Decanter World Wine Awards 2021
Results from the world’s largest and most influential wine competition have been announced. A record year for the number of wines tasted, discover which wines won what at the 18th edition of the Decanter World Wine Awards.
MADEIRA
H&H Single Harvest Sercial 2001 – Platinum 98 points
Harmonious marmalade, hazelnuts, caramel, and savoury-nutty aromas. Some sweetness, with intense citrus and dried apricots, apple, quince and a touch of bonfire. Lovely mouthfeel and layers of flavour with a lovely "sweet and sour" finish.
H&H 20 Year Old Verdelho – Best in Show – 98 points
This alluring Verdelho, now with a vital two decades of maturity under its belt, is a translucent walnut in colour. The classic Madeira ageing process (which involves both heat and air) has left the wine aromatically glittering and multi-faceted: sweet and faintly smoky yet tangy with apple and grape fruits and decked with toffee, caramel, meat bouillon and mushroom. On the palate, this Verdelho is almost surprisingly dry after the sweet promise of the aromas, fresh with yet more apple and grape, and clean-finishing thanks to the pungent, sweeping acidity characteristic of all of the island’s wines. A toothsome mid-morning or mid-afternoon treat … and no hurry to finish the bottle, either.
H&H 20 Years Old Terrantez – Gold – 96 points
Beautifully refined nose of roasted hazelnuts and fig and lovely seasoned wood. Lovely savoury, butterscotch richness with a touch of malt, with a lithe bittersweet finish.
H&H 15 Years Old Sercial – Silver 94 points
Refined orange peel and butterscotch aromas. Off-dry with a medium intensity palate of dried apricot and marmalade with a smooth-textured finish.
H&H Single Harvest Verdelho 2007 – Silver 93 points
Buttery, nutty aromas with a touch of casky rancio. Smoothly textured with smoky dates, apricot and caramel flavours. Well-balanced by steely acidity.
H&H 15 Years Old Malvasia – Silver 93 points
Very soft, quite sweet, and open-textured. Rich throughout with dried herbal essences, raisins, cheese, and oak. Beautiful.
PORT
Taylor's 20 Year Old Tawny – Silver 94 points
Elegance and understated maturity. Polished fruit cake complexity. Powerful yet with delicacy and charm with good freshness all the way through.
Fonseca Bin 27 – Silver 94 points
Good ripeness on the palate, quite fleshy, with lovely ripe plum, chocolate, and cassis notes with a ballsy tannic grip.
Fonseca 20 Year Old Tawny – Silver 93 points
Taut, precise, with resolved, harmonious secondary characters and savoury toasty complexity. Rich sultanas and chunky marmalade with a touch of spice.
Taylor's Quinta da Vargellas 2012 – Silver 92 points
Rich plum and morello cherry with lovely bitter-sweet cherry fruit on the palate and a gripping finish. A long journey ahead.
Fonseca Unfiltered Late Bottled Vintage 2015 – Silver 92 points
A closed nose with some ageing characters. Ripe minty fruits with touches of floral notes and a dark chocolate core.
Taylor's Late Bottled Vintage 2016 – Silver 91 points
A closed, harmonious red fruit nose, but suitably ripe and fleshy on the palate, backed by firm tannins.
Fonseca Quinta do Panascal 2004 – Silver 91 points
Rich, black fruits, inky, chocolatey, with lovely minty ripe fruit underlying. The frame and structure to evolve and develop.
Fonseca Terra Prima Organic Finest – Silver 91 points
Fleshy and complex. Big, ripe, and spirity with tobacco, cinnamon, and chocolate notes. A grippy young Reserve. I like this style!
Taylor's 10 Year Old Tawny – Silver 90 points
Mature red fruits, with polished, highly toned, integrated secondary characters creating a wine of generosity with a ripe, vigorous finish.
SHERRY
Hidalgo Palo Cortado Wellington 20 Years – Gold 95 points
Sweet vanilla and toasted nut bouquet. Spicy and round on the palate, very well balanced with great freshness and a slight tannic grip. Hints of 90% dark chocolate and cocoa round off the finish. Long treacly finish
Hidalgo Amontillado Napoleón – Silver 91 points
Intense fig, honeycomb, forest honey, caramel and roasted walnuts with a creamy nutty texture on the palate, plus hints of yeast and all spice. Very long finish.
Hidalgo Pasada Pastrana – Silver 91 points
Floral and nutty nose. Very nutty, spicy and round on the palate with an attractive bitter almond finish. Just crying for some jamon and olives.
Source: Mentzendorff