RARE WINE BOSTON BUAL MADEIRA

JAMES SUCKLING - 94 POINTS - " A rich, powerful and creamy Bual with a slew of dried date, dried fig and caramel character. The acidity builds and builds at the long finish making the final impression very fresh and focused. Drink or hold.

WINE ADVOCATE - 92 POINTS - Aromas of figs, dates, warm spices, espresso roast and candied peel introduce the latest bottling of the NV Boston Bual (Rare Wine Company), a medium to full-bodied, rich and elegantly muscular wine with a generous core of fruit, nicely integrated sweetness and a racy spine of acidity, concluding with a saline finish. This cuvée is intended to evoke the richer styles of Madeira that were historically popular in the northeastern United States. William Kelley.

Many consider Barbeito the preeminent contemporary exponent of Madeira, and that view will meet with no dissent from me. Whether it's harvesting comparatively early in pursuit of acidity, making wines in a less oxidative style, eschewing the addition of caramel or reviving the Bastardo grape, Ricardo Freitas's work at Barbeito ranks him as one of the island's most dynamic forces. The reviews here encompass more recent wines as well as bottlings that antedate the house's foundation in 1946.