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D'Oliveira
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D'Oliveira Information Sheet
Long Live Madeira from The Art of Eating
Country of Origin: Portugal
Location: Funchal
People: Anibal & Luis d'Oliveira, Owners & Winemakers
Supplier: http://www.rarewineco.com


D'Oliveira is one of the greatest of the classic Madeira shippers, and one of the few to survive from the pre-phylloxera era. Founded in 1820, and today housed in cellars that date from 1619, this small jewel of a company is still owned by the same family, its vineyard holdings built up over time through a series of marriages with other wine-producing families.

But what is really extraordinary is that D'Olivera has held on to many of its most famous vintages, creating a unique, and irreplaceable, stock of old wines. And remarkably they are all D'Oliveira wines, not purchased from other shippers or growers.

Thus, whether an 1862 Sercial or a 1922 Bual, all were produced by the D'Oliveiras and their ancestors, and generally from their own vineyards in São Martinho, one of the great viticultural sites in Madeira, lying just to the west of Funchal along the island's south coast.

D'Olivera's house style can best be characterized by very powerful aromatics, great lushness and viscosity, incredible structure, and a tangy character that is essential to the finest wines of the 18th and 19th centuries. As is typical of the most traditional of houses, wines are kept in cask and bottled according to demand. We are delighted to be able to offer you a wide selection of vintages through our partner, The Rare Wine Company. Most are Stateside in California and can be special-ordered via 2-day air shipment.


"It was in 1850 that Joao Pereira d’Oliveira founded his company. He initially sold wines to other shippers, and it was not until the 1970s that they began to sell Madeira wines under their own label (though they continued to sell and buy lots, to and from other shippers.) It is a small company, but there are plentiful stocks of reserve wines. Their policy is to bottle on demand, which means their vintage wines can invariably benefit from extended cask aging. Let us begin with their reserve wines, which are mainly Tinta Negra Mole and are matured under estufugem." - Wine Advocate 2012
Items
D'Oliveira 1908 Bual Net Price Reviews —
D'Oliveira 1922 Bual Net Price — —
D'Oliveira 1968 Bual Net Price Reviews —
D'Oliveira 1983 Bual Net Price Reviews —
D'Oliveira 1907 Malvasia Net Price Reviews —
D'Oliveira 1937 Sercial Net Price — —
D'Oliveira 1969 Sercial Net Price Reviews —
D'Oliveira 1971 Sercial Net Price — —
D'Oliveira 1988 Terrantez Net Price Reviews —
D'Oliveira 1912 Verdelho Net Price Reviews —
D'Oliveira 1973 Verdelho Net Price Reviews —
Reviews
D'Oliveira 1907 Malvasia
Rating: 93

The 1907 Malvazia was magnificent when tasted on the island in April 2010, though this example does not quite reach those heady heights. It is deep amber in color. The nose is lifted and open with pressed flowers, orange blossom and a slight, rather distracting chlorine accent. The palate is rich and very spicy on the entry with expressive marmalade, orange peel and white pepper notes that build in the mouth. It shows good weight but it is lacking finesse towards the finish. It is a little unruly at 105-years of age, but packed full of flavor. 

- The Wine Advocate (8/31/2012)

D'Oliveira 1908 Bual
Rating: 92

The 1908 Boal is deep amber in color. The nose is quite strict and linear with an attractive chlorophyl aroma intermixed with scents of cockleshell and seaweed emerging from the depths. It retains that quasi-Barsac persona. The palate is well-balanced on the entry with a strong, quite severe oxidative streak that tempers this Boal towards the finish. It has attractive purity, but this bottle does not really let itself go like I know it can Still, this is a great Boal. 

- The Wine Advocate (8/31/2012)

D'Oliveira 1908 Bual
Rating: 94

Bottled in 2008, this actually reminds me of a mature Barsac on the nose. Well defined with dried apricot, red cherry, a touch of walnut and nutmeg. Very refined. The palate is medium-bodied, slightly viscous on the entry with dried honey, apricot, marmalade and Seville orange. Not the weight of some of the coeval Madeira, but amazing persistency and elegance. Lovely. - Neal Martin, Wine Journal

- The Wine Advocate (4/1/2010)

D'Oliveira 1908 Bual
Rating: 94

The 1908 Boal Reserva from D'Oliveiras is an unctuous, full-bodied wine loaded with dark maple syrup, tar, leather, licorice and sweet baking spices. There is superb density here and the wine shows terrific length in an intense style. The finish is long, bright and sweet

- The Wine Advocate (11/1/2008)

D'Oliveira 1912 Verdelho
Rating: 91

Aged for 95 years in the warehouse at Rua Visconde do Anadia, this bottle of 1912 Verdelho was better than the one encountered on the island in April 2010. It was the last family bottling from San Martinho, which was renowned for its Verdelho and is now urbanized. Here, it has a complex bouquet of mandarin, toffee apple, wood resin and a touch of marmalade. The palate is medium-bodied with an elegant entry, very good acidity and a long, bitter orange finish. This is drinking perfectly now and should continue to age over the next 30 to 40-years. 

