The restaurant had a great list of vintage d’Oliveiras Madeira. As a Madeira fan (albeit an amateur), I got pours of these two for a special dinner. The Boal was intense, dry upfront then fruity with candied orange peel notes and some oily bitterness in the background. The Bastardo was a bit sweeter and had a minty component as well as a more diverse fruit palate and less bitterness.

Both stunning, fascinating glasses of ancient sunshine I will remember for a long time.