Madeira Flashcards
1
Q
Madiera
A
- located off the coast of Africa (600 miles south west of portugal)
- sub tropical island
- niche products in key EU markets (UK, Germany, Benelux, Nordics)
- DOP for fortified wines
- worlds most resilient and longest living wine
- started as a n unfortified wine
- capitol Funchal became a natural port of call for ships en route to Africa, Asia, and South America
- end of 16th century shows the wine industry was well established
- earlier versions of wine were unstable and deteriorated on the long voyages
- alc was therefore added to help them survive the long journey’s
- fortification did not become general practice however until the middle of the 18th century
- ships on route to india would pick up casks of wine (pipes). people found that it tasted better after pitching and rolling across the tropics in a ship
- wines that benefited from the round trip vinho da roda became more popular than vinho canteiro, wines matured in the lodges
- after a wine this became impractival though (1900’s)
- over the preceeding century, most shippers turned to using estufas, rooms r tanks in which the wine could be artificially heated to simulate the rapid maturation brought about by a long sea journey
- the finest madeira’s however continue to be aged naturally in canteiros
- several things crippled the wine economy
- powdery mildew / odium and then phylloxera
- non-vinifera vines were planted instead of just using them as rootstocks
- then came the russian revolution and prohibition
- now only 6 exporters of madeira
- Justino’s is the largest producer on the island
- most recognized brand is the Madeira Wine Company which is composed of Blandy, Cossart Gordon, Lealock and Rutherford & Miles
2
Q
Tinta Negra Mole
A
- red skinned grape
- now called Tinta Negra
- name for Negramoll on the island
- dark skinned grape and most commonly planted vine variety on the island of madiera post phylloxera
- it is a vinifera variety
- relatively high yields
- sweet pale red wines which turn amber with the madeira production process and then yellow-green w/ age
3
Q
Sercial
A
- portuguese white grape variety
- know as Esgana Cao on the mainland
- only 20ha grown on the island in 2010
- grown on the islands coolest vineyards
- palest, lightest and driest Madeira’s
- matures to a rich, yet crisp savory flavor
- sharp tang of acidic spices and citrus
- legas RS limit is 18-65g/l
- tastes bone dry at the bottom end
- notable for late ripening and high acidity
- difficulty ripening at higher elevations
- RS from .5-1.5 Baume
4
Q
Bual
A
- sweeter and darker
- khaki colored miniscus is the give away
- soft, gentle fruit with fatness and ripeness
- underscored by a baked smoky complexity
- elgas RS is 78-96g/l
- richer than sercial and verdelho but not as sweet as malmsey
- also known as Boal
- is the madeira name for Malvasia fina grape
- most plantings are limited to Boal Cachudo
- not nearly as limited as the other three noble varieties
- grown on the warmer sides of the island
- ripes to acheive higher sugar levels than Sercial and Verdelho
- 2.5-3.5 baume
- dark, medium rich rasiny wines retain their acidic verve with age
- known as Malvasia Fina in mainland Portugal
5
Q
Verdelho
A
- became increasingly rare in the post-phyloxera era
- medium dry style wine somewhere between sercial and bual (with regards to richness)
- one of the original four vinifera varieties traditionally grown in madeira
- most widely planted today with 116 acres in 2010
- musts have modearte levels of sugar and notably high acid
- produce gold colored wines that deepen w/ age
- always made in medium dry to medium sweet
- gives it somewhat more body than sercial
- RS limits are 49-78 g/l
- tends to be planted on the cooler side of the island
- ripens more easily than Sercial, lends itself to making a medium-dry wine
- 1.5-2.5 baume
- smoky complexity w/ age
6
Q
Malvasia
A
- corrupted and used as Malmsey in english which was long an important style of madeira traditionally based on the Malvasia di Lipari grape
7
Q
American Hybrids
A
- Cunningham and Jacquet
- not permitted in Madeira fortified wines
- relegated to rustic table wines
- planted because of their resistance to disease
- not used as rootstocks
- planted in the northern part of the island
- took over after phylloxera and powdery mildew
8
Q
Blandy
A
- Charles Blandy bought up mature stocks of wine during the powdery mildew outbreak in 1852
- contributed to their success as a wine firm
- difficult years in the early 20th century saw the formation of the Madeira Wine Company which the Blandy’s joined in 1920 eventually aquiring controlling interest
- now known as the Madeira Wine Copmany, it includes all the British madeira firms (Cossart Gordon, Leacock, and Rutherford & Miles
- one of the largest producers on the island
- Symington famuly acquired controlling intereset in 1988, investing a lot into improving winemaking and marketing. In 2011 the Blandy’s regained controlling interest and are actively trying to revive the madeira category
9
Q
Justino’s
A
- largest single shipper of madeira bottling under names like Cruz (largest single brand of Madeira in France
- established in Funchal in 1870’s
- operates from a modern industrial premesis outside the city
- company was formerly known as Justin Henriqes but was renamed to avoid confusion w/ Henriques & Henriques
10
Q
Bastardo
A
- black grape
- very rare
- great potential quality grape
- needs a revival
11
Q
Terantez
A
- almost extinct
- white grape variety
- highly perfumed, rich and powerfully flavored
- makes tangy sweet medeira
- highly regarded and older vintages can still attract top prices
- needs a revival
12
Q
Complexa
A
- experimental deeper colored softer alternative to Negramoll
- variety bred from Castelao / Tintinha, Muscat Hamburg in the 60’s
13
Q
Climate
A
- tropical
- hot humid w/ mild winters
- cooler on the north side of the island
- high rainfall on the northern side of the island where it’s more mountainous
14
Q
Soils
A
- Fertile volcanic
- ash and rock which is basalt
- rich in potential soil nutrients
- well drained
- red / gray basalt
- darker rocks help radiate heat during the night
15
Q
Viticulture
A
- difficult place to grow grapes
- vineyards planted on step like terraces called poios which are carved from the red / gray basalt bedrock
- most newer vineyards are cordon trained on low trellises
- low trellises help raise the canopy above the ground to reduce fungal diseases that thrive in this damp sub-tropical climate
- powdery mildew and botrytis are a constant threat
- viticulture only possible through elevation
- mountain tops in perpetual clouds leading to 3 times as much rainfall at peak elevations
- irrigation channels called levadas now extend to over 1200 miles supplying 1600 growers farming 1250 acres of vinifera authorized to produce madeira
- mechanization is rendered impossible by both the terracing and the small size of the vineyard plots
- cultivation costs have risen and many plots on the south part of the island look to be sold as property while vineyards in the north containing american hybrids have been abandoned
- Tinta Negra / Negramoll principle grape (rarely have the keeping qualities of those based on the noble varieties)
- noble varieties are making somewhat of a comeback
- the american hybrids are not permitted in madeira wines
