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Posts Tagged : Madeira

Madeira’s Wine Institute – A Masterclass that made all the difference!
December 10, 2014 no comments in Uncategorized by

Text Olga Cardoso | Translation Bruno Ferreira

The Madeira’s Institute of Wine, Embroidery and Crafts, IP – IVBAM is the responsible entity for the supervision of regional wine activities and by the certification and quality control of Madeira wine.

An entity which, with administrative and financial autonomy, efficiently cares for the consolidation and sustained growth of traditional and regional products, without however neglecting the effectively rising promotion and the quality conservation, whether at a national or international level.

Blend_All_About_Wine_IVBAM_1

The Madeira’s Institute of Wine, Embroidery and Crafts, IP – IVBAM – Photo Provided by IVBAM | All Rights Reserved

Madeira has about 400 hectares of vineyards. The agricultural lands are characterized by very steep slopes, generally in form of terraced fields. Madeira’s irrigation water is collected in the highlands of the island and is driven through channels called “levadas” that consist of an impressive 2150 Km channel system.

The most traditional conduction method is the “latada” (pergola), in which the vines are horizontally conducted. More recently there’s the espalier conduction method, which, however, can only be used in less steep slopes.

Normally the harvesting happens between mid-August and mid-October and it’s done in a totally manual way. The efforts are many, and the rituals mirror the difficulty relative to a whole smallholdings system spread over an extremely rugged terrain.

To speak of Madeira wine is like speaking of dramatism. Dramatism which is manifested not only in the overwhelming island’s view but also in its wines vinification method and long aging periods. Drama is indeed a well-defining word not only to Madeira but to everything that is portuguese. Yes, we’re a dramatic people… and it’s patent in the various aspects of our culture.

Our sound or national music is Fado – is there any other as strong, sad or deeply-felt? I can understand the difficulty that someone from the Northern Europe has, people that are usually colder, precise and devoid of such melancholic feelings. Or of someone from more cheerful and relaxed countries as are the South American ones. Indeed it must not be easy to understand all these exacerbated feelings of ours.

But, back to wine… It’s really a boast to be Portuguese. We’re young as concerns to still wines and yet we’ve won several international prizes and we’re already in publications of Wine Spectator and that confers us a place among the best world wines. However there’s still a long way to go in this area. That is if we want to maintain and increase this quality recognition.

We produce a little bit over 6 million hectoliters per year. To be on the top of the world in the quality matter, will demand a lot of us in the future. Spreading the word across the international consumers and not gird ourselves to the magazines’ recognition, will demand even more. Yes, because one thing is the magazines’ recognition and another quite different is the consumers’ acceptance and it’s that that will allow the Portuguese wines growth.

Does the press buy wines? No. Does the trade buy wines? Yes, but only to sell and while it’s financially justifiable. So, who do we have to attract? Naturally, the consumers.

Here I am, digressing again… Let’s get back to Madeira wine and IVBAM then.

This year I’ve been 4 times to Madeira and I’m about to board again. Really.. I just can’t get enough and I intend even to get more attached to the island in the future.

The last trip to Madeira, mid-November 2014, was remarkable. All of the Blend – All About Wine’s team members got quite impressed. We visited all of the Madeira wine producers and we also did a generic tasting of Madeira’s table wines.

We tried different and amazing restaurants’ and at the same time realized of its outstanding touristic potential… still so strangely forgotten when it comes to its wines.

Along the 5 trip days we tasted many high quality wines. New wines but mostly very old wines. Several of them with over 100 years, showing and proving, all of the island’s peculiarity. Some of them were tasted during the IVBAM’s MasterClass, very well led by the Head of IVBAM’s Chamber of Tasters – Rubina Vieira.

Blend_All_About_Wine_IVBAM_2

MasterClass, led by the Head of IVBAM’s Chamber of Tasters – Rubina Vieira © Blend All About Wine, Lda.

In addition this MasterClass was also nicely customized. Yes, it was a Blend – All About Wine MasterClass, born and bred for us!

We tasted twelve wines from different producers, years and varieties. Starting with a Colheita de 1996 and finishing off with a Verdelho de 1850. The ones that impressed me the most were the Sercial 1862 and the Moscatel 1875. Due to its difference and rarity, the Bastardo de 1927 didn’t went by unnoticed as well.

Complexity, concentration, deepness and balance. Those were the common characteristics to these two wines. The first one, obviously, drier and thinner than the second which reveals more viscous and molassed notes although showing itself very harmonious and with no drop of excesses. What a great wines!

But the important thing here isn’t to talk about the wines/producers and their particularities and/or differences. That’s a task to each one of my colleagues, to talk about each producer individually.

Here it’s important to talk about all of the plenitude and grandiosity of Madeira wine. Five are the noble varieties of said wine. In a sweetness crescent grading we have: Sercial, Verdelho, Boal, Malvasia and yes…the Terrantez!!!

In a sweetness grading matter we can place it between the Verdelho and Boal. But, being so rare and amounting only 1% of the island’s production can’t be even taken into account.

We’re talking about a variety that gives birth to amazing wines. Think for instance in the monstrosity of the Pereira D’Oliveira Terrantez 1880.. From the wines I tasted to this day it’s probably one of the closest to perfection.

Blend_All_About_Wine_IVBAM_3

Tasting table © Blend All About Wine, Lda.

Even though not considered a noble caste, the Tinta Negra, is a variety widely used in the Madeira Wine. Nowadays the Madeira wines produced by this variety are already considerable, not only in quantity but also in quality.

The harvesting’s priority is:

  1. Verdelho;
  2. Boal;
  3. Tinta Negra;
  4. Malvasia;
  5. Sercial;

As regards the vinification process and/or aging, one of two processes may occur: Estufagem or Canteiro.

Estufagem – The wine is placed in stainless steel ovens, heated by a coil system where hot water circulates for a period not less than 3 months, at a temperature between 45 and 50 degrees Celsius. After the “estufagem”, the wine is subjected to an aging period of at least 90 days at room temperature. From this moment on it can remain in stainless steel or be placed in wooden casks, until it meets the conditions that allow the winemaker to do the wine’s completion, so it can be placed in the bottle, with the necessary quality assurance. However, these wines cannot be bottled and marketed before 31th October of the second year, following the harvest. These wines are mainly blends.

Canteiro – The wines selected to age in “Canteiro” (this denomination derives from putting the barrels under wooden beam supports, called canteiros) do so in casks, usually on the higher floors of the warehouses where temperatures are higher, for a minimum period of 2 years. It is an oxidative aging in casks, developing in the wines unique characteristics of intense and complex aromas. The “canteiro” wines can only go out to the market after a minimum of three years, counted from January 1st of the year following the harvest.

