Text Olga Cardoso | Translation Teresa Calisto

To talk of Barbeito wines is to talk, first and foremost, of tradition with passion. It all started in 1946 with Mário Barbeito Vasconcelos, in a time when there were over 30 producers and Madeira wine exporters. Nowadays there are only seven.
In 1985, with the passing of Mário Barbeito, it was his daughter Manuela Vasconcelos who took up the management of the company, becoming the first woman to export Madeira wines. In 1991, Manuela passed the torch to her son, Ricardo Diogo Freitas. Although he maintained the respect for the traditional methods, Ricardo brought new energy and innovation spirit to the Barbeito Wines.

I like his cheekiness and “rebellious” way to face the production of Madeira. He made a difference by launching unique wines, from unique casks and unique vines. Furthermore, he was also one of the first to appreciate Tinta Negra (a grape variety that is not included in the so called noble varieties), by ageing it in the traditional Canteiro method.

I usually call him Madeira’s Dirk Niepoort, and this is what our country needs: people who think outside the box and who elevate Portugal’s name and Portuguese wines.

Producing wines and selling them in international markets is nowadays very different than what it was 30 years ago. We are up against great brands and big producing countries. This is the reason why we have to think differently, do differently and be different! We are very small, we’ll never be able to compete in terms of volume, but we can compete in terms of quality and singularity.

Singularity is something Madeira wines aren’t short of. They are emotional wines, intellectual wines that rely on time and the mastery of the ones who make them… wines that grow old smoothly and for which time is a factor of quality and distinctiveness!

Barbeito produces excellent wines that come from the different Madeira grape varieties, but now I will speak of Malvasia, because this grape variety has an intrinsic relationship with this producer, if not for anything else, because it was Manuela Vasconcelos favorite variety.

MALVASIA 2002 – Casco Único 260 D + E (Single Cask)
This wine was aged in French oak casks, following the traditional Canteiro method. Peach and nectarines prevail in its primary aromas. But it’s the caramel and the dried fruits that are most felt. I also tasted some stem and vegetal. The mouth is dense and voluminous, sweet as is typical of Malvasia, but still it felt drier than most Malvasias in the market. Good concentration, with hints of fig and orange zest. Elegant and, with remarkable acidity, it must be served and enjoyed at a temperature between 12ºC and 14ºC.

MALVASIA 20 YEARS – Lote 14050
It seemed to me like a very moderate wine, in the nose. Fine and delicate, elegant with great appeal. It enthralls by the olfactory contention that, afterwards, explodes in great feelings in the palate. In the mouth it is pungent, profound and powerful. This is where it shows its true colors.

I can imagine it being an enormous challenge for the producer to make such a wine. Practically made with a ruler and a triangle. Very well thought and executed. The mastery of the human mind is well felt here.
There were only 1020 bottles made and whoever has the opportunity to purchase it, will find it a good use of their money. Although being powerful, it can also be fine and well cared. Its final reveals all its finesse, complex acidity and enormous persistence.

MÃE MANUELA – 40 Years 
And we finally arrive at the crème de la crème of Malvasias! An apotheotic way to end this article. As Malvasia was Manuela Vasconcelos’ favorite grape variety, Ricardo Diogo decided to pay tribute to his mother, bottling 1050 bottles of this precious wine made from a blend of 40 year old Malvasia and some older wines from the family’s private collection.

With clear aromas of dried fruits and caramel, it’s still possible to taste the citrus and orange zest hints. You can feel almost everything in this wine, such is its complexity. Dried figs, tobacco leaf and old wood cues are also very notorious.

This wine has received enormous praise from the specialized press, national and international, and it’s easy to understand the reason why. Noble, structured and elegant, it shows a passionate mouth, with spicy acidity and a much focused final… almost endless!

Are there anthology wines??? Then this is one of them…!!!

See here and here Sarah Ahmed – The Wine Detective’s opinion. 

Contacts:
Barbeito Wines
Estrada da Ribeira Garcia
Parque Empresarial de Câmara de Lobos – Lote 8
9300-324 Câmara de Lobos – Madeira – Portugal
Phone: 00 351 291 765 832
Email: info@vinhosbarbeito.com.pt
Site: http://www.vinhosbarbeito.com