2011 Blandy Verdelho Colheita Madeira medium dry
€ 105.00
From vineyards in Porto Moniz on the cooler north west corner of the island and Calheta on the south side: pale amber with a glint of orange and olive green on the rim; lovely, welcoming smoky-savoury aromas with a hint of autumnal wood smoke; gentle greengage sweetness with some textural richness on the palate (80g/l residual sugar) offset by a pronounced streak of acidity and a lovely fresh spiced apple finish which goes on and on. Serve cool (c. 15oC) on its own as an aperitif or to accompany chicken consommé. It will also handle gentle spices. 18/20 - Richard Mayson
Food-pairing
As an aperitif, oxtail soup (no, not in it but with it!), Shrimp cream soup, asparagus cream soup, lobster with tarragon vinaigrette, Caesar salad, smoked duck with mango chutney, pigeon with macadamia and star anise, Peking duck to name a few.
Nuts: hazelnuts.
Cheese: cottage cheese, matured cheeses, sweet nutty cheeses.
Fish: smoked salmon, shrimp cocktail with granny smith, mussels, sardines.
Meat: almost all types of meat: chicken, duck, pork, natural steak. Classic and perfect with smoked ham.
Typical Madeira dish: swordfish with banana and passion fruit. Fried pineapple.
Excellent as an aperitif, pairs well with tropical fruit salad, avocado, foie gras, pasta and game terrines.
Grapes: Verdelho
Also known as Gouveio in the rest of Portugal. Is the most widely planted white variety. The style has a light sweetness and is off-dry / medium dry. Planted at altitudes of 400-600, especially in the North, and ripens late. The grape is the main ingredient for Rainwater.
Winemaker
Blandy - Madeira Wine Association
Alcoholcontent
20%
Store & Serve
Always keep a Madeira wine upright.
Madeira's acids are so strong that they attack the cork if the bottle is stored horizontally
Serve as an aperitif at 10 °C and 16 °C as a dessert wine.
Madeira is a wine that has matured for several years in an oxidative environment, after which it is bottled in a reductive environment. It is therefore useful to open the bottles a few hours in advance. The bottles can then be stored almost indefinitely, since the air no longer affects Madeira wines. In fact, after months - if anything still rest - the wine tastes better than when you open the bottle.
Critics & Awards
18/20 - Grandes Escolhas Tasted: Oct 2024
18/20 - Tamlyn Currin, JancisRobinson.com, August 2024
90/100 - Wine Enthusiast Tasted: Nov 2024
Verdelho has produced a medium-dry Madeira, balancing old-wood aging flavors with a soft texture and the spirit coming through from the wood aging. It is ready to drink.
Producer: Blandy
Region: Madeira