The fortification consists in the fermentation stoppage and the addition of wine alcohol at 96%. The timing for the fermentation interruption is scheduled accordingly to the sweetness level intended for the wine. This method allows the outcome of four wine types: dry, mid-dry, mid-sweet and sweet.

To me, speaking of Madeira wine is like speaking of passionate wines, engaging and thrilling. I confess myself completely rendered to its charms. I’m a Madeira wine Geek … it’s true!

Voluptuousness and seduction, lust and lasciviousness, hand in hand with a huge sensitivity, with finesse and wisdom. Who said these seemingly antagonistic characteristics cannot harmonize perfectly? Might all this telluric energy, all this authenticity and depth, encapsulate the foretaste of paradise?

Voltaire said that the Tokaji had the gift to spark up even the smallest fiber of their brains. Well, the he was an illuminist and I’m not … but I think that’s what really happens to me when it comes to Madeira Wine!

But while the Tokaji is considered the King of Wines and the Wine of Kings (so once said Louis XV while offering a glass of that wine to his lover Madame de Pompadour), let me say that, for me, for his triumphant acidity and its martyr winemaking process, conditions that make it almost immortal, Madeira is much more than a wine of kings … it’s truly a GODS’s wine!

And last but not the least have a look at this outstanding video on Madeira wine.

Video provided by the Madeira’s Institute of Wine, Embroidery and Crafts, IP – IVBAM

Contacts
Instituto do Vinho, do Bordado e do Artesanato da Madeira, I.P.
Rua Visconde de Anadia, nº44
9050-020 Funchal
Tel: (+351) 291 211 600
Fax: (+351) 291 224 791
E-mail: ivbam.sra@gov-madeira.pt
Site: www.ivbam.gov-madeira.pt

Madeira's Wine Institute – A Masterclass that made all the difference!
December 10, 2014 no comments in Uncategorized by

Text Olga Cardoso | Translation Bruno Ferreira

The Madeira’s Institute of Wine, Embroidery and Crafts, IP – IVBAM is the responsible entity for the supervision of regional wine activities and by the certification and quality control of Madeira wine.

An entity which, with administrative and financial autonomy, efficiently cares for the consolidation and sustained growth of traditional and regional products, without however neglecting the effectively rising promotion and the quality conservation, whether at a national or international level.

Blend_All_About_Wine_IVBAM_1

The Madeira’s Institute of Wine, Embroidery and Crafts, IP – IVBAM – Photo Provided by IVBAM | All Rights Reserved

Madeira has about 400 hectares of vineyards. The agricultural lands are characterized by very steep slopes, generally in form of terraced fields. Madeira’s irrigation water is collected in the highlands of the island and is driven through channels called “levadas” that consist of an impressive 2150 Km channel system.

The most traditional conduction method is the “latada” (pergola), in which the vines are horizontally conducted. More recently there’s the espalier conduction method, which, however, can only be used in less steep slopes.

Normally the harvesting happens between mid-August and mid-October and it’s done in a totally manual way. The efforts are many, and the rituals mirror the difficulty relative to a whole smallholdings system spread over an extremely rugged terrain.

To speak of Madeira wine is like speaking of dramatism. Dramatism which is manifested not only in the overwhelming island’s view but also in its wines vinification method and long aging periods. Drama is indeed a well-defining word not only to Madeira but to everything that is portuguese. Yes, we’re a dramatic people… and it’s patent in the various aspects of our culture.

Our sound or national music is Fado – is there any other as strong, sad or deeply-felt? I can understand the difficulty that someone from the Northern Europe has, people that are usually colder, precise and devoid of such melancholic feelings. Or of someone from more cheerful and relaxed countries as are the South American ones. Indeed it must not be easy to understand all these exacerbated feelings of ours.

But, back to wine… It’s really a boast to be Portuguese. We’re young as concerns to still wines and yet we’ve won several international prizes and we’re already in publications of Wine Spectator and that confers us a place among the best world wines. However there’s still a long way to go in this area. That is if we want to maintain and increase this quality recognition.

We produce a little bit over 6 million hectoliters per year. To be on the top of the world in the quality matter, will demand a lot of us in the future. Spreading the word across the international consumers and not gird ourselves to the magazines’ recognition, will demand even more. Yes, because one thing is the magazines’ recognition and another quite different is the consumers’ acceptance and it’s that that will allow the Portuguese wines growth.

Does the press buy wines? No. Does the trade buy wines? Yes, but only to sell and while it’s financially justifiable. So, who do we have to attract? Naturally, the consumers.

Here I am, digressing again… Let’s get back to Madeira wine and IVBAM then.

This year I’ve been 4 times to Madeira and I’m about to board again. Really.. I just can’t get enough and I intend even to get more attached to the island in the future.

The last trip to Madeira, mid-November 2014, was remarkable. All of the Blend – All About Wine’s team members got quite impressed. We visited all of the Madeira wine producers and we also did a generic tasting of Madeira’s table wines.

We tried different and amazing restaurants’ and at the same time realized of its outstanding touristic potential… still so strangely forgotten when it comes to its wines.

Along the 5 trip days we tasted many high quality wines. New wines but mostly very old wines. Several of them with over 100 years, showing and proving, all of the island’s peculiarity. Some of them were tasted during the IVBAM’s MasterClass, very well led by the Head of IVBAM’s Chamber of Tasters – Rubina Vieira.

Blend_All_About_Wine_IVBAM_2

MasterClass, led by the Head of IVBAM’s Chamber of Tasters – Rubina Vieira © Blend All About Wine, Lda.

In addition this MasterClass was also nicely customized. Yes, it was a Blend – All About Wine MasterClass, born and bred for us!

We tasted twelve wines from different producers, years and varieties. Starting with a Colheita de 1996 and finishing off with a Verdelho de 1850. The ones that impressed me the most were the Sercial 1862 and the Moscatel 1875. Due to its difference and rarity, the Bastardo de 1927 didn’t went by unnoticed as well.

Complexity, concentration, deepness and balance. Those were the common characteristics to these two wines. The first one, obviously, drier and thinner than the second which reveals more viscous and molassed notes although showing itself very harmonious and with no drop of excesses. What a great wines!

But the important thing here isn’t to talk about the wines/producers and their particularities and/or differences. That’s a task to each one of my colleagues, to talk about each producer individually.

Here it’s important to talk about all of the plenitude and grandiosity of Madeira wine. Five are the noble varieties of said wine. In a sweetness crescent grading we have: Sercial, Verdelho, Boal, Malvasia and yes…the Terrantez!!!

In a sweetness grading matter we can place it between the Verdelho and Boal. But, being so rare and amounting only 1% of the island’s production can’t be even taken into account.

We’re talking about a variety that gives birth to amazing wines. Think for instance in the monstrosity of the Pereira D’Oliveira Terrantez 1880.. From the wines I tasted to this day it’s probably one of the closest to perfection.

