About this WINE
Madeira Wine Company
The Madeira Wine Company (MWC) is owned and managed by the Blandy family of Madeira, an institution which in 2011 celebrated its bicentenary.
Within the MWC brands, Blandy’s, Rutherford & Miles, Cossart & Gordon and Leacock`s have all been synonymous with quality Madeira wine.
The Blandys are unique in being the only family of all the original founders of the Madeira wine trade to still own and manage their own wine company and the family has played a leading role in the development of Madeira wine throughout its long history.
In 2000 the MWC led the way with the introduction of a high quality but affordable Madeira of a single year (known as "Colheita" in Portuguese); "Blandy's Malmsey 1994 Harvest". This was the first dated Madeira ever launched other than the very expensive and rare Vintage Madeiras. Since then many other Madeira producers have again followed the MWC lead by introducing younger dated wines, thus creating an important new category of premium Madeira.
In July 2002, Blandy’s MWC again launched a completely new style of Madeira with a radical presentation, "Blandy's Alvada". The wine is different to anything that has been produced before as it combines 2 noble grape varieties, Malmsey and Bual to arrive at a superbly balanced wine that combines the rich flavours of the Malmsey with the more complex and drier structure of the Bual.
The company is again leading the way in the re-establishment of Madeira as one of the world's great wines.
Madeira
The Region of Madeira includes the islands of Madeira and Porto Santo both with different characteristics; the former forested and temperate, the latter is hot, dry and bare. The soil is by nature, volcanic,and the vineyards are in terraced steps named poios which extend down to the sea's edge.
Shakespeare's immortal characters in the play Henry IV - Falstaff - was accused of exchanging his soul for a leg of chicken and a goblet of Madeira. It is also said that, in 1478, an event occurred concerning George, Duke of Clarence, brother of Edward IV, King of England. Condemned to death by High Court, he was allowed to choose how he should die, and he chose to drown himself in a large vessel of the Malvasia wine; Madeira was drunk to toast the American Declaration of Independence, is the `desert island` choice of several wine personalities. Recent increased sales reflect a renewed interest in the unique wine style.
The discovery of Madeira wine happened when the unsold wine aboard in vessels saling from Madeira to the West, was shipped back to Funchal to be returned to its owners. It was then noticed that quality improved, and as such it was sold as Round Trip Wine and it was worth its weight in gold. This voyage of many days of warm weather gave in effect a gentle ageing to the wine .
Madeira nowdays is fortified with Portugese grape brandy to 20% alcohol, usually leaving some residual sugar in the wine. Shortly after fermentation is complete the wine is heated to approximately 115 degrees and held for six months. It is then alternately heated and cooled for six-month intervals while slowly maturing in oak barrels. Barrels are generally large and old so as to not impart any oak flavor or tannin and to promote gradual oxidation. Made from red and white grapes, the wines are light to dark brown in color due to cask oxidation.
There are four traditional styles corresponding to different grape varieties: dry Sercial, medium dry Verdelho, medium sweet Boal (or Bual) and sweet Malmsey (or Malvasia). Madeira is a versatile dessert wines because its natural high acidity enables it to stand up to all desserts without being overwhelmed. It is ideal for occasional consumption because it is fully oxidized during winemaking and will not deteriorate after opening.
Berrys' own label from the island's principal producer provides an introduction to the main style. Under the Blandy and Cossart & Gordon labels, the Madeira Wine Company offers the opportunity to experience the intensity and depth of flavours in wines.
Vihnos Barbeitos, one of the most forward-thinking companies in the island, and the renown experts Michael and Bartholomew Broadbent, are represented with some superb examples of Madeiras with age statements.
Verdelho
Historical records show plantings of the Verdelho grape in continental Portugal as early as the 15th century. It is one of Madeira's noble grape varieties and was the most widely planted on the island until the 20th century. Plantings then dwindled and the regional authorities were so alarmed that they put in place a plan to revive the grape.
It is a high yielding, early ripening white wine grape variety, and performs best on cooler slopes on the north side of the island. Its berries are small and oval shaped with thick skins. The name Verdelho on a bottle indicates an off dry to medium-dry style of Madeira wine, inbetween that of Sercial and Bual.
Verdelho is grown in the Douro valley in Portugal, where it is known as Gouveio and used in white Port, in Douero valley north-west Spain under the name of Gouveio and is very successfully cultivated in Australia and in particular in the Mclaren Vale.
Verdelho should not be confused with the Italian grape Verdello and the Verdejo white grape grown in Spain (Rueda DO in particular).
When is a wine ready to drink?
We provide drinking windows for all our wines. Alongside the drinking windows there is a bottle icon and a maturity stage. Bear in mind that the best time to drink a wine does also depend on your taste.
Not ready
These wines are very young. Whilst they're likely to have lots of intense flavours, their acidity or tannins may make them feel austere. Although it isn't "wrong" to drink these wines now, you are likely to miss out on a lot of complexity by not waiting for them to mature.
Ready - youthful
These wines are likely to have plenty of fruit flavours still and, for red wines, the tannins may well be quite noticeable. For those who prefer younger, fruitier wines, or if serving alongside a robust meal, these will be very enjoyable. If you choose to hold onto these wines, the fruit flavours will evolve into more savoury complexity.
Ready - at best
These wines are likely to have a beautiful balance of fruit, spice and savoury flavours. The acidity and tannins will have softened somewhat, and the wines will show plenty of complexity. For many, this is seen as the ideal time to drink and enjoy these wines. If you choose to hold onto these wines, they will become more savoury but not necessarily more complex.
Ready - mature
These wines are likely to have plenty of complexity, but the fruit flavours will have been almost completely replaced by savoury and spice notes. These wines may have a beautiful texture at this stage of maturity. There is lots to enjoy when drinking wines at this stage. Most of these wines will hold in this window for a few years, though at the very end of this drinking window, wines start to lose complexity and decline.
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Description
Spirit lovers will be aware of the wonders 40 years in old casks can do. Water levels drop and everything remaining is concentrated, in this case leaving some particularly striking liquid behind. Aromas of XO Cognac, sultanas and crème brulée with orange oil, wood polish and beeswax. Flavours change with every visit to the glass; next up is praline, saffron, mango chutney, tomato jam and workshop aromas of old, varnished wood and leather-bound books.
A comparison to a bonkers version of Ch. d’Yquem is floated by a colleague at the tasting - this madeira demands your attention and contemplation in much the same way as Sauterne’s grandest estate, that’s for sure. The intensity is explosive – saline, sweet (120g/l of residual sugar puts this at the bottom end of Sauternes) with piercing acidity. Truly remarkable liquid.
Tom Leigh, Account Manager, Berry Bros. & Rudd (June 2023)
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