1982 Blandy Verdelho Vintage Madeira medium dry
€ 375.90
| Producer | Blandy's |
| Region | Madeira |
| Grapes | Verdelho |
| Ageing | At least 20 years in cask (Frasqueira), canteiro in 650 l casks |
| Farming | Hand-picked, with selection |
| Alcohol | 20%vol |
| Serving | 18°C, open a few hours in advance Store upright, keeps almost indefinitely once opened |
| Scores | 96/100 Decanter World Wine Awards 95/100 Wine Spectator 95/100 Wine Enthusiast |
A 1982 Verdelho: a superb gift for a birthday, wedding or anniversary.
Tasting note
Bright topaz with golden-green highlights. An intense, complex and characteristic bouquet of wood and dried fruit. Full-bodied, medium dry and fresh, with a long, warm, oaky finish.
The story
The grapes come from Raposeira, in Porto Moniz on the north coast of Madeira, an Atlantic island some 900 km from the Portuguese coast and 600 km from Africa. They are hand-picked with selection over several weeks, depending on ripeness. The wine ages using the canteiro method in 650-litre casks at room temperature until the month of bottling.
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.
Elsewhere in Portugal, Verdelho is also known as Gouveio. The grape gives a lightly sweet, medium-dry style, is mainly planted in the north at 400-600 m and ripens late. It is the main ingredient of Rainwater.
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 aperitif.
Critics & Awards
95/100 Wine Spectator | Tasted: Oct 2024
96/100 Decanter World Wine Awards | Tasted: Jan 2024
95/100 Wine Enthusiast | Tasted: Nov 2023
Pure nuttiness with layers of old fruit, golden in hue and richness. Deliciously mature and ready to drink.
Pure nuttiness with layers of old fruit, golden in hue and richness. Deliciously mature and ready to drink.
Reviews
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