Rare Colheita & Vintage Madeira releases from Blandy's cellars
Last week we experienced one of the rare privileges that the wine trade affords, in the form of a tasting with Francisco Albuquerque, head winemaker for Blandy's, Madeira's most famous house. Francisco (pictured in his natural element, above) was in the UK to show the latest releases of single-harvest (Colheita) and Vintage Madeiras.
Francisco explained that each year, he and his team will taste around 2000 casks of Madeira, making decisions on which need topping-up, due to evaporation; and that as part of this process, he will assess the oldest reserve wines in the cellars. When he feels they have reached their optimum point of concentration and complexity, he will make the decision to bottle them; hence wines like the 1995, 1991, 1990, 1982 and 1976 are released for the first time as Vintages.
Alongside the Vintage wines, Francisco showed us this year's Colheita releases. Whereas Vintage Madeira must be aged for at least 20 years in cask and two years in bottle, Colheita Madeira can be released after five years in barrel and one in bottle (these Colheitas were aged for ten years). Although the 2010 Colheitas are relatively youthful, the quality of the base wines used to make them is extremely high,
If your experience of fine Madeira is limited, you will be startled by the complexity and layers of flavour that the wines carry. The volcanic nature of the island shines through in the intense minerality and of the high-quality base wines, sourced from small growers around the island. We also noticed intense saline notes. Francisco explained that the proximity of the sea leads to high potassium content in the soils, producing succinic acids during fermentation, which give this salty effect on the palate.
Layer after layer of flavour develops during the ten years of ageing in the 'canteiro' system. The wines mature slowly in American oak casks in lofts, warmed by the sun in Funchal. 7% of the wine is lost each year to evaporation, steadily concentrating the wine. The casks are kept just shy of full, with expert judgement, to create carefully controlled oxidation, adding further complexity. You can read more about how the wines are made below.
The resulting wines are practically ageless once in bottle. They provide a wonderful way to mark important family occasions, but these are also wines to share and enjoy day-to-day. The acidity of the drier styles Verdelho and Sercial makes them a versatile match for sushi, feathered game and pâtés, whilst the richer Malmseys and Buals can be the most amazing matches for cheeses.
The Vintages have a quality unique to Madeira, capturing the essence of a year with a freshness and agelessness which we do not experience with any other wine style. Vintages like the 1982 and 1976 are both delicious and quite moving to taste.
Fewer than 3000 bottles of each Colheita have been produced, and only around 1000 of each vintage. Our offer includes highly practical half bottles, as well as magnums and double magnums, for marking important events. All in limited quantities. Also offered is the 1995 Malmsey from Cossart Gordon, co-owned by the Blandy's family and bottled by Francisco.
Offered pre-landing, available by January 2024.
Producer Profile
Blandy's, Madeira
Blandy's and Cossart Gordon are both owned by the Madeira Wine Company, established in 1913 and owned by the Blandy family. Cossart Gordon is the island's oldest shipper, established in 1745 by a Scot. John Blandy arrived in Madeira in 1808 and initially worked for Cossart Gordon, before establishing Blandy's in 1811. The business has been owned by the Blandy family for seven generations.
Madeira’s location in the Atlantic made it an important strategic port, leading to rapid growth of exports of the island’s wines. It was so popular in the USA that in the 18th century, Madeira wine is reported to have represented over 75% of all wine imported into this market.
Two-thirds of the island is designated as National Park and the steep, volcanic mountain slopes mean only a small area is suitable for viticulture, just 460 hectares. Blandy's sources its grapes from the islands' small growers, each with vineyard holdings of between just 0.2 and 6 hectares.
The white Verdelho, Sercial, Bual and Malmsey grapes are fermented in stainless steel, after varying degrees of skin contact. The fermentation is stopped using neutral alcohol; after just 1-2 days for the richer styles (leaving high residual sugars) or after up to around 7 days for the drier styles. Commercial wines are heated using the 'Estufagem' process to impart the distinctive 'cooked' character. Estufagem was developed to replicate the process by which Madeira acquired its style in the 17th an 18th centuries. Casks of Madeira transported to the Americas in ships' holds acquired a pleasant 'cooked' character, and in time it became common practice to age the wine by using it as ballast, sometimes crossing the equator several times before eventual bottling. This became known as 'vinho da roda' or wine of the round voyage. For modern fine Maderia, maturation is achieved through long ageing in warm lofts in Funchal, the 'Canteiro' system, named after the 'cantilevered' beams that protrude into the lofts, supporting the roofs.
