4.3: Madeira - Styles of Madeira Flashcards

1
Q

Name the defined labelling conventions for Madeira wines.

A
  • grape variety
  • level of sweetness
  • length of ageing
  • single vintage or multiple vintages
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2
Q

What are the sweetness labelling terms used?

A
  • extra dry
  • dry (demonstrate some degree of sweetness)
  • medium dry
  • medium sweet (or medium rich)
  • sweet (or rich)
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3
Q

Are the sweetness labelling terms well defined?

A
  • no

- some overlap between the categories and hence one producer’s ‘dry’ may be another producer’s ‘medium dry’

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4
Q

How are many Madeiras, especially premium priced wines, labelled?

A

varietally

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5
Q

Describe the style associated with the Sercial variety.

A
  • extra dry or dry
  • tend to be the lightest coloured and bodied of the varietal wines
  • notes of citrus peel and nuts
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6
Q

Describe the style associated with the Verdelho variety.

A
  • medium dry
  • usually has more residual sugar and therefore more body and a rounder texture than Sercial
  • slight sweetness on the palate gives impression of sweeter flavours such as candied fruits
  • may be slightly darker in colour than Sercial
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7
Q

Describe the style associated with the Boal variety.

A
  • medium sweet
  • fuller and sweeter than Verdelho
  • darker in colour
  • flavours of caramel, chocolate and candied nuts
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8
Q

Describe the style associated with the Malvasia variety.

A
  • sweet
  • also called Malmsey
  • tends to be full-bodied
  • often brown in colour
  • the sweetest style
  • still balanced by refreshing high acidity
  • notes of raisins and caramel
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9
Q

Describe the style associated with the Terrantez variety.

A
  • medium dry or medium sweet.
  • relatively high levels of sugar
  • always a delicacy to them
  • Aromas: citrus peel, caramel and sometimes even floral notes
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10
Q

Describe the style associated with the Tinta Negra variety.

A
  • since 2015, can also be varietally labelled

- can be made at any level of sweetness

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11
Q

For varietal wines, does an indication of style need to appear on the label?

A

No

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12
Q

What is Madeira with an Indication of Age? What are the requirements?

A
  • non-vintage products
  • may be labelled 5, 10, 15, 20, 30, 40, 50 and ‘more than 50’ years old.
  • age is an indication of style rather than a minimum or an average
  • wine must be verified by IVBAM’s tasting panel, accompanied by an account of all wines used in the final blend
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13
Q

How may Madeira with an Indication of Age be labelled?

A

according to style and/or grape variety

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14
Q

Describe 5-year-old Madeira.

A
  • made predominantly from Tinta Negra
  • most of the wine will have been through the estufagem system
  • good to very good in quality
  • mid-priced
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15
Q

Describe 10-year-old + Madeira.

A
  • often made with one of the white varieties, but some producers use Tinta Negra
  • made from parcels that have all been aged in the canteiro system
  • oldest wines tend to be increasingly concentrated and complex and have the highest levels of acidity
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16
Q

Describe 20-year-old Madeira.

A
  • outstanding quality

- premium and super-premium prices

17
Q

Describe standard blend Madeira. How are they categorized?

A
  • do not qualify for the age indications
  • may be sold between 2-3 years after harvest
  • categorised as ‘corrente’ by IVBAM
  • sometimes labelled with a brand name of the producer
18
Q

What is Rainwater Madeira?

A
  • a wine made in a relatively light style in terms of alcohol, body and concentration of flavours
  • usually around 18% abv
  • must be medium dry
  • can only be associated with a maximum age indication of 10 years
19
Q

How did the name Rainwater Madeira originate?

A

name is thought to have originated when some casks awaiting shipment were left open outside and the rain diluted the wine

20
Q

What is another name for Frasqueira Madeira?

A

Garrafeira

21
Q

What is Frasqueira Madeira?

A
  • usually represent the flagships of a producer’s range
  • term for vintage Madeira that has been aged in wood for a minimum of 20 years
  • wines must be made from a prescribed grape variety which must appear on the label, together with the year of harvest
22
Q

How is the quality of Frasqueira Madeira assessed?

A

must be assessed by IVBAM’s tasting panel

23
Q

What does the style of Frasqueira Madeira depend on?

A

grape variety from which they are made

24
Q

Describe Frasqueira Madeira.

A
  • notable for their concentration and complexity of tertiary flavours
  • sweetness balanced by high acidity
  • super premium prices
25
Q

What is Colheita Madeira?

A
  • a vintage madeira, coming from grapes of a single year, that has been aged in wood for a minimum of 5 years
  • blend of varieties or be made from a single variety
  • grape does not need to appear on the label but the harvest year must be stated
26
Q

How is the quality of Colheita Madeira assessed?

A

must be assessed by IVBAM’s tasting panel

27
Q

When did the Colheita Madeira category emerge?

A

2000 (reletively new)

28
Q

Why have Colheita Madeira been growing in popularity?

A

much lower ageing requirement than required for Frasqueira has made it popular and now all producers make Colheita wines