Island Treasures : From D’Oliveiras and Miles Come Collectible and Current Madeiras

GOOD MADEIRA WINES come as no surprise; they have been around for centuries. In fact, great American forefathers such as George Washington, John Adams and John Hancock boasted of their Madeira collections.

But few people claim such collections today, probably because these dessert wines are available only in limited amounts and in fine wine shops.

Collectibles, including a Madeira made during the Gold Rush of the ‘49ers, can still be found. But Madeiras were made much earlier than that. It is fact, not legend, that when Joao Goncalves Zarco set forth from Portugal in May, 1420, to colonize the great, green mountain island rising from the sea, he set fire to the forests after cutting enough timber for housing; he needed fields for planting vines and sugar cane. Records indicate the island burned for seven years. Ashes from the fire improved the soil, enriched with centuries of accumulated decomposed leaf mold. He had made the volcanic, pumice-stone soil the richest vineyard site in the world.

And wine is still the lifeblood of the island. Madeiras age in casks of American oak, and the bottled wonders range from dry to very rich.

Joseph E. Herpin Jr. of Newport Beach, whose Heritage Imports Ltd. is one of the nation’s leading importers of Madeiras, recently held a tasting of such wines from two houses--D’Oliveiras and Miles Madeiras. D’Oliveiras is one of the most respected houses on the Portuguese isle in the Atlantic, almost 600 miles southwest of Lisbon. It is a source of old vintage wines, while Miles Madeiras offer younger wines at affordable prices.

Madeiras we tasted included:

Miles Reserve Madeira Sercial ($14.95). An aperitif selection, it may be served chilled. The beguiling bouquet suggests hazelnuts.

Miles Reserve Madeira Verdelho ($14.95). A joy to the eye with its liquid amber color. A perfume of haunting depths in the bouquet hints at apricots and walnuts. There is a mild sweetness in this 5-year-old wine that can be enjoyed now.

Miles Special Reserve Madeira-Malmsey ($29.95). Hints of sandalwood are in the bouquet of this 10-year-old wine. It has richness and complexity with a liqueureuse taste. Once opened, but kept corked, this wine will last a year or more.

D’Oliveiras Reserva Verdelho 1850 Madeira ($337). You’re drinking history with this 139-year-old wine. It has a touch of orange blossoms in the bouquet. No worry about sediment; the wine was bottled only three years ago, drawn from casks of wine that came into the family of the D’Oliveiras brothers during the past century.

D’Oliveiras Reserva Boal 1922 Madeira ($189). This dessert sweet amber elixir is a toasting wine. Long on the palate, it has a nutty taste.

D’Oliveiras Reserva Malvazia 1875 Madeira ($295). Ulysses S. Grant was President when the grapes for this wine were harvested, but there is still an almost-floral overtone to the bouquet of this balanced taste treasure.

These wines are well worth sampling. To take a line from a Tennessee Williams play: “Make voyages! Attempt them. There’s nothing else.” Sips of Madeira will bring unexpected pleasure.

Antiques and accessories from Charles Gill Antiques.