Winemaker Notes
Amber color with golden green reflections. Characteristic bouquet of Madeira with dried fruits, caramel flavors, honey, chocolate and old brandy. Sweet and full bodied with notes of candied fruits and spices, with a long and fresh finish.
It is a superb accompaniment to dried fruit, butter biscuits, praline, dark chocolate and honey cake.
Professional Ratings
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Decanter
The honeyed intensity of this Malmsey is perfectly balanced by the zingy freshness of candied orange rind and bergamot, and by the smoky elegance of dried sage, curry leaf and tobacco. Toffee and salted caramel add to the depth and textural complexity with an intriguing salty rim outlining the sweet fruit throughout. Long finish, with a tail of cardamom, curry and marmalade.
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Wine Spectator
Explosively fruity, this is redolent of lavishly spiced dried citrus, apricot and candied pear flavors. Vanilla and savory herb accents carry through to the plush, creamy finish. A pure and minerally style. Drink now through 2030.
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Wine & Spirits
This delivers its layers of flavors with the delicacy of lace, a refined pleasure, hinting at apricot leather, fresh mushroom and chestnuts. There's a touch of vanilla sweetness from oak aging, then potent acidity washes it away, ready-ing the palate for another sip.
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.
WWH131774_1996 Item# 133102