Blend_All_About_Wine_IVBAM_3

Tasting table © Blend All About Wine, Lda.

Even though not considered a noble caste, the Tinta Negra, is a variety widely used in the Madeira Wine. Nowadays the Madeira wines produced by this variety are already considerable, not only in quantity but also in quality.

The harvesting’s priority is:

  1. Verdelho;
  2. Boal;
  3. Tinta Negra;
  4. Malvasia;
  5. Sercial;

As regards the vinification process and/or aging, one of two processes may occur: Estufagem or Canteiro.

Estufagem – The wine is placed in stainless steel ovens, heated by a coil system where hot water circulates for a period not less than 3 months, at a temperature between 45 and 50 degrees Celsius. After the “estufagem”, the wine is subjected to an aging period of at least 90 days at room temperature. From this moment on it can remain in stainless steel or be placed in wooden casks, until it meets the conditions that allow the winemaker to do the wine’s completion, so it can be placed in the bottle, with the necessary quality assurance. However, these wines cannot be bottled and marketed before 31th October of the second year, following the harvest. These wines are mainly blends.

Canteiro – The wines selected to age in “Canteiro” (this denomination derives from putting the barrels under wooden beam supports, called canteiros) do so in casks, usually on the higher floors of the warehouses where temperatures are higher, for a minimum period of 2 years. It is an oxidative aging in casks, developing in the wines unique characteristics of intense and complex aromas. The “canteiro” wines can only go out to the market after a minimum of three years, counted from January 1st of the year following the harvest.

The fortification consists in the fermentation stoppage and the addition of wine alcohol at 96%. The timing for the fermentation interruption is scheduled accordingly to the sweetness level intended for the wine. This method allows the outcome of four wine types: dry, mid-dry, mid-sweet and sweet.

To me, speaking of Madeira wine is like speaking of passionate wines, engaging and thrilling. I confess myself completely rendered to its charms. I’m a Madeira wine Geek … it’s true!

Voluptuousness and seduction, lust and lasciviousness, hand in hand with a huge sensitivity, with finesse and wisdom. Who said these seemingly antagonistic characteristics cannot harmonize perfectly? Might all this telluric energy, all this authenticity and depth, encapsulate the foretaste of paradise?

Voltaire said that the Tokaji had the gift to spark up even the smallest fiber of their brains. Well, the he was an illuminist and I’m not … but I think that’s what really happens to me when it comes to Madeira Wine!

But while the Tokaji is considered the King of Wines and the Wine of Kings (so once said Louis XV while offering a glass of that wine to his lover Madame de Pompadour), let me say that, for me, for his triumphant acidity and its martyr winemaking process, conditions that make it almost immortal, Madeira is much more than a wine of kings … it’s truly a GODS’s wine!

And last but not the least have a look at this outstanding video on Madeira wine.

Video provided by the Madeira’s Institute of Wine, Embroidery and Crafts, IP – IVBAM

Contacts
Instituto do Vinho, do Bordado e do Artesanato da Madeira, I.P.
Rua Visconde de Anadia, nº44
9050-020 Funchal
Tel: (+351) 291 211 600
Fax: (+351) 291 224 791
E-mail: ivbam.sra@gov-madeira.pt
Site: www.ivbam.gov-madeira.pt

Justino’s Madeira Wine
December 8, 2014 no comments in Uncategorized by

Text João Pedro de Carvalho | Translation Bruno Ferreira

The wine tradition in Madeira is secular. It all began in the XV century when Infante D. Henrique ordered the plantation of the Malvazia/Malmsey vineyards imported from Greece. Over 500 years later Madeira wine became one of greatest Wine World icons, as much by its longevity as by its quality, being present on important events such as the United States Independence Declaration on July 4, 1776 e.g..

On the recent trip to Madeira one of the the visited companies was the “Justino’s, Madeira, S.A.” created in 1953 whose founder was Justino Henrique Freitas in 1870 when it was still a family business, known as Vinhos Justino Henriques (V.J.H.). In 1981 Sigfredo da Costa Campos acquired the company and amplified its value with the purchase of Companhia Vinícola da Madeira’s stock. In 1993 associates to the french group “La Martiniquaise” and in 1994 moves out of the downtown facilities to the Parque Industrial de Cancela where it lies till today. With his death in 2008, the French group took hold of the company’s full control.

Blend_All_About_Wine_Justinos_1

10 years lineup (Sercial, Verdelho, Boal, Malvazia*) © Blend All About Wine, Lda.

The tasting, excellent by the way, was held on the current and modern facilities which gave me some longing feelings of that atmosphere so characteristic of the oldest wineries where the passage of time has taken its toll. Fortunately, with the help of the served wines excellency, the nostalgia disappeared almost immediately. Before pinpointing the ones I enjoyed the most, a small note about the “Justino’s 10 Anos” better known varieties (Sercial, Verdelho, Boal, Malvazia). Wines which present us an above average intensity and maturity.

It’s from this point on that the “Madeira World” starts to be probably better understood, wines where the set’s harmony blends into a more mature bouquet making us aspire to higher stages.

Blend_All_About_Wine_Justinos_2

Justino’s Terrantez Old Reserve © Blend All About Wine, Lda.

Justino’s Terrantez Old Reserve
The Terrantez is a rare and nearly extinct variety, filling its wines with a mystery and fascination cape. We’re before a wine with over forty years, some nuances such as the greeny traces on the rim indicating it might as well be older than that. A concentrated and deep wine, some iodine notes, curry, lacquer, old cask wood, dried fruit with english cake, exotic and mysterious.
Mouth with an involving entrance, lining the palate with an unctuous aftertaste of nuts and almonds, orange jelly, and a great elegance along with a conquering acidity’s in a great and long ending.

Blend_All_About_Wine_Justinos_3

Justino’s Sercial 1940 © Blend All About Wine, Lda.

Justino’s Sercial 1940
It’s the one needing the most time to develop and have presence in bottle, due to the high acidity which the variety conveys to the wines. My favorite of all with a lot of sea notes, lots of salty almond, lacquer, complexity and elegance, honey with an orange crystallized peel and at the same time exhaling a sharp freshness that tones the whole tasting. Great palate presence with a slight dried salty fruits greasiness. Iodine, citrus zest, plenty of emotion and flavour and once again an acidity focus, presenting an unforgettable wine! At all levels!

Blend_All_About_Wine_Justinos_4

Justino’s Verdelho 1954 © Blend All About Wine, Lda.

Justino’s Verdelho 1954
A wine wine exhaling both freshness and energy, complexity in droves in a dense and even quite pinched set at the start. A touch of ripe lemon jelly, green tea, flowers bouquet along with nuts. Plenty of life in a dry and strong set. Mouth contrasting the aromas, full of flavour with remarkable notes highlighting a dryness that revitalizes the palate and invites to one more gulp. Always with plenty of flavour and a soft unctuous touch in a wine with a spicy and huge ending.

