The 1968 Bual has a light wet tobacco, dried honey and chlorophyll scented bouquet that would benefit from a little more delineation. The palate is precise on the entry with fine tannins and there is a keen thread of orange peel and bitter lemon that defines the focused, precise, youthful finish. It is very fine, but this is one Madeira that needs a little more bottle age. - Neal Martin

The 1968 Bual from Blandy’s is a very nice, wide open bottle that is drinking very well at the present time. The expressive nose offers up a mélange of cherries, prunes, molasses, honey cake, leather and just a touch of tea leaf. On the palate the wine is deep, full-bodied, complex and nicely tangy, with lovely balance and grip on the long finish, but not quite the same level of precision as the 1969 version. This seems decidedly more mature than the ’69, and I would guess that it spent less time in cask than the 1969 Bual. Good juice. 2014-2075.