Winemaker Notes
Bright golden-brown color. It presents great aromatic intensity with a complex bouquet of dried fruits, such as figs and plums, with notes of almonds and wood, subtly completed by caramel and vanilla notes. Notes of cinnamon and sweet spices. The attack is medium sweet, with great balance, sugars, and acids, soft, and smooth with notes of fruit cake, liqueur, and candied fruit. Pleasant and persistent, very smooth aftertaste of honey and ginger biscuits.
Professional Ratings
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Decanter
Sugar and alcohol are superbly integrated in this Bual that balances rich flavours of red apple, walnut & pumpkin jam, quince and maraschino cherries with a thick vegetal rim of coffee, caramel, tobacco and cherry leaves. High notes of mahogany, cherry jam and Earl Grey-infused poached plums add both lift and depth.
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Wilfred Wong of Wine.com
COMMENTARY: The Blandy's Bual Madeira, Aged 10 Years, is layered and full-bodied. TASTING NOTES: This wine excels with the aromas and flavors of dried dates and apricots. Enjoy its full and sweet presence with grilled, jalapeno-accented pork chops. (Tasted: June 16, 2022, San Francisco, CA)
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James Suckling
This medium-sweet Madeira shows subtle varnish, dried fruit and pie crust notes. The palate is sharp and full-bodied, moderated by residual sugar (80 g/L), with a tense and prolonged finish. So much tension. Drink now or hold.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The August 2024 bottling of the NV Bual 10 Year Old was produced with grapes mostly from the south of the island, between Ribeira Brava and Calheta on volcanic soils. It fermented with indigenous yeasts and aged in oak casks according to the "canteiro" method for an average of 10 years. It was fortified to 19% alcohol, keeping a pH of 3.4 and 95 grams of sugar. It's complex, nutty and very spicy, with notes of quince paste, caramelized fruit and a touch of brandy and a resinous, volatile touch.
Rating: 91+
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.
WWH9764707_0 Item# 3663291