Vó Vera – A Tribute to Granny
During easter, at my most recent visit to Vinhos Barbeito, Ricardo Diogo presented a wine to me with the words; you can’t write about this. Not yet. Fine, easy to respect that, I thought. Then he poured the wine….
Category: Malvasia
1811 Malvasia Candida – Or?
A friend of mine came with this sample, an 1811 Malvasia Candida. Unknown producer though. Bought in Portugal. Yeah, I know, I have great friends but that is the wine world. So many fantastic people out there, sharing. In…
New Release: Blandy’s 2008 Harvest Malmsey
Nowadays, when tasting a new Madeira release, I’m almost always impressed. Madeira wine has never been better but what perhaps should be emphasized even more is that this doesn’t seem to be enough for some of the producers. It…
Blandy’s 1996 Malmsey Colheita
The 1996 Malmsey from Blandy’s is a perfect example why I just love the colheitas. 15 years in cask really shows and although it isn’t a Frasqueira, the wine is not that far away. Today the vintage wines aren’t…
A Worthy Successor, The 30 Years Old Malvasia
Their 40 Years Old Malvazia was an extra-ordinary wine. But the new release from from H.M. Borges, the 30 Years Old Malvasia, is a worthy successor. If you’re into the sweeter style of Madeira, this is simply put a must…
Vinhos Barbeito; Sealing With Wax
Sealing bottles with wax is still practiced by some producers, mainly for their top premium wines or limited edition bottles. Here, the stenciling and waxing of a 30 Years Old Malvasia at Vinhos Barbeito.
New Releases From D’Oliveiras
A few weeks ago, d’Oliveiras released five new Madeira wines. What makes this array something extra is the fact that none of the wines has been released before. When talking to Luís d’Oliveira he especially mentions the rare 1901…
D’Oliveiras 1989 Malvazia Colheita – A Best Buy
Best buys in Madeira? The colheitas for sure. You get a glimpse of a vintage Madeira, the grape character is more evident and you don’t have to ask your better half for permission to buy a bottle. But even…
Vinhos Barbeito’s 2000 Single Cask 44a Malvasia
And I thought they were all gone! The feeling when realizing you’re still in possession of two bottles of an old favorite is nothing but priceless. But there’s more to the story…. Five years has passed since I…
Preserving A Wine World Heritage – Blandy’s 1988 Vintage Malmsey
Certain wines are more important to write about. Partly for being reference points demonstrating what can be achieved, but also as in this specific case, in order to highlight the frailness of what once was considered the foremost wine…
Garrafão 22 – Straight from mother’s house
The point of writing about a wine few will ever taste? No, it’s not about bragging. Not at all. It’s just that when a wine reaches such heights as the Vinhos Barbeito 1875 Malvasia Garrafão no. 22, I feel…
H.M. Borges 40 Years Old Malvazia – A Celebratory Wine
In 1508, Funchal received the status of a city by King Manuel I. This was of course celebrated in 2008, in connection with the city’s 500th anniversary. The company of H.M. Borges thought that was worth one heck of…
Vinhos Barbeito – 2002 Malvasia Single Cask 260 D + E
Don’t you just love it, when you still can sense the primary fruit and the typicity of a grape variety – and yet get some age and balance on top of that? Welcome to the world of colheitas! The…
Vinhos Barbeito – 2001 Malvasia Single Cask 727 d+e
Do the respective Madeira wine producers have their specialities? Depends on who you ask of course but I must confess I have my preferences when it comes to certain grapes. For example I have a weak spot for Sercial when…