20 Years Old Madeira – A Most welcome Trend

Twenty years old Madeira. For the initiated Madeira consumer this has primarily been equal to Vintage wines which by regulation needs to spend two decades in cask. Most of these however, are allowed to evolve much longer than that, knowing they need it. Vintage Madeira is such a miniscule part of the overall production yet these are the wines that seem to get the most attention amongst writers. It’s understandable; a vintage, or as it is also called, a frasqueira can be such an unique experience not equalled by any other wine in the world.

A vintage Madeira is an investment in patience and passion. You don’t have to be a rocket scientist to understand the cost calculated in time, space and the fact a producer is blocking an inventory for decades before it is entering the market. Hence the price tag when released for sale. For those consumers who either don’t want to invest in a vintage wine or can’t afford it, there’s a trend on the island; the 20 Years Old Madeira. Henriques & Henriques has released three of them; a Malmsey, a Terrantez and recently a Verdelho. H M Borges has released a Verdelho ,Blandy’s has bottled a rare Terrantez and Vinhos Barbeito has released a beautiful Malvasia. A blend will not possess the concentration, longevity and overall structure of a vintage wine. However, it will nor come with the same price level.

To produce a twenty years old blended Madeira you need high quality wine. Just taste the wines mentioned above and you will understand. The consumer gets a real indication and taste what twenty years actually does to a good Madeira. The recently released 20 Years Old Verdelho from Henriques & Henriques certainly shows that. Humberto Jardim at H&H has been leading the trend and the Verdelho is such an elegant glass. Again, the trademark of the grape is its ability to retain its fruitiness even with age. Gentle spices, some nutmeg, lime peel, smoky oak and sugar cane syrup. Quite a complex sniff. Let’s gear up! The taste is even better with subtle notes from the oak aging; vanilla, tobacco and walnuts. Then the freshness, the acidity which masks the sweetness. Dust, smoke and walnuts. A dash of ground coffee. Pears in syrup. Long, lingering aftertaste.

The H&H Verdelho is of such quality that I’ve actually tasted some vintage wines not reaching the same standard. But then again; Madeira has never been better than it is today. Remember that when staring yourself blind on age sometimes. Don’t forget to pick up wines like the 20 Years Old Verdelho. Otherwise there’s a risk the trend will fall into oblivion and not being produced any longer. Believe me, you don’t want that to happen. The 20 Years Old wines are here to stay!

The MAM Opinion:

Do you want to buy and taste the wine? Contact the producer directly for retailers or use wine-searcher to locate the wine.