Blend_All_About_Wine_Justinos_5

Justino’s Malmsey 1933 © Blend All About Wine, Lda.

Justino’s Malmsey 1933
A great wine, showing why there’s no comparison to the great Madeira’s! The longevity cohabits with a complexity/freshness hard to find anywhere else. This is one of the great, those that win us over immediately. It feels, by the variety’s nature, that is sweeter and “heavier” than the previously tasted wines. Great complexity with milk caramel, fig raisins, lacquer, dried fruits. An elegant set with the necessary acidity conferring it plenty of life, ground coffee, box of cigars, spices. All pronounced in a perfect harmony between mouth and nose. Unctuous and fresh palate passage with a tiny tip of sweetness in the ending making it sinful.

Contacts
Parque Industrial da Cancela
9125 – 042 Caniço
Madeira
Tel: (+351) 291 934 257
Fax: (+351) 291 934 049
E-mail: justinos@justinosmadeira.com
Site: www.justinosmadeira.com

Lunch at Chalet Vicente
May 23, 2014 no comments in Uncategorized by

Text José Silva

In a warm and sunny day at Funchal, Olga and I sat down at a terrace table in one of the most sheltering restaurants in this Madeira town, for a peaceful meal. Chalet Vicente, a manorial house with several spaces and corners, between interior rooms and the big terrace.

Right at the entrance of the main room, there is a huge grill, where a variety of fish and meat pass through. But the menu has a great variety, between starters and main courses, and at lunch time there is even an interesting buffet.

Blend-All-About-Wine-Lunch-at Chalet Vicente-2

Photo by José Silva | All Rights Reserved

All that is ran by a master of Madeira’s gastronomy, a man with great experience and good taste, Nélio Ferreira, who not only received us, but also guided us through a wonderful meal, a trip through very well prepared morsels, a Madeira taste parade in our table, that tasted so good.

The “bolo do caco”, that delicious soft bread, toasted and covered with garlic butter, was always present during the meal. It started with some unusual but superb black sward fish eggs, very well seasoned, juicy and crispy, a very good surprise.

Blend-All-About-Wine-Lunch-at Chalet Vicente bolo do caco

“Bolo do caco” – Photo by José Silva | All Rights Reserved

Followed by a stewed octopus with sweet potatoes, an enticing, thick sauce, very tender octopus, excellent. By then, our friend Nélio had already opened a bottle of table white Madeira wine, from a small producer, named “Vai de Cabeça”, from Verdelho grape variety. At The correct temperature, it was very well, secure, fresh, very good acidity and that intense mineral touch that performs great matchings. As was the case with the small veal liver steaks, with onion and a lot of laurel, delicate and extremely tasty. Then came some delicious black sward fish fillets, soft and appetizing, covered with banana and passion fruit sauce, wonderful.

Blend-All-About-Wine-Lunch-at-Chalet-Vicente-Vai-de-Cabeça

Vai de Cabeça white – Photo by José Silva | All Rights Reserved

During our meal, a small fresh tuna arrived at the restaurant, from which they showed us some parts, already cleaned and prepared. We didn’t resist Nélio’s proposition, and we enjoyed small tuna steaks with villain sauce, in the company of toasted sweet potatoes with sugar cane honey, something very special. The tuna loin meat melting in generous slices, a spicy and thick sauce, the sweet potato with exotic taste, very, very good.

Blend-All-About-Wine-Lunch-at-Chalet-Vicente-small tuna steaks

Small tuna steaks with villain sauce – Photo by José Silva | All Rights Reserved

But we didn’t finish without trying one of the house specialties, breaded frog legs, very well done, with their white sauce, delicious. And we couldn’t reach desert…but we could delight ourselves with a Madeira wine from Barbeito, a 10 year old Verdelho that was very good. Intense on the nose, with great freshness and dry fruit notes, tangerine skin and caramel. On the mouth it’s an explosion of minerality, fresh, with vibrant acidity, involving, toasted notes, dry, delicious.

Blend-All-About-Wine-Lunch-at-Chalet-Vicente

Breaded frog legs – Photo by José Silva | All Rights Reserved

Along with coffee we didn’t resist another glass of this delicious Madeira’s nectar, chilled as it should be, a perfect final for this meal worthy of a Chalet!!

Thank you my friend Nélio.

Contacts
Restaurante Chalet Vicente
Estrada Monumental, 238
9000-100 Funchal
Madeira, Portugal
Portugal
Tel: (+351) 291 765 818
Tel: (+351) 967 793 903
E-mail: chaletvicente@sapo.pt
Website: chaletvicente.com

Justino’s – Madeira Wine Tasting
May 20, 2014 no comments in Uncategorized by

Text José Silva

Madeira wine still needs a lot of disclosure, it is still a unknown product to the majority of those who appreciate alcoholic beverages, specially liqueur wines (fortified wines). It is a shame, as it is an unique and peculiar wine in the world, with great tradition, that is able to evolve for decades and even become a collection product, a rare and desirable piece, not available to all.

But Madeira wine has also been evolving, modernizing itself and the main producers are trying to bring the wine to young people, who begin, step by step, discovering this wine of excellence, in a certain kind of democratization of a product that has been helping this tiny Atlantic island to be known throughout the world, mainly in high gastronomy and top tasters spheres. But it can still do a lot more for this small region, where quality tourism is more and more an everyday reality, every month, every year.

Visiting Justino’s company and its cellar gave us a slight notion of that wine reality that is the production of quality Madeira wine. A visit that is always a pleasure and moments to learn what is being done in high standard Madeira wines, with a very peculiar philosophy. And the proof of this are the wines that were tasted in excellent conditions, in a guided trip through 13 memorable Madeira wines from Justino´s.

justino-s-madeira-wine-tasting1

3 Year Old Fine Medium Dry & 5 Years Reserve Fine Dry © Blend All About Wine, Lda.

Starting in one of the most modern and young, 3 Year Old Fine Medium Dry, that showed dry and intense nose, a lot of dried fruit, slightly toasted, but elegant at the same time. Some sweetness in the mouth combined, by contrast, with wonderful acidity, well-balanced, still a young wine but therefore, easy to drink, to judge and to understand. A Madeira wine for every day, a wine to have always in the fridge.

The next wine was 5 Years Reserve Fine Dry, already with a classic touch, with a nice gilded amber color, limpid, very fresh in the nose, a pleasant dry touch, with good dried fruits notes, mainly nuts, compelling in the mouth, great acidity ruling the set, again nuts and almond notes, a young wine already getting teenager, steady, long finish.

