Winemaker Notes
Dark, golden brown with characteristic Madeira bouquet of raisins, toffee and nuts. Sweet with a rich, full bodied, honeyed and complex finish and beautifully balanced acidity.
Professional Ratings
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Wine & Spirits
As plump as a fresh fig, this is juicy and generous, lasting on a contrast between that fresh figgy ripeness and a savory note of coffee. A hint of mintiness keeps it clean.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
Wafting from the glass with aromas of figs, candied peel, dark chocolate, beeswax and a delicate hint of peat, Cossart Gordon's NV Malmsey 5 Year Old is medium to full-bodied, harmonious and complete, with fine depth at the core, ripe but racy acids and a well-defined finish. This is one of the finest examples of the category on the market and comes warmly recommended.
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.