1995 Smith Woodhouse Madalena

Tasting notes for individual Ports, with an index sorted by vintage and alphabetically.
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Tasting notes for individual Ports, with an index sorted by vintage and alphabetically.
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Will W.
Taylor’s LBV
Posts: 183
Joined: 14:33 Thu 11 Aug 2016

1995 Smith Woodhouse Madalena

Post by Will W. »

Madalena is the Portuguese form of Magdalene - or Mary Magdalen, as an Englishman might prefer - a follower of Jesus Christ, who, according to various authorities, was present at both the crucifixion and, more happily, the resurrection. Quinta da Madalena takes its name from this intriguing woman, much revered by the Gnostics and, in my household, by Her Ladyship.

Madalena was much imagined by painters in earlier times, on wood panels and on canvas. The Apostle of Apostles - she was no dime store hooker, as Pope Pius I claimed erroneously in 591 - was likewise depicted in oil by the seventeenth century Dutch-turned-English painter, Sir Peter Lely. The latter’s work, and variations thereof composed largely by myriad lackeys employed in his studio, fill (in the words of the late and much-lamented art critic of the London Evening Standard) “the corridors of the indigent aristocracy whose houses are now administered by the National Trust, and no sight is more aesthetically and intellectually numbing.” Whilst I am no aristocrat, though arguably indigent, Sir Peter’s interpretation of Madalena sits in my dining room. I am confronted by this enormous canvas whenever I am seated at the head of the supper table, which is my wont and my right. There, I suffer the indignity of Madalena peering down at me with an air of saintly disapproval which would find favour with modern-day followers of the passive-aggression school of interpersonal relationships.

Under the circumstances, there was little prospect of my enjoying a Smith Woodhouse Madalena, try as I might. In the event, I took less offence at this 1995 single quinta vintage than Madalena does with me.

In the glass on 13 November 2021, the wine’s original ruby hues had given way to a brown-brick colour which, other than its clear rim, was almost entirely opaque. After a six-hour decant, which I think was about two hours too long, the nose was pleasant albeit simple. The principal characteristic striking the olfactory nerve was that of plum compote, with hints of green apple and a whiff of pine sap. On entry, the dominant sensation on the fore-palate was something akin to burnt sugar. Further inquiry revealed watered-down prune juice. These notes were followed by red orange zest, powdered ginger and teriyaki - as the latter is found in Japan, rather than the salty rubbish pawned off on gaijin. The last of the drying tannins, appearing only at the back, suggested that the wine is at its peak, or at least very near thereto. The finish laid bare the wine’s healthy acidity, whilst the bitters evident at the mid-palate lingered pleasantly.

My overall impression of this somewhat thin-bodied and dry port was that it was perfectly pleasing when not afforded careful consideration, being as it was without obvious flaws - much like the bulk of Sir Peter Lely’s canon. Alas, my struggles with Madalena (the apostle, not the wine) might be expected to continue.

-88 points
Last edited by Will W. on 12:07 Thu 02 Dec 2021, edited 2 times in total.
MigSU
Warre’s Otima 10 year old Tawny
Posts: 634
Joined: 13:22 Wed 17 Feb 2021
Location: Douro Valley

Re: 1995 Smith Woodhouse Madalena

Post by MigSU »

My God.
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