Then we went back to 3 years aged wines, now with 3 Years Fine Rich, still a young wine but already very pleasant, perhaps for a more female audience, a lot of dried fruits notes in the nose, slightly fruity, with a slight dry touch. Sweeter in the mouth but with a lot of refinement, some dried fruits and caramel notes, and excellent acidity, connecting this young and very attractive set.

3 Years Fine Rich & 5 Years Reserve Fine Dry © Blend All About Wine, Lda.

3 Years Fine Rich & 5 Years Reserve Fine Dry © Blend All About Wine, Lda.

 

The age of 5 years was also repeated, with 5 Years Reserve Fine Rich, this one with exuberant nose, complex, slightly toasted, some caramel, fruity, very much compelling. Sweet in the mouth but very fresh, showing wonderful acidity, already with an intense mouth volume and long finish, a Madeira wine still young, yet with the characteristics of a classic wine, with accessible price, in a very interesting engagement solution not only for the young and beginners, but also to be at hand in daily life.

Than came more serious wines, on the classical sense of the word, wines of another platform, still in a very interesting quality/price level, 10 years wines, from the most well known and appreciated grapes, all showing that amber color touch, only changing in intensity, between the Sercial blond till the Malvasia dark brown.

justino-s-madeira-wine-tasting3

10 Year Malmsey, Boal, Verdelho & Sercial © Blend All About Wine, Lda.

10 Year Sercial was perhaps the most well balanced one, very refined and fresh in the nose, slightly dry and with very soft nuts notes. In the mouth it is silky, compelling, very much accessible and with wonderful acidity, fresh and mineral, showing itself soft, leaving great finish.

10 Year Verdelho is very refined in the nose, still with that dry touch connected to some dried fruits and slightly toasted. The mouth reveals great structure, compelling, very refined and with extraordinary acidity, intense but steady, even ruling the set, still some dried fruits and long finish, entirely wrapping our palate.

Than we tasted 10 Year Boal, a classic, perhaps the most well-balanced grape. Great elegance in the nose, exotic and complex wine, with extremely pleasant aromas. Sweetness is clear in the mouth, but very well connected with intense acidity, which sometimes takes precedence over the sweetness and makes this wine a fascinating one, with great mouth volume, slightly dry, a great wine!

To end this set of 10 year old wines, we tasted 10 Year Old Malmsey, that proved to have an elegant and soft nose, with nuts, almonds and hazelnut notes and some freshness. Although it was the most sweet of all four wines, it has beautiful acidity, an elegant sweetness, with some complexity, a round wine, well done, a more accessible wine but with very good fulfilment.

Then it was time to change to another level, with three older wines, still very fresh and intense, capable of being tasted in several situations and even perform some good pairings with food, between menu starters and some desserts.

justino-s-madeira-wine-tasting4

Colheita 1995 & Colheita 1996 © Blend All About Wine, Lda.

The Colheita 1995 shows a very refined dark amber color, limpid, very much appellative wine. A powerful, intense, very much compelling nose, with strong presence of dried fruits complexity, but also with very pleasant light citric notes. Round and intense in the mouth, it has got a beautiful acidity, persistent, well connected with sweet notes, delivering some vivacity and structure to the ensemble, providing a great finish.

On similar style was the Colheita 1996, with medium and elegant amber color, very beautiful. Very floral and intense nose, dried fruits very evident, giving great elegance to the wine. It is still elegance that stands out in the mouth, with compelling sweet notes, well balanced acidity but always present, lightly toasted, a very enjoyable wine where the prevailing note is in fact elegance.

justino-s-madeira-wine-tasting5

Terrantez Old Reserve © Blend All About Wine, Lda.

And in great Madeira wines you can´t miss Terrantez grape variety, very rare and constantly in danger of vanishing, despite laudable struggle of the main producers, trying to sustain it, as it is an island matchless inheritance. We tasted Terrantez Old Reserve, that showed light amber limpid color, a very clean wine. A grape variety that produces drier wines, here was its best, very smooth in the nose, clean and exotic, even inebriant. Excellent mouth, remarkable, dry, very dry, with nuts and bitter almond notes, jam, very smooth, but with fine acidity and a great finish.

The wine tasting was coming to an end, and we entered a superior level, with those Madeira wines to which a wine lover always wishes to reach, rare wines but still full of power, still with a lot to give during many years.

First we tasted Sercial 1940, showing a dark amber and intense color, with green spots, limpid, very elegant. A fantastic nose, full of refinement and exuberant at the same time, a dry and still very fresh wine. In the mouth it is superb, dry, with light “little vinegar” notes and a slashing acidity, intense but very pleasant, nuts notes and a smooth citric touch, a very long finish, fantastic.

Blend-All-About-Wine-Justino-Madeira-1940

Sercial 1940 © Blend All About Wine, Lda.

Blend-All-About-Wine-Justino-Madeira-1933

Malvasia 1933 © Blend All About Wine, Lda.

We concluded this Justino´s wine tasting with Malvasia 1933, already a collection piece. With an amber brownish color, dark, very elegant. Great nose, full of dried fruits, complex but still very fresh, citric, a remarkable wine. It fills your mouth in an explosion of sensations, toasted, silky but with an indescribable and powerful acidity, leading the set, but allowing all the flavors diversity to be always present, including a very slight and delicious “small vinegar”. Structure, body, intensity, in a single word… excellent.

Contacts
Justinos´s, Madeira Wines, S.A.
Parque Industrial da Cancela
9125-042 Caniço, MADEIRA
Telefone: (+351) 291 934 257
Fax: (+351) 291 934 049
E-mail: justinos@justinosmadeira.com
Website:bwww.justinosmadeira.com

Justino's – Madeira Wine Tasting
May 20, 2014 no comments in Uncategorized by

Text José Silva

Madeira wine still needs a lot of disclosure, it is still a unknown product to the majority of those who appreciate alcoholic beverages, specially liqueur wines (fortified wines). It is a shame, as it is an unique and peculiar wine in the world, with great tradition, that is able to evolve for decades and even become a collection product, a rare and desirable piece, not available to all.

But Madeira wine has also been evolving, modernizing itself and the main producers are trying to bring the wine to young people, who begin, step by step, discovering this wine of excellence, in a certain kind of democratization of a product that has been helping this tiny Atlantic island to be known throughout the world, mainly in high gastronomy and top tasters spheres. But it can still do a lot more for this small region, where quality tourism is more and more an everyday reality, every month, every year.