During the oxidative ageing, the naturally high acidity and low pH of the base wines interacts with the alcohols to produce volatile acids (VA). This esterification process adds unique complexity to the wines.
| FORTIFIED | 1976 | 1 bottle | Blandy's - Bual | 75cl | £275 per bottle | Blandy's Bual 1976 / 1 bottle / 75cl £275 per bottle |
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Tasting Notes"The Blandy’s 1976 Bual was aged for 46 years in very old oak casks. This bottling is limited to 983 bottles plus assorted larger formats. It has a generous bouquet with a lovely warmth. Allspice intermixes with cardamom, curry leaf, dried honey and light wood varnish scents that become more prominent with time. The palate is beautifully balanced with heart-warming purity. With fine tannins and a gentle grip, this is very harmonious, with just the right amount of spice to enliven the finish. Not the most outgoing Bual you will find, almost low-key in a way, yet you’ll keep coming back for another sip. Divine. 94 points" Neal Martin,Vinous.com------"Grapes from Calheta on the south coast: deep amber / mahogany; rich and profound on the nose with dried fruit compote and heady intensity; wonderful intensity of flavour, the tang of tawny marmalade and powerful richness (115 g/l residual sugar) offset by bracing acidity which persists in parallel with dried fruit richness all the way through the finish. This goes on and on. Glorious wine: one of a Blandy quartet from this successful vintage. Some wines from this era have more than a touch of rancio about them but this is clean and focused. 19/20 points." Richard Mayson |
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| FORTIFIED | 1982 | 1 bottle | Blandy's - Verdelho | 75cl | £230 per bottle | Blandy's Verdelho 1982 / 1 bottle / 75cl £230 per bottle |
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Tasting Notes"The Blandy’s 1982 Verdelho contains 108g/L residual sugar and was aged for 40 years in very old oak casks. Deep amber in color, it has a well-defined, mellow bouquet with mahogany antique bureau, crème brûlée, singed leather and bonfire aromas that cohere nicely in the glass. The palate is very well balanced with fine tannins and just the right amount of acidity to counter that sweet edge on the finish. This feels like an animated Verdelho, with impressive tension and real finesse coming through toward its slight oxidative finish. This is a classy offering. 1,206 bottles produced. 93 points" Neal Martin,Vinous.com------"From grapes grown at Porto Moniz on the north west corner of the island: deep amber - mahogany; lifted with immediacy on the nose, spiced prune, date and dried fig richness come singing from the glass, verging on high-toned (1.3 g/l volatile acidity); glorious quince marmalade richness (108 g/l residual sugar) and intensity offset by penetrating rapier-like acidity, backed by bitter-sweet astringency, lovely focus mid-palate with a long, fresh multi-dimensional finish redolent of dried apricots and citrus. Beautifully poised. 19/20 points." Richard Mayson------"Smells of manuka honey and molasses-sticky gingerbread, of heady tropical-rainforest flowers and glue. Spinning with intensity, luminous, like liquid jacquard silk, lacquered inlaid wood; absolutely shimmering with life. It holds in the mouth with the trembling, almost-spilling tension of a dewdrop on a spider's web as dawn light shafts through it turning gold into green and pink into red and blue shadows into indigo. Peach, apricot, warm pecans, cinnamon and the forest-floor scents that rise up cool and yet warm as you kick through the crisp crackle of coppery autumn leaves. Just stunning. 19 points" jancisrobinson.com (TC) |
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| FORTIFIED | 1987 | 3 bottles | Blandy's - Terrantez | 75cl | £225 per bottle | Blandy's Terrantez 1987 / 3 bottles / 75cl £225 per bottle |
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| FORTIFIED | 1987 | 1 bottle | Blandy's - Terrantez | Magnum | £454 per bottle | Blandy's Terrantez 1987 / 1 bottle / Magnum £454 per bottle |
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| FORTIFIED | 1987 | 1 case | Blandy's - Terrantez | Half bottle | £720 per case of 6 | Blandy's Terrantez 1987 / 1 case / Half bottle £720 per case of 6 |
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| FORTIFIED | 1987 | 3 cases | Blandy's - Terrantez | 75cl | £1,350 per case of 6 | Blandy's Terrantez 1987 / 3 cases / 75cl £1,350 per case of 6 |
