Madeira Flashcards
Madeira growing environnement
Warm summers, wild winters.
Lack of winter dormancy can be a problem.
Hilly island -> several microclimate and altitudes.
1800 m Mountains cause north humid winds to cool and condence into rainclouds meaning thet the north and the centre is considerably cooler and wetter. Majority of the rain autumn and winter.
Madeira AOC basics
450 ha under vine.
vineyards located near the coast, center mountain has forest around it
Volcanic soils and high in nutrients. Rain + nutrients -> vigorous wines.
categories of grape varieties
American hybrids replanted with viniferas back again.
Vinifera varieties in 3 categories:
-Recomended - Sercial, Verdelho, Boal, Malvasia, Terrantez. Tinta Negra.
- Authorised - varieties introduced after plyloxera. not as good as recommended category
Grape varieties
Tinta Negra - Most planted. High yielding, easy to grow.
Sercial - high acidity, used in driest style of Madeira. Late ripening. Susceptible to bortytis
Verdelho
second most planted
High acidity but lower than Sercial. Susceptible to botrytis.
Boal
Number of grape varieties.
Boal Cachudo, malvasia fina. Grows best in warm, low altitude sites on the south. Susceptinle to rought so irrigation.
Semi - sweet wines.
Malvasia
Number of grape varieties.
Malvasia Candida used to be the best but too susceptible to diseases therefore now Malvasia de Sao Jorge
Terrantez
very limited
Susceptible to oiidum and therefore picked soon after 9 % pot alc.
Vineyard management
Terraces - cause mountains
Latadas - pergola like training system.
Allows air ciculation and decreases disease pressure. Other crops grows underneath.
Cordon - espeldera exists too
Warm and humid climate. -> mildew, oiidium, botyrtis, phomopsis.
İrrigation on the south of the island -> small irrigation channels “ lavadas” .
Harvest date decided by IVBAM. End of August, start of November.
Hand harvest due to totpgraphy.
Graped picked no more than 11%, and min required is 9%
Max permitted yield 150 hl/ha.
What is latadas?
training system of Madeira. Pergola like training system
Madeira winemaking
Tinta negra often fermented on skins especilly for sweet and medium sweet wines.
Ambient yeast and stainless steel tanks.
If sweet Madeira - only fermented 2 days Dry styles up to a week.
Time of Fortification depends on that. 96% neutral spirit. Final alc 17-18%
Wines fined and filtered before maturation. Tasted and classifed according to the style.
Maturation
Hot and oxydative conditions replication shipping times.
Option 1:
Estufagem
Wine heated in estufas to 45-50 degrees for 3 months. IVBAM guys seal and break the seal themselves. Tank is not topped. so oxydative conditions.
Then cooled, filtered and left to rest 6-12 months.
Quick ageing - not as complex as canteiro system.
Canteiro
Longer and more-intensive process. Maturation in old oak vessels size of 400 - 700 L. Small ullage to have oxydative wine style. Any place heated by the sun.
Younger wines first aged in warmer part, then moved to cooler part to extend ageing. Humidity is high but due to warm weather evaporation causes alcohol to rise 19- 20 % and concentration of other elements like sugar acidity and aroma compounds. VA also rises.
Madeira is rarely rackes but due to loss of water, barrels need frequent topping. These cannot be sold until 3 years. IVBAM representative seal and unseal the wines.
To limit further evaporation, large casks or inox to avoid loss through evaporation..
If age for another 5 years, EU subsidy.
maderisation options
Estufagem - in estufas 2nd year following harvest
Canteiro - in oak 3rd year 1st of january
Madeira taste profile
Maturation process has significant impact
Oxydation cause color to turn brown
Prmiary aromas to become tertiaty aromas of dried fruit
Warm condiitons cause caramelisation of the sugar in the wine.
Final wines have apricot, raisin caramel, chocolate nuts and often a smoky character.
Non - vintage.
RCGM vs dry wines to play with sweetness
blend across estufas and canteiro
Styles of Madeira
Sweetness level
extra dry, dry, medium dry, medium-sweet sweet.
Even dry has some sugar.
Premium wines varietaly labeled
Sercial - extra dry or dry Lightest in colour and varietal notes of citrus peel and nuts.
Verdelho - medium dry. rounder than sercial cause more sugar. darker than sercial. candied fruits
Boal - medium sweet, Fuller, sweeter than Verdolho. Yet darker. carameli choc, candied nuts.
Malvasia - sweet also called malmsey. full bodied. brown still balanced with refreshing acidity. Raisins and caramel.
Terrantez - medium dry and medium sweet. delicate. citrus peel, caramel, sometims floral.
Tinta Negra - can be made at any level of sweetness.
Further Madeira categories
- Madeira with an indication of age :
NV with labeled 5- 10- 20 -50 yo
5 yo mostly Tinta Negra and estufagem
10 yo mostly white varieties. canteiro systeöm
The increased time of maturity = higher complexity and acidity.
- standard blends
Do not qualify the age indications. sold between 2-3 years after harvest called corrente by IVBAM - Rainwater
lighter style . around 18 percent, mediıum dry.Max age 10 years - Frasqueira = Garraferiz
Flagship of producer’s range = vintage madeira on wood for 20 years. - Colheita
like frasqueira but 5 years of aging.
Madeira business and low
highly fragmented - 1000 growers
Wnemaking and maturation side id consolidated with 8 producers. All producers buy grapes as many as 100. there are consultant and agents in between
IVBAM
since 2006, coordinate and support the industry.
active role on stocks and quality.
Age indicated madeira and vintage tasted by the panel
Madeira sales
Stable
Mojority is coming from young corrente from tinta negra. 5 and 10 is the most common age indicated category.
Terrantez sold mostly as frasqueira.
Colheita and frasquira most common tha 20 - 50 NV madeira
Largest market is France than Madeira itself . Inexpensive Madeira
Japan - expensive. Madeira
1/5 th of madeira is produced for cooking industry
