William's Article: Leaning to Port When You Really Need Madeira

A priori, a boat with 30 sommeliers has to be a fun place.

My traveling companions are all Port drinkers. I mean, friendship can’t be totally random. So that is how most dinners on board end, or, sometimes, seem happily never to end. 

The offering is short: six vintage Ports listed, five available, the usual handful of tawnies, and no icons – so it would be easy enough to work through it all.

But the wines don’t seem like they are showing their best. Our second night out we had a 1977 Warre’s, decanted the night before. No flaws per se, but old before its time. Warre’s are never monsters; but this one was lacking in richness and intensity, even allowing for the house’s particular profile.

The next night we had a 1991 Churchill, decanted in the afternoon. It also left me indifferent. It was darker and more aggressive than the Warre’s, but muddled somehow.

I don’t know how long the wines have been in the ship’s cellar. I’m fairly sure we can take for granted that cellar temperatures, etc. are right. Maybe it is just that months, maybe more, of constant motion really don’t suit vintage Ports very well.

Normal pitching would be felt less in the bowels of the boat than on higher decks, but would still be almost ceaseless. Add engine vibration – a lot more noticeable on lower decks – and it all adds up to a tricky environment for wines that need rest to improve.

The Churchill redeemed itself somewhat on day two in decanter, just like Fernando predicted it would. It tasted richer and fuller, with a longer and smoother finish. It didn’t come close to a 1991 vintage Dow I had a few months ago – an amazing full, balanced, and powerful wine, still young as it enters its third decade. I wish they had it on board so I could test my motion hunch on something I had had before. 

What they really need on the wine list here are some interesting Madeiras. I wish somebody would convince Cunard to carry a few. It’s got to be a natural for bobbing around the seas. It was born that way.

I have my prejudices about this. I have been a big fan of old Madeira almost ever since I could shave. They are some of the most otherworldy and complex wines in the world. Best of all, I can afford them. Given their rarity, they are incredible bargains. It is great to see Madeira staging a comeback in the U.S., thanks to heroes like Mannie Berk. My nightmare is that the Chinese market starts craving it.

Anyway, I wish I could have a nice old Bual tonight. It would suit the circumstances.

William McIlhenny is associate publisher of JamesSuckling.com. A former American diplomat and member of the Secretary of State’s Policy Planning Staff, William held a number of assignments in Europe and Latin America. He works in Washington, D.C.