Visiting Justino’s company and its cellar gave us a slight notion of that wine reality that is the production of quality Madeira wine. A visit that is always a pleasure and moments to learn what is being done in high standard Madeira wines, with a very peculiar philosophy. And the proof of this are the wines that were tasted in excellent conditions, in a guided trip through 13 memorable Madeira wines from Justino´s.

justino-s-madeira-wine-tasting1

3 Year Old Fine Medium Dry & 5 Years Reserve Fine Dry © Blend All About Wine, Lda.

Starting in one of the most modern and young, 3 Year Old Fine Medium Dry, that showed dry and intense nose, a lot of dried fruit, slightly toasted, but elegant at the same time. Some sweetness in the mouth combined, by contrast, with wonderful acidity, well-balanced, still a young wine but therefore, easy to drink, to judge and to understand. A Madeira wine for every day, a wine to have always in the fridge.

The next wine was 5 Years Reserve Fine Dry, already with a classic touch, with a nice gilded amber color, limpid, very fresh in the nose, a pleasant dry touch, with good dried fruits notes, mainly nuts, compelling in the mouth, great acidity ruling the set, again nuts and almond notes, a young wine already getting teenager, steady, long finish.

Then we went back to 3 years aged wines, now with 3 Years Fine Rich, still a young wine but already very pleasant, perhaps for a more female audience, a lot of dried fruits notes in the nose, slightly fruity, with a slight dry touch. Sweeter in the mouth but with a lot of refinement, some dried fruits and caramel notes, and excellent acidity, connecting this young and very attractive set.

3 Years Fine Rich & 5 Years Reserve Fine Dry © Blend All About Wine, Lda.

3 Years Fine Rich & 5 Years Reserve Fine Dry © Blend All About Wine, Lda.

 

The age of 5 years was also repeated, with 5 Years Reserve Fine Rich, this one with exuberant nose, complex, slightly toasted, some caramel, fruity, very much compelling. Sweet in the mouth but very fresh, showing wonderful acidity, already with an intense mouth volume and long finish, a Madeira wine still young, yet with the characteristics of a classic wine, with accessible price, in a very interesting engagement solution not only for the young and beginners, but also to be at hand in daily life.

Than came more serious wines, on the classical sense of the word, wines of another platform, still in a very interesting quality/price level, 10 years wines, from the most well known and appreciated grapes, all showing that amber color touch, only changing in intensity, between the Sercial blond till the Malvasia dark brown.

justino-s-madeira-wine-tasting3

10 Year Malmsey, Boal, Verdelho & Sercial © Blend All About Wine, Lda.

10 Year Sercial was perhaps the most well balanced one, very refined and fresh in the nose, slightly dry and with very soft nuts notes. In the mouth it is silky, compelling, very much accessible and with wonderful acidity, fresh and mineral, showing itself soft, leaving great finish.

10 Year Verdelho is very refined in the nose, still with that dry touch connected to some dried fruits and slightly toasted. The mouth reveals great structure, compelling, very refined and with extraordinary acidity, intense but steady, even ruling the set, still some dried fruits and long finish, entirely wrapping our palate.

Than we tasted 10 Year Boal, a classic, perhaps the most well-balanced grape. Great elegance in the nose, exotic and complex wine, with extremely pleasant aromas. Sweetness is clear in the mouth, but very well connected with intense acidity, which sometimes takes precedence over the sweetness and makes this wine a fascinating one, with great mouth volume, slightly dry, a great wine!

To end this set of 10 year old wines, we tasted 10 Year Old Malmsey, that proved to have an elegant and soft nose, with nuts, almonds and hazelnut notes and some freshness. Although it was the most sweet of all four wines, it has beautiful acidity, an elegant sweetness, with some complexity, a round wine, well done, a more accessible wine but with very good fulfilment.

Then it was time to change to another level, with three older wines, still very fresh and intense, capable of being tasted in several situations and even perform some good pairings with food, between menu starters and some desserts.

justino-s-madeira-wine-tasting4

Colheita 1995 & Colheita 1996 © Blend All About Wine, Lda.

The Colheita 1995 shows a very refined dark amber color, limpid, very much appellative wine. A powerful, intense, very much compelling nose, with strong presence of dried fruits complexity, but also with very pleasant light citric notes. Round and intense in the mouth, it has got a beautiful acidity, persistent, well connected with sweet notes, delivering some vivacity and structure to the ensemble, providing a great finish.

On similar style was the Colheita 1996, with medium and elegant amber color, very beautiful. Very floral and intense nose, dried fruits very evident, giving great elegance to the wine. It is still elegance that stands out in the mouth, with compelling sweet notes, well balanced acidity but always present, lightly toasted, a very enjoyable wine where the prevailing note is in fact elegance.

justino-s-madeira-wine-tasting5

Terrantez Old Reserve © Blend All About Wine, Lda.

And in great Madeira wines you can´t miss Terrantez grape variety, very rare and constantly in danger of vanishing, despite laudable struggle of the main producers, trying to sustain it, as it is an island matchless inheritance. We tasted Terrantez Old Reserve, that showed light amber limpid color, a very clean wine. A grape variety that produces drier wines, here was its best, very smooth in the nose, clean and exotic, even inebriant. Excellent mouth, remarkable, dry, very dry, with nuts and bitter almond notes, jam, very smooth, but with fine acidity and a great finish.

The wine tasting was coming to an end, and we entered a superior level, with those Madeira wines to which a wine lover always wishes to reach, rare wines but still full of power, still with a lot to give during many years.

First we tasted Sercial 1940, showing a dark amber and intense color, with green spots, limpid, very elegant. A fantastic nose, full of refinement and exuberant at the same time, a dry and still very fresh wine. In the mouth it is superb, dry, with light “little vinegar” notes and a slashing acidity, intense but very pleasant, nuts notes and a smooth citric touch, a very long finish, fantastic.

Blend-All-About-Wine-Justino-Madeira-1940

Sercial 1940 © Blend All About Wine, Lda.

Blend-All-About-Wine-Justino-Madeira-1933

Malvasia 1933 © Blend All About Wine, Lda.

We concluded this Justino´s wine tasting with Malvasia 1933, already a collection piece. With an amber brownish color, dark, very elegant. Great nose, full of dried fruits, complex but still very fresh, citric, a remarkable wine. It fills your mouth in an explosion of sensations, toasted, silky but with an indescribable and powerful acidity, leading the set, but allowing all the flavors diversity to be always present, including a very slight and delicious “small vinegar”. Structure, body, intensity, in a single word… excellent.

Contacts
Justinos´s, Madeira Wines, S.A.
Parque Industrial da Cancela
9125-042 Caniço, MADEIRA
Telefone: (+351) 291 934 257
Fax: (+351) 291 934 049
E-mail: justinos@justinosmadeira.com
Website:bwww.justinosmadeira.com

Terras do Avô – A Charm in the North of the Island
May 6, 2014 no comments in Uncategorized by

Text Olga Cardoso | Translation Teresa Calisto

I am an insatiable lover and an indefatigable defender of the Verdelho grape variety. Madeira’s Verdelho mind you!
Although for many this title may seem incoherent, because they may only recognize the legitimacy of the use of the name Verdelho in wines from that Portuguese region, the truth is that there are many other wines that claim having been made from that grape variety.

