general observations on these Madeiras and how they tasted. The 1908 will be the subject on a dedicated entry. The line up was (in increasing age) 1984, 1983, 1978, 1973, 1968, 1958, 1922 and finally 1908.

After going through the wines the first time, it was obvious that this was a very nuanced tasting, with all the wines being various shades of mahogany/brown/tea etc, with smoky, vine fruits/raisin notes and varying degrees of nuttiness to boot. These elements were held together with an astonishing amount of acidity, which although it can be quite dominant in one or two examples, nevertheless is never strident and manages to blend well with the rest of the elements to give support without putting anything out of joint. Given the similarity between say the 1984 and the 1908, some might wonder if it is worth the extra money for the older wine. I would venture to say this, it may be our inexperience that limited our ability to appreciate the difference between these grand old wines. I for one would love to be able to experience these old wines more so as to learn the subtle differences between them.