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Tasting Notes"...The nose is beautiful, harmonious and nuanced: Seville orange marmalade, fig jam, smoke and light waxy aromas. This attests to a supremely gifted grape variety. The palate is well-balanced, with a honeyed texture and a keen thread of acidity. It's effervescent in the mouth. Peppercorns and orange rind appear towards a finish that fans out gloriously and lingers. Beautiful. 1,248 bottles released (plus other formats). 2024-2050. 95 points." Neal Martin, Vinous------"Terrantez grapes from Câmarade Loboa. Aged in the canteiro system, in 650-litre casks...19.5 points." (TC) jancisrobinson.com, Aug '24.------"...mid-deep golden amber colour; gently lifted, lightly caramelised citrus peel on the nose and a touch of contrasting sour plum, fresh fig and delicate crystalised fruit; glorious bitter-sweet counterpoint on the palate reflecting the nose, Elvas plum and sour cherry with textural richness, depth and a touch of tobacco and all-spice that continues through on to a long, lithe yet complex finish...Great poise. A truly thrilling wine that reflects the brilliance of the Terrantez grape at its very best. It is greatly reassuring that wines like this (unique to Madeira) are still being bottled and released for sale. 20 points, 5 stars." Richard Mayson------"Made from the rarest of varieties, found in only a few parcels in Madeira because it is so low yielding, this is a medium-sweet wine. It is an impressive survivor, a wood-aged wine that is so dense and concentrated. Beautifully rounded, cut with spirit, the wine is ready to drink. 94 points." Roger Voss, Wine Enthusiast |
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| FORTIFIED | 1988 | 3 bottles | Cossart - Bual | 75cl | £209 per bottle | Cossart Bual 1988 / 3 bottles / 75cl £209 per bottle |
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| FORTIFIED | 1988 | 1 bottle | Cossart - Bual | Magnum | £420 per bottle | Cossart Bual 1988 / 1 bottle / Magnum £420 per bottle |
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| FORTIFIED | 1988 | 1 case | Cossart - Bual | Half bottle | £660 per case of 6 | Cossart Bual 1988 / 1 case / Half bottle £660 per case of 6 |
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| FORTIFIED | 1988 | 2 cases | Cossart - Bual | 75cl | £1,254 per case of 6 | Cossart Bual 1988 / 2 cases / 75cl £1,254 per case of 6 |
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Tasting Notes"...harmonious and focused on the nose: Clementine, marmalade, candle wax and grilled hazelnuts. There's just the right amount of VA to give it lift. The palate is medium-bodied with a smooth texture. The acidity is such that it completely counterbalances the residual sugar, making it fresh…buoyant even! Elegant and poised on the finish, this Bual comes highly recommended. 1,593 bottles released (plus other formats). 2024-2050. 94 points." Neal Martin, Vinous------"Bual grapes from Calheta. Aged in the canteiro system, in 650-litre casks...peaty, dark, ginger-chocolate nose, slightly lifted by acetone, in the prettiest way....apricot, and chocolate. Praline, and quince...19.5 points." (TC) jancisrobinson.com, Aug '24.------"...mid-deep nut brown with an olive-green glint on the finish; heavenly aromas, savoury, almost beefy foremost initially, old furniture complexity with a backdrop of blossom and spice slowly rising to the fore; wonderfully textural richness, sweet and savoury with a tang of thick-cut marmalade mid-palate, that marmalade richness and cut of citrus continues through on to the finish which is full and complete. Seemingly quite sweet with 115g/l residual sugar, the acidity (9.05g/l) offsets this and leaves a crystal-clear expression on the finish. Very accomplished Bual. 95 points." Roger Voss, Wine Enthusiast 11.01.24------"With long wood aging, this Madeira has developed a dense golden-tan color. Age shines through this floral, aromatic, concentrated medium-sweet wine. It is fascinating, the wood and spirit showing no sign of diminishing the wine's fruit and sugared orange flavor. Drink now. 19 points, 5 stars." Richard Mayson |
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| FORTIFIED | 1989 | 3 bottles | Blandy's - Sercial | 75cl | £202 per bottle | Blandy's Sercial 1989 / 3 bottles / 75cl £202 per bottle |
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| FORTIFIED | 1989 | 1 bottle | Blandy's - Sercial | Magnum | £410 per bottle | Blandy's Sercial 1989 / 1 bottle / Magnum £410 per bottle |
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| FORTIFIED | 1989 | 1 case | Blandy's - Sercial | Half bottle | £642 per case of 6 | Blandy's Sercial 1989 / 1 case / Half bottle £642 per case of 6 |
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| FORTIFIED | 1989 | 2 cases | Blandy's - Sercial | 75cl | £1,212 per case of 6 | Blandy's Sercial 1989 / 2 cases / 75cl £1,212 per case of 6 |