However, most of them are produced from other different types such as Gouveio or Spanish Verdejo.

Madeira’s Verdelho is in another league. It is pungent acidity, it is delicate aromas, it is freshness and it is also a huge sense of place. Yes, Madeira’s Verdelho does justice to that land of sea, sun and rugged soils.

Surrondigs - Photo provided by Terras do Avô - All Rights Reserved

Surrondigs – Photo provided by Terras do Avô – All Rights Reserved

Those who, like me, have recently visited that region and its vineyards, will certainly understand how stoic it is to produce wines over there. Small vineyards, steep slopes and countless time and place hardships. However, once they are overcome they produce very mineral wines with sea air hints. Wines that translate a typicality and a whole reason of being.

Terras do Avô wines tell a story. Duarte Caldeira, the leader of this project, decided in 2008 to start making their own brand wines – Terras do Avô. He took advantage of the already planted three acres of land, to start a partnership with his children, based on the lands inherited from their grandfather. The brand Terras do Avô belongs to Duarte Caldeira & Sons – Seixal Wines Lda, a company that has Duarte Caldeira and his three children: Sofia, Filipa and Duarte as partners.

Terras do Avô - Photo provided by Terras do Avô - All Rights Reserved

Terras do Avô – Photo provided by Terras do Avô – All Rights Reserved

With Paulo Laureano and João Pedro Machado in charge of oenology, Terras do Avô produces two whites and two reds. Two Colheita or entry level, and two Grande Escolha. These Escolha are only bottled in years when the quality of the harvest justifies it. The whites are exclusively made from Verdelho grapes, while the reds come from blends of Touriga Nacional, Tinta Roriz and Syrah.

I must confess I was mostly seduced by the white wines. The Verdelho variety makes all the difference. Such an amazing grape variety we have!

Duarte Caldeira and his children welcomed us comme il faut and offered us the opportunity to taste the Terras do Avô 2013 white and the Terras do Avô Grande Escolha 2011 and 2012 white. We were also able to taste the Colheita 2010 red and the Grande Escolha 2010 red. Madeira’s hospitality is amazing and the island has such potential and quality. A true pride for any Portuguese.

Tasting Table - Photo provided by Terras do Avô - All Rights Reserved

Tasting Table – Photo provided by Terras do Avô – All Rights Reserved

I was truly impressed by the whites. The young Terras do Avô 2013 presented as a very fresh wine, with evident mineral notes and well dosed tropical aromas, not at all cloying. With huge acidity, from Madeira’s Verdelho, it is a balanced wine, easily empathetic. Terras do Avô Grande Escolha 2011 showed a more golden color, with smooth tropical notes, clearly marked minerality and slight herbaceous hints. Terras do Avô Grande Escolha 2012 presented a very seductive nose, with pineapple and passion fruit hints, clear minerality and clues of salinity. With some complexity, it revealed a well-structured mouth with remarkable acidity.

The labels of these wines are very original and were designed by Madeira’s artist Marco Fagundes Vasconcelos, who dedicated the color green to the white wines and the red color to the same color wines.

Currently they produce around 19 thousand bottles of white and 9 thousand bottles of red wine. If Madeira already has reasons to be proud of its indigenous inhabitants, then Mr. Duarte Caldeira adds to this pride. An honest, straight talking man who becomes a true charm to any outsider

Tapas – Photo provided by Terras do Avô – All Rights Reserved

Integrated in the islands’ wine tourism, the Caldeira family welcomes their visitors with all the required care. Tapas, delicacies and dishes are always available to accompany their wines to those who come here, as are kindness, availability and hospitality.

Located in Seixal municipality, on the northern shore of Madeira Island, with a breathtaking view over the ocean, they welcome many national and foreign tourists and are doubling and improving their facilities.
What are you waiting for to pay them a visit? Here are all the necessary contact details. Go! Go! Go!

Contacts
Sociedade Duarte Caldeira e Filhos – Seixal Wines, Lda.
Sede: Sitio do Lombinho – Seixal, 9 270 – 125 Porto Moniz
Tel: (+351) 965 013 168(Duarte Caldeira) | (+351) 964 008 001 (Sofia Caldeira)
Email: seixalwines@gmail.com
Website: www.terrasdoavo.blogspot.com

Madeira – Chronicles of a passionate tasting at Henriques & Henriques!
May 2, 2014 no comments in Uncategorized by

Text Olga Cardoso | Translation Teresa Calisto

I was recently at Madeira Island to take part in the 5th edition of Rota das Estrelas, a gastronomic festival of enormous quality – see here (www.rotadasestrelas.com). Naturally, my trip to Madeira would have to include a visit to some local wine producers as well. A lot of wines were tasted and a large part of them left pleasant memories. One of those producers was Henriques & Henriques, a company whose history goes back to 1850 and that, unlike what usually happens in Madeira, owns a considerable amount of its own vineyards. In this company, now mainly belonging to Porto Cruz, everything exudes organization, cleanliness and care. What impressed me the most, besides the wines of course, was their lovely cooperage. Yes, in Madeira, wine producers have their own cooperages given their relevance in the wine making process and ageing of liqueur wines.

IMG_2227

Cooperage © Blend All About Wine, Lda.

The tasting was masterfully conducted by Humberto Jardim, the company’s C.E.O. and a great Madeira wines’ connoisseur. Using different profiles, vintages and grape varieties, he led us in a journey through time, knowledge and emotion. This producer’s portfolio is quite large and is available on their website www.henriquesehenriques.pt, where you will find images and tasting notes on the several different wines. In this article I will only mention 5 of the wines tasted those that impressed and touched me the most. The grand examples of Madeira are wines that fascinate, that excite and leave us perplexed. These are wines that have gone through great vicissitudes along their way, namely maturation at very high temperatures, wines that suffer extraordinary metamorphosis that transform them into something truly exceptional. Marked by a pungent acidity, they resist like no other the passing of the years, decades, centuries…

hh-rcaixa-01

Vineyards © Henriques & Henriques – Vinhos, S.A.

Sercial 1971
Marked by some astringency that translates into aromas and tastes of stems and rachis, this wine is bright and crystalline. With clear dried fruits and spices notes, it is complex, with the grape variety’s typical dryness and vipery acidity. Deep and vibrant, it finishes long and persistent. A memorable Sercial.

MADEIRAChroniclesofapassionatetastinatHenriqueseHenriques_Blend_AllAboutWine_Sercial

Sercial 1971 © Blend All About Wine, Lda.

