A small, but mighty group of Musings followers joined together to taste a pleasing flight of Madeira wines, delving into their mysteriously delicious profiles!

Overview

Madeira, a small island off the coast of Portugal, has a rich and storied tradition of wine production. Known for its fortified wines, Madeira is celebrated for the unique characteristics imparted by its volcanic soils and the distinct wine-making techniques employed. This overview delves into the grape varieties used, wine designations, wine-making techniques, and the detailed history of wine production on the island.

Grape Varieties

Madeira wines are crafted from several distinct grape varieties, each contributing its own unique flavor profile to the wines:

• Sercial: A grape producing dry, tangy wines with high acidity and citrus notes.
• Verdelho: Known for medium-dry wines with a slight smoky character and notes of honey and spice.
• Boal (Bual): This grape offers medium-sweet wines with rich flavors of caramel, dried fruit, and nuts.
• Malmsey: Produces the sweetest wines of Madeira, characterized by luscious flavors of toffee, chocolate, and roasted nuts.
• Tinta Negra: A versatile grape that can produce wines across the entire sweetness spectrum.

Wine Designations

Madeira wines are categorized based on their aging process and sweetness levels:

• Rainwater: A lighter style of Madeira, slightly sweet and often enjoyed as an aperitif.
• Reserve/Reserva: Wines aged for at least 5 years.
• Special Reserve/Reserva Especial: Wines aged for a minimum of 10 years.
• Extra Reserve: Wines aged for at least 15 years.
• Vintage: Wines aged 20 years or more, often showcasing the highest quality.
• Colheita: Single-vintage wines aged for a minimum of 5 years.

Wine-Making Techniques

The wine-making techniques employed for Madeira are both traditional and distinctive:

• Fortification: Madeira wines are fortified with grape spirit to increase alcohol content and stabilize the wine.
• Estufagem: A process of heating the wines to mimic the conditions experienced during long sea voyages, enhancing complexity.
• Canteiro: A natural aging process where wines are stored in warm wooden barrels, often for decades.
• Oxidation: Controlled exposure to oxygen during aging, contributing to the characteristic flavors of Madeira wines.

History of Wine Production

The history of wine production in Madeira is as rich as the wines themselves, dating back to the Age of Exploration:

• 15th Century: Introduction of viticulture to Madeira by Portuguese settlers.
• 17th Century: Development of fortification methods, enhancing the wine’s durability for long sea voyages.
• 18th Century: Madeira wines gain popularity in Europe and America, becoming a staple in maritime trade.
• 19th Century: Phylloxera crisis devastates vineyards, leading to replanting and resurgence of wine production.
• 20th Century: Modernization of production techniques and global recognition of Madeira wine’s unique qualities.

Today, Madeira wines continue to be celebrated for their longevity, complexity, and unparalleled flavor profiles. From the robust and tangy Sercial to the luscious and sweet Malmsey, these wines offer a taste of history and tradition in every sip.

Madeira’s winemakers maintain a dedication to quality and tradition, ensuring that each bottle reflects the island’s unique terroir and centuries-old techniques. Whether enjoyed as an aperitif or paired with a rich dessert, Madeira wine remains a testament to the enduring legacy of this remarkable island.

A very useful graphic that classifies the wines of Madeira perfectly:

The Flight

Cossart & Gordon Rainwater Seco

Miles Rainwater Tinta Negra Seco

Miles 10 Year-old Tinat Negra Seco

Cossart & Gordon 2008 Colheita Verdelho Medio

Miles 2008 Colheita Tinta Negra Medio

Henriques & Henriques 20 Year-old Verdelho Medio

Cossart & Gordon 1975 Terrantez Medio

Henriques & Henriques 20 Year-old Terrantez Medio

Cossart & Gordon 1978 Bual

Cossart & Gordon 15 Year-old Bual

Henriques & Henriques 20 Year-old Malvasia Malmsey

Miles 5 Year-old Tinta Negra

Miles 1999 Tinta Negra

The Cheese

Taleggio

Taleggio is a semi-soft, washed-rind cheese from the Valtaleggio region in northern Italy, near Lombardy. It is characteristically aromatic yet mild in flavor and features tangy, meaty notes with a fruity finish. The texture of the cheese is moist-to-oozy with a very pleasant melt-in-your-mouth feel.  

Country: Italy

Milk Type: Cow

Cheese Type: Washed-Rind

Beemster X-O

Beemster X-O is revered by cheese connoisseurs for its amazing deep tastes of butterscotch, whiskey and pecan. Its deep tastes develop through natural aging of no less than 26 months in historic warehouses. Due to the unique milk and craftsmanship used to make each wheel of X-O-, it stays creamy while developing flavor, allowing for a much more enjoyable taste and mouth feel than any other extra-aged Dutch cheese. 

Country: Holland

Milk Type: Cow

Cheese Type: Hard

Bleu d’Auvergne

Bleu d’Auvergne is a name-protected (Denomination Origine Protected, DOP) cheese from the Auvergne region in south-central France, where it has been made since the middle of the 19th century. Bleu d’Auvergne is made in the traditional manner from cow’s milk and features blue veining throughout. Its moist, sticky rind conceals a soft paste possessing a grassy, herbaceous, and (with age) spicy, pungent taste.

Country: France

Milk Type: Cow

Cheese Type: Blue-Veined