Text Ilkka Sirén

The wine industry is well-known for its hospitality. In general people are very welcoming and friendly. When people share the same kind of enthusiasm towards a certain thing, in this case wine, they are more connected and it almost feels like you know the person even if you don’t. Of course there is always a few bad apples but still, I consider the wine industry to be a very pleasant area of business. But that’s just me.

Take Barbeito for example. The first time I visited them on Madeira I was on vacation. I was traveling with my wife and her family. It was a pretty typical tourist trip: sightseeing, pool, Coral (beer), “bolo do caco” garlic bread, “espetada” meat skewers, wine, dodging drunken senior citizens, sleep, rinse and repeat. I did however try to organize a bit of extracurricular activities and went to visit Vinhos Barbeito. Finding the winery turned out to be nearly impossible for the taxi driver but after several pit stops he did manage to locate the premises. During that visit we tasted wines dating back 1875! I mean this was a very casual visit with my in-laws but still they were kind enough to show us these great wines. It was quite amazing, and a good example of the generosity in the wine business.

Vinhos Barbeito is located in an industrial zone high upon a windy hill. While some of the Madeira wineries are quite rustic, the winery of Barbeito has a modern feel to it. Not flashy, just very practical. You could get the sense that someone with a vinous mind has designed the layout of the facilities. Even the handrail in the parking lot is actually a pipe to move the wine from the vinification area to another building that has the bottling line and barrel room. How cool is that!

Vinhos Barbeito was founded in 1946 which is in Madeira-wine-years quite a fresh project. Since then the estate has established itself as one of the most exciting wineries in Portugal. The winemaker Ricardo Diogo seems to be a bit of a wizard when it comes to blending wine. Some call him the “Gandalf of Madeira”. Well, I don’t know if they do but they really should. Not saying that Barbeito wines are perfect, nothing is, but they are rapidly becoming synonymous with remarkably high quality wine.

On my recent visit to the winery the mission was very simple: taste as many wines as humanly possible. Mission accomplished! We tasted through dozens of samples in a line-up that was nothing short of epic. Starting with some younger Tinta Negras, Bastardo, 5-yeard-olds and 10-year-olds. All the way back to the vintage 1834. Let me say that again, 18-frigging-34! That’s old. It’s the year when the Spanish Inquisition ended. Intense. Some wines can’t be accurately described, so I won’t even try. Just going to say that it was beyond awesome.

Here are my picks from the wines:

Barbeito ‘Ribeiro Real’ Verdelho 20 Years Old
A wine made from Verdelho and a touch of 100-year-old Tinta Negra wines from the legendary Ribeiro Real vineyards. Fragrant aromas of spices and a certain delicate intensity that if you’re not careful makes you forget your nose in the glass for a very long time. From the moment the wine touches your tongue it takes you on a ride. The word ‘lingering’ doesn’t even start to describe the longevity of flavours in this wine. It just goes on and on. Fantastic.

Barbeito ‘Mãe Manuela’ Malvasia 40 Years Old
An old blend of Malvasia. A bit of a floral kick, herbs, sweet liquor and hints of dark chocolate. Rich and delicious mouthfeel which is immediately lightened by vibrant acidity which makes the whole experience extremely pleasant. A complex wine that will make you yearn for a glass even weeks after tasting. Definitely one of the most beautiful wines I’ve tasted this year. Superb.

Contacts
Estrada da Ribeira Garcia
Parque Empresarial de Câmara de Lobos – Lote 8
9300-324 Câmara de Lobos – Portugal
Tel: (+351) 291 761 829
Fax: (+351) 291 765 832
Email: info@vinhosbarbeito.com.pt
Site: www.vinhosbarbeito.com