1933 Malmsey

There was six or seven different bottlings of the 1933 Malvasia, and I tasted one of only 19 bottles remaining in the Justino's cellar of the 124 bottles that were filled in 2016. The wine has around 100 grams of sugar and high volatility (around 1.7 grams). At the time, all the Malvasia in the island was Malvasia Cândida (the Malvasia de São Jorge was created some 30 years ago), and the wine is dark and incredibly potent by concentration. It's complex and nuanced, with notes of caramelized ginger, incense, curry, Jamaica pepper and toffee, and it's dense as motor oil, with sharp acidity, great length and persistence. This is truly superb. This wine will last forever. It had spent 20 or 30 years in a glass demijohn by the time this last lot was bottled. The price reflects scarcity.