4.3 Styles of Madeira

Question 1

There are a number of defined labelling conventions for Madeira wines, usually based on what four categories?

Answer 1

• the grape variety
• level of sweetness
• length of ageing
• whether the wine is from a single vintage or multiple vintages

Question 2

Madeira is made in a variety of sweetness levels, and can hence be labelled with one of five terms to reflect this. What are they?

Answer 2

• extra dry
• dry
• medium dry
• medium sweet (medium rich)
• sweet (rich)

It must be noted that even wines labelled ‘dry’ demonstrate some degree of sweetness. There is also some overlap between the categories and hence one producer’s ‘dry’ may be another producer’s ‘medium dry’.

Question 3

Many Madeiras, especially premium priced wines, are ________ labelled and each grape is associated with a different style of wine.

Answer 3

Many Madeiras, especially premium priced wines, are varietally labelled and each grape is associated with a different style of wine.

Question 4

List the six grape varietals used in Madeira.

Answer 4

• Sercial
• Verdelho
• Boal
• Malvasia
• Terrantez
• Tinta Negra

Question 5

Describe the style of Madeira associated with Sercial.

Answer 5

Extra dry or dry. They tend to be the lightest coloured and bodied of the varietal wines, with notes of citrus peel and nuts.

Question 6

Describe the style of Madeira associated with Verdelho.

Answer 6

Medium dry. Verdelho usually has more residual sugar and therefore more body and a rounder texture than Sercial. The slight sweetness on the palate also gives the impression of sweeter flavours such as candied fruits. It may be slightly darker in colour than Sercial.

Question 7

Describe the style of Madeira associated with Boal.

Answer 7

Medium sweet. Boal is fuller and sweeter than Verdelho. It is yet darker in colour, with flavours of caramel, chocolate and candied nuts.

Question 8

Describe the style of Madeira associated with Malvasia.

Answer 8

Sweet. Malvasia, also called Malmsey, tends to be full-bodied, and often brown in colour. It is the sweetest style, but still balanced by refreshing high acidity. The wines can show notes of raisins and caramel.

Question 9

Describe the style of Madeira associated with Terrantez.

Answer 9

Medium dry or medium sweet. Although these wines can have relatively high levels of sugar there is always a delicacy to them. Aromas include citrus peel, caramel and sometimes even floral notes.

Question 10

Describe the style of Madeira associated with Tinta Negra.

Answer 10

Since 2015, can also be varietally labelled and can be made at any level of sweetness.

Question 11

For varietal wines, an indication of ____ does not need to appear on the label. As of 2015, all Madeira must be labelled with a bottling date.

Answer 11

For varietal wines, an indication of style (ex. medium dry) does not need to appear on the label. As of 2015, all Madeira must be labelled with a bottling date.

Question 12

Other than varietally labelled wines, there are five further Madeira catagories. List them.

Answer 12

• Madeira with an Indication of Age
• Standard Blends
• Rainwater
• Frasqueira
• Colheita

Question 13

Describe the Madeira style category: Madeira with an Indication of Age

Answer 13

These are non-vintage products and may be labelled 5, 10, 15, 20, 30, 40, 50 and ‘more than 50’ years old. The age is an indication of style rather than a minimum or an average. The wine must be verified by IVBAM’s tasting panel, accompanied by an account of all wines used in the final blend. The wines may also be labelled according to style and/or grape variety.

Quality and price tend to rise with increased age. Five-year-old wines will tend to be made predominantly from Tinta Negra and most of the wine will have been through the estufagem system. They are often good to very good in quality and mid-priced. Wines that are 10 years old or older are often made with one of the white varieties, but some producers use Tinta Negra, especially now its name can appear on the label. These wines will be made from parcels that have all been aged in the canteiro system. With increased time spent maturing the oldest wines tend to be increasingly concentrated and complex and have the highest levels of acidity. Wines that are 20 years old or more will often be of outstanding quality and sell at premium and super-premium prices.

Question 14

Describe the Madeira style category: Standard Blend

Answer 14

Many Madeira wines do not qualify for the age indications specified above. These Madeiras may be sold between 2-3 years after harvest and are categorised as corrente by IVBAM. These wines are sometimes labelled with a brand name of the producer, for example Blandy’s Duke of Clarence, or simply one of the style descriptions.

e.g. Henriques & Henriques’ Full Rich Madeira.

Question 15

Describe the Madeira style category: Rainwater.

Answer 15

This is a wine made in a relatively light style in terms of alcohol, body and concentration of flavours. They are usually around 18% abv, must be medium dry, and can only be associated with a maximum age indication of 10 years. The name is thought to have originated when some casks awaiting shipment were left open outside and the rain diluted the wine.

Question 16

Describe the Madeira style category: Frasqueira.

Answer 16

Also called Garrafeira. These wines usually represent the flagships of a producer’s range. This is the term for vintage Madeira that has been aged in wood for a minimum of 20 years. The wines must be made from a prescribed grape variety which must appear on the label, together with the year of harvest. Since 2015 the list of permitted grape varieties has been extended to include Tinta Negra. The quality of the wine must be assessed by IVBAM’s tasting panel. Frasqueira wines typically command super premium prices. The exact style will depend on the grape variety from which they are made however, all of these wines are notable for their concentration and complexity of tertiary flavours, with sweetness balanced by high acidity.

Question 17

Describe the Madeira style category: Colheita.

Answer 17

A Colheita wine is a vintage madeira, coming from grapes of a single year, that has been aged in wood for a minimum of 5 years. These wines may either include a blend of varieties or be made from a single variety; the grape does not need to appear on the label but the harvest year must be stated. The quality of the wine must be assessed by IVBAM’s tasting panel. This is a relatively new category which only emerged in 2000, but the much lower ageing requirement than required for Frasqueira has made it popular and now all producers make Colheita wines.