1996 Malmsey
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Tasting notes
The 1996 Malmsey bottled in 2025 has a floral and perfumed nose with hints of honey and beeswax intermixed with notes of grilled ripe peach, caramelized ginger, noble woods and sweet spices, with a lifted note. It has a medium-bodied palate that is quite balanced and elegant, with 20% alcohol, a pH of 3.35, 9.4 grams of acidity (0.84 grams of volatility) and 140 grams of residual sugar. It is sweet and rich, long and pungent. It was produced with grapes from São Jorge, so I suspect with Malvasía de São Jorge grapes, matured in oak casks at room temperature in the "canteiro" system.
Critic scores
Average Score
Jancis Robinson MW
Neal Martin
More reviews and scores
Orangey tawny. Floral perfume. Dry finish after medium-sweet palate with lots of personality. Just slightly drying end. I think I might be tempted to go for a 2011 in value terms. (JR)
The 1996 Malmsey presents a spirituous nose with touches of marmalade, lanolin and light petrolly scents. Personally, I prefer the 1994 Bual when assessing them side by side. The palate is better, offering sufficient acidity to counter the richness, with plenty of stem ginger, marmalade and allspice. It finishes with a bit of a flourish, though again, the aromatics need a bit more pep.