- The Wine Advocate (8/31/2012)

D'Oliveira 1912 Verdelho
Rating: 88

Aged for 95 years in the warehouse at Rua Visconde do Anadia, this has a lifted bouquet of dried mango, apricot, sea salt, toffee apple and quince _ still fresh and vibrant. The palate is quite feminine and understated with notes of caramel, smoke, walnut and a torrefactory finish, which seems to be drying out a little, fraying at the seams. - Neal Martin, Wine Journal

- The Wine Advocate (4/1/2010)

D'Oliveira 1968 Bual
Rating: 87

The 1968 Boal appears to show a lot of bottle variation. This recent sample has a light bouquet of beeswax and dried quince although it is not quite as clean as I would like. The palate is better with orange rind, marmalade and mandarin. It is quite masculine for a Boal, strict but focused on the sedate finish. 

- The Wine Advocate (8/31/2012)

D'Oliveira 1968 Bual
Rating: 94

Produced from the southwest part of the island and spending over 40-years in old oak casks, this '68 was bottled in 2009 and is far superior to previous bottlings. This has a very sensuous nose, well defined and tightly wound, unfurling to reveal molasses, quince, scorched earth and a touch of leather. Very subtle. The palate is mediumbodied with good tension, fine acidity and balance, very subtle towards the finish with dried orange peel, nutmeg, a sprinkle of cardamom and walnut. Harmonious and graceful, this is a beautiful d'Oliveira. - Neal Martin, Wine Journal

- The Wine Advocate (4/1/2010)

D'Oliveira 1968 Bual
Rating: 93

The 1968 D'Oliveiras Reserva Boal is a medium-bodied, elegant wine that features high-toned aromas and flavors, with subtle notes of smoke and tar adding complexity. This is an unusually understated showing for the 1968 Boal

- The Wine Advocate (11/1/2008)

D'Oliveira 1969 Sercial
Rating: 92

The 1969 Sercial is also ex-Adegas do Torreao and, again, the quality shows through. It has a comparatively straightforward bouquet of honey, white chocolate, rosewater and a touch of honeysuckle. It opens nicely with aeration. The palate is delicate, but nicely composed on the entry with impressive weight and volume. There is a cutting seam of fresh ginger that is neatly interwoven into flavors of marmalade and Satsuma fruit. It softens nicely towards the finish without losing freshness and delineation. 

- The Wine Advocate (8/31/2012)

D'Oliveira 1973 Verdelho
Rating: 89

The 1973 Verdelho has fine definition and focus on the nose with light resin and honeycomb aromas. The palate is medium-bodied with crisp acidity with lightly honeyed fruit, white pepper, freshly shaved ginger and spice. There is fine weight and composure on the finish with that ginger tang lingering on the aftertaste. This is very attractive. 

- The Wine Advocate (8/31/2012)

D'Oliveira 1983 Bual
Rating: 87

The 1983 Boal has a straightforward nougat and toffee apple-scented bouquet infused with wood resin aromas. The palate is medium-bodied with toffee, spice and tangy marmalade on the entry. It is a conservative, mild-mannered Boal with a well-crafted, crisp finish that is satisfying, if not memorable. I recall superior bottles of this several years ago, and I suspect there are better examples out there. 

- The Wine Advocate (8/31/2012)

D'Oliveira 1988 Terrantez
Rating: 87

The 1988 Terrantez lacks a little clarity on the nose with smudged toffee-tinged aromas. The palate is soft and caressing in the mouth. It is missing a little presence, but the walnut-tinged finish is pure and pleasing.

- The Wine Advocate (8/31/2012)

D'Oliveira 1988 Terrantez
Rating: 93

The D'Oliveiras 1988 Terrantez is a wine that invites a moment of quiet contemplation, making it the perfect wine with which to end this incredible tasting. There is a highly attractive creaminess as layers of roasted nuts, cloves and leather open up in the glass. This generous, sweet Terrantez offers outstanding length, with lingering notes of sweetness and acidity that intermingled on the, intensely satisfying finish

- The Wine Advocate (11/1/2008)