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Tasting Notes"...a terse nose at first and requires a few moments to find its feet. Quince, marmalade, hints of Indian spice and a wooden floor in an old country pile then evolve in the glass. Fine delineation. The palate is very penetrating on the entry with walnut, smoke and curry leaf, but the acidity feels a bit overwhelming. Serve chilled, and I feel this Sercial would work as a palate cleansing aperitif. However, it doesn't quite have the nuance of the other releases from Blandy's in 2024. 1,137 bottles released (plus other formats). 86 points." Neal Martin, Vinous Drink 2024-2034------"Sercial grapes from Calheta. Aged in the canteiro system, in 650-litre casks...19 points." (TC) jancisrobinson.com, Aug '24.------"...mid-deep amber brown with an orange-green glint; entrancing sweet and sour perfume with spicy green leaves and great focus and intensity on the nose, I could continue sniffing at this for ever; the sweet and sour theme continues on the palate, bruised apple fruit with intense, spicy richness and focus mid-palat...and the cutting acidity of freshly picked apples which rises on to the finish. Goes on and on. Not an easy wine initially but one to greatly savour and admire. 19 points, 5 stars." Richard Mayson |
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| FORTIFIED | 1991 | 1 bottle | Blandy's - Malmsey | 75cl | £180 per bottle | Blandy's Malmsey 1991 / 1 bottle / 75cl £180 per bottle |
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Tasting Notes"The 1991 Malmsey from Blandy’s was aged 31 years in very old oak casks and contains 135g/L residual sugar. Quite pungent on the nose, it offers Seville orange marmalade, wood varnish, light sea spray scents and persimmon hints on the nose. This is well-focused with fine delineation. The palate is superb: mellifluous from the get-go, with a dash of Szechuan pepper that gets the tongue tingling. Lively, tensile with a wonderful unctuous finish. This feels long, powerful, and yet paradoxically tender. Highly recommended. 1,485 bottles produced. 95 points" Neal Martin,Vinous.com------"Malvasia from São Jorge on the north coast: deep amber with an olive-green glint; rich but restrained on the nose, fresh greengage with bolo de mel (honey cake) and spice; gloriously fresh crystalised and caramelised fruit, the richness (135g/l residual sugar) offset by the cut (but not the thrust) of racy apple and citrus acidity and a touch of astringency which persists on the finish. Magnificent Malvasia! 19.5/20 points." Richard Mayson |
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| FORTIFIED | 2010 | 2 bottles | Blandy's - Bual Colheita | 75cl | £65 per bottle | Blandy's Bual Colheita 2010 / 2 bottles / 75cl £65 per bottle |
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Tasting Notes"The Blandy’s 2010 Colheita Single Harvest Bual has 92g/L residual sugar and was aged for ten years in old oak casks. Despite encouragement, this is quite straight-laced on the nose and doesn’t feel the need to “come out and play.” The palate is mellifluous on the entry with a lovely texture, very smooth with judicious lemongrass and stem ginger that combine nicely with the marmalade and Clementine notes, but this is just a bit short on the finish. Fine. 2,933 bottles produced. 88 points" Neal Martin,Vinous.com------"Grapes from Calheta on the warmer south coast of Madeira: mid-amber with gently smoked, yet rich savoury-spicy aromas, quite seductive and evocative; lovely Elvas plum and quince marmalade richness (92 g/l residual sugar) with a spicy backdrop, balanced by fresh appley acidity and a long finish akin to a gently cinnamon-spiced Tarte Tatin. There is no substitute for age in Madeira but this shows great complexity for a colheita with a decade in wood. 18.5/20 points." Richard Mayson |
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| FORTIFIED | 2010 | Blandy's - Sercial Colheita | 75cl | £330 per case of 6 | Blandy's Sercial Colheita 2010 / / 75cl £330 per case of 6 |
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Tasting Notes"The 2010 Blandy’s Colheita Single Harvest Sercial contains 50g/L residual sugar and is limited to 2,828 bottles for their 2023 release. The mellowness on the nose is endearing, with dried honey commingling with burnt apricot and linseed oil notes. The palate has a potent line of acidity, bitter lemon intermixed with orange rind, marmalade and stem ginger. It needs a bit more cohesion to bind it together on the finish. A bit uncompromising, chill this right down to serve as an aperitif with grilled nuts or even a strong blue cheese. 20% alcohol. 88 points" Neal Martin,Vinous.com------"Grapes from Seixal on the cool north coast of the island: mid-amber colour with gently toasted spiced walnut aromas and a hint of leather; wonderfully incisive crisp, savoury flavours, seemingly dry (50g/l) residual sugar with 8.3 g/l total acidity) with a hint of sultana and crystalised fruit on a long, racy yet delicate finish. 16.5/20 points." Richard Mayson |