Verdelho Solera 1898
If there are examples of perfection then this Madeira is one of them! I may be biased, given my love for this grape variety, but the truth is that this wine left me completely surrendered and fascinated. Everything in this wine is gold. From its old golden color to its noble and brilliant complexity, everything sparkles, impresses, subdues! The nose releases dried fruit and honey aromas and delicate old wood notes. The mouth is intense, voluminous and immensely creamy. An anthology wine!

MADEIRAChroniclesofapassionatetastinatHenriqueseHenriques_Blend_AllAboutWine_Solera

Verdelho Solera 1898 © Blend All About Wine, Lda.

Boal 1957
With a degree of sweetness properly grounded in an acute acidity, this Madeira is another example of charm and pedigree. Caramel, pralines and ferrous metals aromas, it reveals an immense olfactory diversity in a nose that however, presents clean and seductive. The mouth is full and round. With a perfect balance and harmony, it leaves an endless finish that I will not soon forget. One of the best Boal I have ever tasted!

MADEIRAChroniclesofapassionatetastinatHenriqueseHenriques_Blend_AllAboutWine_Boal

Boal 1957 © Blend All About Wine, Lda.

Terrantez 1954
Made from a very difficult grape variety, corresponding for that reason to a tiny percentage of the vineyards in Madeira, this wine seems to be a bit crazy and undue. This difficult and rare grape variety creates truly unique and sweeping wines. This 1954 is perhaps one of its purest manifestations. The nose is a bomb of aromas: dried fruits, honey and very smooth old wood. With remarkable structure and texture, it reveals a complexity and depth that make it almost inhuman. Had it not been made by men, I would say this was a divine creation!

Founders Solera 1894
Essentially made of Malvasia, the sweetest of the noble grape varieties of Madeira wine, this Solera has strong aromas of raisins, orange zest and also a little bit of spices. Magnified by the years gone by, today it has enormous concentration and complexity. The color is dark and intense and the mouth has an impressive volume. Full and unctuous, with a very soft texture it ends quite long. A wine to chew, a wine time has enhanced!

Contacts
Henriques & Henriques – Vinhos, S.A.
Sítio de Belém 9300-138 Câmara de Lobos Madeira – Portugal
Tel: (+351) 291 941 551/2
Fax: (+351) 291 941 590
E-mail: HeH@henriquesehenriques.pt
Site: www.henriquesehenriques.pt

Madeira – Chronicles of a passionate tasting at Henriques & Henriques!
May 2, 2014 no comments in Uncategorized by

Text Olga Cardoso | Translation Teresa Calisto

I was recently at Madeira Island to take part in the 5th edition of Rota das Estrelas, a gastronomic festival of enormous quality – see here (www.rotadasestrelas.com). Naturally, my trip to Madeira would have to include a visit to some local wine producers as well. A lot of wines were tasted and a large part of them left pleasant memories. One of those producers was Henriques & Henriques, a company whose history goes back to 1850 and that, unlike what usually happens in Madeira, owns a considerable amount of its own vineyards. In this company, now mainly belonging to Porto Cruz, everything exudes organization, cleanliness and care. What impressed me the most, besides the wines of course, was their lovely cooperage. Yes, in Madeira, wine producers have their own cooperages given their relevance in the wine making process and ageing of liqueur wines.

IMG_2227

Cooperage © Blend All About Wine, Lda.

The tasting was masterfully conducted by Humberto Jardim, the company’s C.E.O. and a great Madeira wines’ connoisseur. Using different profiles, vintages and grape varieties, he led us in a journey through time, knowledge and emotion. This producer’s portfolio is quite large and is available on their website www.henriquesehenriques.pt, where you will find images and tasting notes on the several different wines. In this article I will only mention 5 of the wines tasted those that impressed and touched me the most. The grand examples of Madeira are wines that fascinate, that excite and leave us perplexed. These are wines that have gone through great vicissitudes along their way, namely maturation at very high temperatures, wines that suffer extraordinary metamorphosis that transform them into something truly exceptional. Marked by a pungent acidity, they resist like no other the passing of the years, decades, centuries…

hh-rcaixa-01

Vineyards © Henriques & Henriques – Vinhos, S.A.

Sercial 1971
Marked by some astringency that translates into aromas and tastes of stems and rachis, this wine is bright and crystalline. With clear dried fruits and spices notes, it is complex, with the grape variety’s typical dryness and vipery acidity. Deep and vibrant, it finishes long and persistent. A memorable Sercial.

MADEIRAChroniclesofapassionatetastinatHenriqueseHenriques_Blend_AllAboutWine_Sercial

Sercial 1971 © Blend All About Wine, Lda.

Verdelho Solera 1898
If there are examples of perfection then this Madeira is one of them! I may be biased, given my love for this grape variety, but the truth is that this wine left me completely surrendered and fascinated. Everything in this wine is gold. From its old golden color to its noble and brilliant complexity, everything sparkles, impresses, subdues! The nose releases dried fruit and honey aromas and delicate old wood notes. The mouth is intense, voluminous and immensely creamy. An anthology wine!

MADEIRAChroniclesofapassionatetastinatHenriqueseHenriques_Blend_AllAboutWine_Solera

Verdelho Solera 1898 © Blend All About Wine, Lda.

Boal 1957
With a degree of sweetness properly grounded in an acute acidity, this Madeira is another example of charm and pedigree. Caramel, pralines and ferrous metals aromas, it reveals an immense olfactory diversity in a nose that however, presents clean and seductive. The mouth is full and round. With a perfect balance and harmony, it leaves an endless finish that I will not soon forget. One of the best Boal I have ever tasted!

MADEIRAChroniclesofapassionatetastinatHenriqueseHenriques_Blend_AllAboutWine_Boal

Boal 1957 © Blend All About Wine, Lda.

Terrantez 1954
Made from a very difficult grape variety, corresponding for that reason to a tiny percentage of the vineyards in Madeira, this wine seems to be a bit crazy and undue. This difficult and rare grape variety creates truly unique and sweeping wines. This 1954 is perhaps one of its purest manifestations. The nose is a bomb of aromas: dried fruits, honey and very smooth old wood. With remarkable structure and texture, it reveals a complexity and depth that make it almost inhuman. Had it not been made by men, I would say this was a divine creation!

Founders Solera 1894
Essentially made of Malvasia, the sweetest of the noble grape varieties of Madeira wine, this Solera has strong aromas of raisins, orange zest and also a little bit of spices. Magnified by the years gone by, today it has enormous concentration and complexity. The color is dark and intense and the mouth has an impressive volume. Full and unctuous, with a very soft texture it ends quite long. A wine to chew, a wine time has enhanced!

Contacts
Henriques & Henriques – Vinhos, S.A.
Sítio de Belém 9300-138 Câmara de Lobos Madeira – Portugal
Tel: (+351) 291 941 551/2
Fax: (+351) 291 941 590
E-mail: HeH@henriquesehenriques.pt
Site: www.henriquesehenriques.pt