Madeira Flashcards
Madeira dop
Madeira island + Porto Santo (neighbouring island)
Poios (Madeira)
Terraces on nearly vertical mountside on Madeira island
Mechanisation impossible
Soils of Madeira
Volcanic
Climate of Madeira
Sun tropical / damp / high rainfall and humidity = fungal diseases
Latadas (Madeira)
Low trellis system / pergola system
Levadas (Madeira)
Canal system to handle high volume of rainfall
Grape varieties in Madeira
TINTA NEGRA (85% of production)
Esgana Cao (Sercial)
Verdelho
Boal ( Bual, Malvasia Fina)
Malmsey
If grape verity is stated on the label (Madeira)
Min 85% if multivintage
100% if vintage is indicated
Fortification (Madeira)
Addition of 96% abv grape spirit from France
3 methods of warming up of the wines after fortification prior maturation (Madeira)
- Estufagem
- armazens de calor
- canteiro
Estufagem method (Madeira)
Wine is transferred into ESTUFA (stainless steel vats) with serpentine coil that circulate hot water inside
45-50C / at least 3 months = sugars slowly caramelise
Armazens de calor method (Madeira)
Rooms warmed up by pipes or tanks / warming up over a longer period of time than Estufagem method
Canteiro method (Madeira)
Cask-aged for at least 2 years in lodge-attics = gentler natural warmth of the sun
Best wines remains in casks for +20 years = FRASQUEIRAS
Sercial style (Madeira)
Driest Madeira / high acidity / almond bouquet with age
18-65g/L residual sugar
Verdelho style (Madeira)
Medium dry / high acidity / smoky , honeyed character / slightly fuller body then Sercial
Boal style (Madeira)
Medium-sweet / rich style / highly aromatic / chocolate , roasted nut , coffee notes / darkest colour with age
78-96g/L
Malmsey style (Madeira)
Sweetest softest style : toffee, vanilla , marmalade aromas
96-135g/L
Rainwater (Madeira)
Multi vintage
100% tinta negra
Medium dry / light style
Seleccionado (Madeira)
Multi vintage
Include a blended wine that is beteeen 3 to 5 years old
Tinta negra dominant / Estufagem method
Reserve (Madeira)
Multi vintage
5-10 years aging
Special reserve (Madeira)
Multi vintage
10-15 years aging
Single noble grape variety
Canteiro process
Extra reserve (Madeira)
15-20 years aging
Solera (Madeira)
Fractional blending + canteiro
Max 10% drawn off every year
Max 10 additions (with older rather than younger wine like in sherry production)
Dated front the he start of the solera system
Colheita (Madeira)
Min 85% grapes from a single vintage / min 5 years aging prior bottling
May be blend or varietal
Like a vintage Madeira, without extended cask aging, complexity and cost of a true vintage Madeira
FRASQUEIRA (Madeira)
Min 20 years aging in cask
From a single noble variety
Canteiro process
May age in demijohns for decades after cask aging
One of the most long lived wines in the world
Vinho da Roda / Vinho da Torno / Vinho da volta
Madeira wines that underwent an ocean journey across the equator
