1954 Barbeito Malmsey Vintage Madeira sweet
€ 660.00
| Producer | Barbeito |
| Region | Madeira |
| Grapes | Malvasia (Malmsey) |
| Ageing | At least 20 years in cask (Frasqueira) |
| Alcohol | 20%vol |
| Serving | 18°C, open a few hours in advance Store upright, keeps almost indefinitely once opened |
| Scores | 93/100 Wine Spectator 93/100 Wine & Spirits |
A 1954 Malmsey: sweet, rich and 93 points from Wine Spectator.
Tasting note
Sweet and aromatic, with a lovely balance between sweetness and acidity. Aromas of dried fruit, prunes, chocolate, toffee, vanilla, nuts and raisins, with caramel as it ages.
The story
The sweet, early-ripening Malvasia, also called Malvazia or Malmsey, grows only in the south of the island, in low-lying vineyards at 150-200 m, right by the ocean.
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.
Malmsey gives the sweetest style of Madeira. There are two kinds, Malvasia and Malvasia Cândida, which grows closest to the ocean and is said to come from Greece. A lovely legend tells how the Duke of Clarence chose to drown in a butt of Malmsey rather than die by the sword. Shakespeare often refers to Malmsey, and even Napoleon took some from the island. In the 19th century Malmsey became even more fashionable, with a ‘morning Malmsey’ to start the day. The sweet, early-ripening Malvasia grows only in the south, in low-lying vineyards at 150-200 m, close to the ocean.
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
An excellent match for pastries, fruit, chocolate, pralines, hard cheeses, and ice cream, caramel and coffee desserts.
Critics & Awards
93/100 Wine Spectator | Tasted: Apr 1999
93/100 Wine & Spirits | Tasted: Dec 2001
Reviews
No reviews were found.