Blandy's Vintage Verdelho Madeira 1979
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Robert
Parker -
Wine &
Spirits -
Wine
Spectator
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Decanter
A warm, nutty nose with smoke, seaweed, walnut, herbs and spices also has intense raisin and dried fig characters with savoury hints. Wonderful mouthfeel, with sublime flavours of cocoa, spices, dried fruit and citrus peel match the grapefruit acidity, molasses and rich bitter chocolate.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The 1979 Verdelho marks the first Blandy's release from this vintage. Bottled in 2015, one notices its refulgent amber color. The nose is very comely with dried peach, fig, walnut and smoke, quite voluminous and generous while maintaining admirable definition. The palate is medium-bodied with a viscous opening (at least for a Verdelho), smooth in texture with dried honey, orange zest and ginger that segues into a focused finish that needs just a little more depth. However, there is a lovely Sichuan pepper aftertaste that almost "cools" the mouth. What a fantastic wine from Blandy's - a Verdelho with genuine character.
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Wine & Spirits
This smells like the spray off of orange zest, the wine bursting with fruit scents, then narrowing into a long, nutty finish. The flavors keep shifting and changing long after each sip, spicy, smoky and dynamic. And each sip seems to expand, then contract, then expand again in a dynamic and luscious interplay of fruit and tannins. Firm, juicy and dry, this is compelling to drink with or after a meal. Open the bottle and contemplate the possibilities; you’ll have weeks—or months—to find the right match.
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Wine Spectator
This features an aroma of toffee, with fresh and powerful flavors of dried apricot, mango and roasted pineapple. Smoky notes emerge midpalate, with underbrush hints on the finish. Drink now through 2030.
Other Vintages
1976-
Wilfred
Wong -
Robert
Parker -
Wine &
Spirits
John Blandy first set foot on Madeira in 1807. In 1989, the Symington family became partners with the Blandy family and is helping to reinvigorate the Madeira trade. Grapes are grown in volcanic soil and hand harvested due to steeply terraced cliffs. The resulting wines are highly acidic and were found by historical accident to benefit from being heated - a process that would destroy any other wine. Originally, Madeiras were heated by the sun, stored in casks on the decks of boats exploring the world during the 18th century. Today, Madeiras are heated in a process called “estufagem,” which gives them great concentration and an incredible capacity to age while retaining some of the vibrant acidity unique to these wines.
The Blandy family is unique in being the only family of all the original founders of the Madeira wine trade to still own and manage their own original wine company. Throughout its long history on the island, the family has played a leading role in the development of Madeira wine throughout its long history. Members of the family continues to live on Madeira, maintaining a tradition that goes back to 1811; 2 centuries of fine wine production.
A steep, volcanic island in the Atlantic Ocean that rises to over 6,000 feet at its highest point, Madeira actually sits closer to Morocco than Portugal, the country to which it belongs.
Today the vineyards of the island cover tiny step-like terraces called poios, carved from the basalt bedrock. Aptly named Madeira, this fortified wine comes in two main styles. Blended Madeira is mostly inexpensive wine but there are a few remarkable aged styles. Single varietal Madeira (made from Sercial, Verdelho, Boal or Malmsey), is usually the highest quality and has the potential to improve in the bottle for decades.