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| FORTIFIED | 2010 | 3 bottles | Blandy's - Verdelho Colheita | 75cl | £65 per bottle | Blandy's Verdelho Colheita 2010 / 3 bottles / 75cl £65 per bottle |
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Tasting Notes"The 2010 Blandy’s Colheita Single Harvest Verdelho was aged for ten years in very old oak casks and contains 75g/L residual sugar. The nose offers dried peach skin, melted candle wax and wood varnish scents, well-defined and demonstrating a little more focus than its Sercial counterpart. The palate is superb. Seamlessly constructed with a pitch-perfect line of acidity, this just feels complete and effortless. This Verdelho comes highly recommended with gorgeous mandarin, dried honey, hazelnut notes and a slight oxidative edge on the finish. 2,523 bottles produced. 94 points" Neal Martin,Vinous.com------"Grapes from Porto Moniz on the north west corner of the island: mid-deep amber with a green glint; lovely lifted savoury-leathery aromas with a hint of dried apricots and raisins, very appetising; delicate leafy, greengage fruit, some richness (75g/l residual sugar) offset by zesty acidity which persists onto a long mouth-watering finish. Really lovely poise for a relatively young wine. 18/20 points." Richard Mayson------"Verdelho always tastes like the cello to Sercial's violin. Although the wine smells of wet, newly planed oak and crushed coriander seeds and dried sage, it tastes of sweet pickled ginger root and rosemary in orange syrup. Like the Sercial, there is an explosion of black pepper on the finish, but here it comes with satin ribbons of sour-cherry fruit with a deep, coppery glow. Tastes like midsummer sunrise. 17.5 points" jancisrobinson.com (TC) |
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| FORTIFIED | 2011 | 4 cases | Blandy's - Bual Colheita | 75cl | £390 per case of 6 | Blandy's Bual Colheita 2011 / 4 cases / 75cl £390 per case of 6 |
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Tasting Notes"...powerful on the nose, though perhaps it doesn't fully possess the refinement I find in the 2011 Verdelho. This comes across as a little more oxidative in style, with grilled walnuts and a touch of cigar humidor. The palate is medium-bodied with a smooth texture and fine acidity. It's harmonious with a deft touch of stem ginger, white pepper and a tangy Seville orange marmalade on the finish. I actually find more on the palate than aromatically on this release. Fine. 2,933 bottles released. 90 points." Neal Martin, Vinous Drink 2024-2050------"Bual grapes from Calheta. Aged in the canteiro system, in 650-litre casks at room temperature until bottling....leather and chocolate browns, mace and nutmeg duskiness, and raisin mahoganies...chocolate orange, paprika spice, dried orange peel, candied citrus peel, blood orange...17.5 points." (TC) jancisrobinson.com, Aug '24.------"...pale amber-walnut brown; still a bit demure on the nose, certainly in comparison with the previous two wines but showing gentle richness and an attractive, savoury beef-tea character with a touch of cinnamon spice; supremely suave on the palate with lovely savoury textural richness from time in cask and a hint of quince prior to a complete, mouth-filling, yet overall, fresh elegant finish...Nicely poised. 93 points." Roger Voss, Wine Enthusiast------"The old wood aging shows well and strongly in this Madeira. It has an intense, medium-sweet richness and concentration, orange peel and tight spice going with acidity. Drink now. 17.5 points, 4 stars." Richard Mayson |
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| FORTIFIED | 2011 | 4 cases | Blandy's - Malmsey Colheita | 75cl | £390 per case of 6 | Blandy's Malmsey Colheita 2011 / 4 cases / 75cl £390 per case of 6 |
