1980 Blandy Terrantez Vintage Madeira medium dry
€ 370.88
| Producer | Blandy's |
| Region | Madeira |
| Grapes | Terrantez |
| Ageing | At least 20 years in cask (Frasqueira) |
| Alcohol | 19,5%vol |
| Serving | 18°C, open a few hours in advance Store upright, keeps almost indefinitely once opened |
| Scores | 96/100 Jamie Goode 95/100 Decanter World Wine Awards |
Terrantez 1980: one of the rarest Madeiras in the world.
The story
These are Madeira’s finest wines, with almost unlimited ageing potential. A Frasqueira (formerly called vintage Madeira) must spend at least 20 years in cask and two years in bottle before it may be sold. It comes from a single good harvest and a single noble grape, both stated on the label with the harvest and bottling years. After gentle heating it ages for a long time in wooden casks, and once bottled its quality no longer changes. Because they are so rare, these wines are inventoried.
Terrantez is a medium-sweet white grape that is hard to grow. It copes poorly with humidity, so the slopes of the east coast suit it best. It has become very rare. Typical is a certain bitterness and a finish reminiscent of roasted coffee and ash.
Madeira spends years ageing in an oxidative environment and moves into a reductive one at bottling. It is therefore best to open the bottle a few hours in advance. After that, air no longer affects the wine: an open bottle keeps almost indefinitely and often tastes even better months later. Always store Madeira upright, as the acidity attacks the cork if the bottle lies down.
Food pairing
Cheeses such as blue cheese, Stilton, Gruyère, Manchego and Emmental. Dried fruit. Crème brûlée, caramel desserts with apple, apricot, pecans, cherries, almonds, hazelnuts or dried figs, and vanilla ice cream. Also a fine companion to a pipe, cigar or aromatic tobacco.
Critics & Awards
95/100 Decanter World Wine Awards | Tasted: Jan 2017
96/100 Jamie Goode
Gold – Decanter World Wine Awards 2017
Reviews
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