It's that time of year people where the Madeira hot sheets make it across my cluttered desk. Now the are not offering any 19th century juice at this moment but that doesn't mean we won't be getting any. Here's what's being offered D'Oliveiras this year. Some wines are NET and all are in 750ml format.
Bual refers almost more to a style of the delicious fortified wines of Madeira. Of the four styles of Madeira, Bual is on the sweeter end of the spectrum. Bual Madeiras from the 1800s are still in good condition and some examples from the 17th century though rare are not unheard of. At one point Madeira was as popular as Port, though sales have dropped significantly in the last 50 years. Older Buals have an incredible combination of sweetness, body, texture and acidity, all of this rounded out with a complex array of flavors that can range from caramel to green apples and from smoke to molasses.
1908 Bual $600 NET
1968 Bual $242
1977 Bual $171
1983 Bual $150
1984 Bual $150
1987 Bual $121
1993 Bual $100
This style of Madeira is characterised by its dark color, rich texture, and coffee-caramel flavors. Like other Madeiras made from the noble grape varieties, the Malvasia grape used in Malmsey production has naturally high levels of acidity in the wine, which balances with the high sugar levels so the wines do not taste cloyingly sweet.
1901 Malvasia $875 NET
1907 Malvasia $695 NET
1989 Malvasia $115
1994 Malvasia $115
Sercial is a white grape and a corresponding style of Madeira, one of the four recognised styles of this fortified wine, along with the medium-dry Verdelho, the medium-sweet Bual and Terrantez and the sweet Malvasia. A vintage Sercial Madeira resembles a Tawny Port in colour, yet the nose has pronounced citrus aromas, and as the wine ages the aromatic profile becomes similar to old Rieslings.
1928 Sercial $495 NET
1937 Sercial $347 NET
1969 Sercial $200
1977 Sercial $171
1989 Sercial $121
Terrantez is white grape variety in Madeira that nowadays is practically extinct, although it might be occasionally found in some very old bottlings. Efforts to revive the plantings of Terrantez are hampered by the very low yields of the grape. Terrantez Madeira vintages come in two principal styles: The rich and sweet wines, as exemplified by bottling of the Madeira Wine Company. The other style is rather dry, although quite concentrated in flavors. Old vintage examples of Terrantez like the Blandy 1846 demonstrate the high potential of the grape (impressive ability to gain in complexity after long ageing).
1971 Terrantez $242
1977 Terrantez $200
1988 Terrantez $121
The name Verdelho on a bottle indicates an off dry to medium-dry style of Madeira wine, in between that of Sercial and Bual.
1912 Verdelho $575 NET
1932 Verdelho $480 NET
1973 Verdelho $193
1985 Verdelho $136
1986 Verdelho $136
1994 Verdelho $93
*Please note that this is a pre-sale and the wines will take a week to a few weeks to get in.
*Some wines may already be in the the market.
*Credit cards will be taken at the time of the order but not charged until we can verify that we have the correct vintages and grape varietal.