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Tasting Notes"...pale amber-brown with an orange glint in the light; gentle complexity on the nose, ripe figs with a just hint of rancio from cask ageing at warm ambient temperatures; reassuringly rich with dried fig and Demerara sweetness...cut by acidity mid-palate ...and leaving a fresh, complete but gentle mouth-watering finish. Textbook young (relatively) Malvasia. 2024-2050. 93 points." Neal Martin, Vinous Drink------"Malvasia grapes from São Jorge. Aged in the canteiro system, in 650-litre casks...slightly smoky...Jamaican ginger loaf, sticky and dense. Home-made iced tea, maple-syrup sweet, fiery with root ginger and a hint of cola...18 points." (TC) jancisrobinson.com, Aug '24.------"...The nose instantly evokes images of a fireside hearth on a winter's evening: ashtinged scents mixed with antique bureau and smoke. It's pretty oxidative in style (more so than the other grape varieties released this vintage). The palate is medium-bodied with a gorgeous viscous texture counterbalanced by a keen thread of acidity. This seems to possess a little more complexity and nuance compared to the 201 Bual, lightly honeyed with allspice and marjoram towards the long finish. Excellent. 2,933 bottles released. 18 points." Richard Mayson------"Almond and raisin aromas lead on this sweet Madeira. The richest style, aged in wood, is rounded with spice and nut flavors, and dried fruit flavors. It is a full wine that is ready to drink. 90 points." Roger Voss, Wine Enthusiast |
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| FORTIFIED | 2011 | 4 cases | Blandy's - Sercial Colheita | 75cl | £390 per case of 6 | Blandy's Sercial Colheita 2011 / 4 cases / 75cl £390 per case of 6 |
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Tasting Notes"...a fragrant bouquet. It's a little more floral than last year's release, with elderflower and wilted rose petal hints filtering through the quince and marmalade scents. Fine delineation. The palate has arresting spiciness on the entry with upfront stem ginger and lemongrass notes. Slightly viscous in texture, this feels harmonious with modest complexity on the finish. Maybe it just needs a little more length, but otherwise, this will do nicely. 1,733 bottles released. 88 points." Neal Martin, Vinous Drink 2024-2040------"Sercial grapes from Seixal and Jardim da Serra. Aged in the canteiro system, in 650-litre casks at room temperature until bottling...smell of crackling, russet-rustling, golden leaves; and it smells of tobacco leaves...piercingly precise...pickled lemons and tamarind paste. Of grapefruit and lime...Long after it's gone, your mouth will still be tingling. 17.5 points." (TC) Tamlyn Currin, jancisrobinson.com, Aug '24------"...just 1,733 bottles produced: pale amber with a pronounced orange glint; gently lifted, appetising savoury almond and hazelnut aromas with a hint of spirit and spice; lithe on the palate rather than austere as is the case with some Sercial, this is fresh and delicate with a streak of greengage acidity...leading to a long, savoury salted pretzel finish. Already very accessible...and a thoroughly uplifting aperitif. 91 points." Roger Voss, Wine Enthusiast V"With its fruit and wood aromas, and its orange marmalade flavor, this dry Madeira is now delicious, still hinting at fruit and with a smoky aftertaste. Drink now. 17.5 points / 4 stars." Richard Mayson |
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| FORTIFIED | 2011 | 4 cases | Blandy's - Verdelho Colheita | 75cl | £390 per case of 6 | Blandy's Verdelho Colheita 2011 / 4 cases / 75cl £390 per case of 6 |
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Tasting Notes"...pale amber with a glint of orange and olive green on the rim; lovely, welcoming smoky-savoury aromas with a hint of autumnal wood smoke; gentle greengage sweetness with some textural richness on the palate...offset by a pronounced streak of acidity and a lovely fresh spiced apple finish which goes on and on. Serve cool (c. 15oC) on its own as an aperitif or to accompany chicken consommé. It will also handle gentle spices. 91 points." Neal Martin, Vinous Drink 2024 – 2044------"Verdelho grapes from Porto Moniz and Calheta. Aged in the canteiro system, in 650-litre casks at room temperature until bottling...2,400 75-cl bottles...tastes of ripe, just-picked apricots, of quince, of blood oranges...cigar on the finish; just lit, fragrant, hinting of orange peel. 18 points." (TC) jancisrobinson.com, Aug '24.------"...Dried honey, marmalade and wood varnish scents define this vibrant nose. There's real penetration here. The palate is rounded in the mouth and more viscous in texture than the Sercial, but the acidity keeps this fresh, and there is real weight on the finish. Excellent. 2,400 bottles released. 18 points, 4 stars." Richard Mayson------"Verdelho has produced a medium-dry Madeira, balancing old-wood aging flavors with a soft texture and the spirit coming through from the wood aging. It is ready to drink. 90 points." Roger Voss, Wine Enthusiast |
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