Barbeito Madeira Malmsey 5 years sweet
€ 20.80
| Producer | Barbeito |
| Region | Madeira |
| Grapes | Malvasia (Malmsey) |
| Ageing | 5 years in cask |
| Alcohol | 19%vol |
| Serving | 15-18°C, no need to decant Keeps for months once opened |
| Scores | 16/20 Revista de Vinhos |
Five years of Malmsey: a dessert wine for chocolate, coffee and cheese.
The story
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.
Food pairing
An excellent dessert wine with chocolate, petits fours, coffee and cheese. Delicious in a wide glass with ice and a twist of lemon peel. Also a chefs’ favourite for enriching rich sauces.
The producer
Barbeito is one of the most forward-thinking houses on Madeira, and also one of the youngest: it was founded in the 1940s by Mário Barbeito. After his death in 1985 his daughter Manuela de Freitas took over the business. Her sons Ricardo and Miguel joined in 1991. Ricardo Diogo runs the house today.
Critics & Awards
16/20 Revista de Vinhos | Tasted: Feb 2011
Commended – International Wine Challenge 2013
Bronze – International Wine & Spirit Competition 2013
Bronze – International Wine & Spirit Competition 2013
Reviews
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