Madeira Styles Flashcards
In order of sweetness, what are the varieties permitted to be labelled on Madeira wine?
Sercial Verdelho Terrantez Bual Malmsey Tinta Negra (can be any sweetness)
In order of sweetness, what are the sweetness levels that may be labelled on Madeira wine?
Extra Dry Dry Medium Dry Medium Sweet / Medium Rich Sweet / Rich
True or False
Sweetness categories in Madiera are not uniform among producers
True. There is no required sugar level in each sweetness level and some levels may overlap among producers
True or False
In Madeira, any grape variety may be used to produce any sweetness level
False. Varieties are associated with particular styles of Madeira
What sweetness level of Madeira does Sercial produce?
Extra Dry or Dry
What is the character of Sercial Madeira?
Extra Dry or Dry with the lightest color and body of the Madeiras. It has notes of citrus peel and nuts
What sweetness level of Madeira does Verdelho produce?
Medium Dry
What is the character of Verdelho Madeira?
Medium Dry with a slight sweetness that gives the impression of sweeter flavors, such as candied fruits.
What sweetness level of Madeira does Bual produce?
Medium Sweet / Medium Rich
What is the character of Bual Madeira?
Medium Sweet with darker color and flavors of caramel, chocolate, and candied nuts
What sweetness level of Madeira does Malmsey produce?
Sweet / Rich
What is the character of Malmsey Madeira?
Sweet with a full body and brown color. It has high acidity to balance its sweetness and offers raisin and caramel aromas
What sweetness level of Madeira does Terrantez produce?
Medium Dry to Medium Sweet
What is the character of Terrantez Madeira?
Medium Dry to Medium Sweet with a delicate quality despite higher sugar levels. Aromas can include citrus peel and caramel, sometimes with floral notes
What sweetness level of Madeira does Tinta Negra produce?
All sweetness levels
What is the character of Tinta Negra Madeira?
They can be produced at any sweetness level and therefore have a range of character
Do varietal Madeira wines require an indication of sweetness on the label? Do they require a bottling date?
They do not require sweetness to be listed but do require a bottling date
What are the ages permitted to be indicated on Madeira?
10 20 30 40 50 'More than 50'
True or False
The indication of age in Madeira is an indication of style that has no bearing on how long the wines have been aged.
True. IVBAM representatives taste the wines to ensure the age indication matches the style intended for release.
How are age indicated Madeira verified for style?
An IVBAM tasting panel assesses the wine. The batches used to produce the wine must be verified and accounted for.
What variety tends to be used for 5 Year Old Madeira? What maturation system is most likely to be used?
Tinta Negra from the Estufagem system
What is the typical quality and pricing of 5 Year Old Madeira?
Good to very good quality and mid-priced
Is Tinta Negra used in the production of 10 Year Old Madeira?
More frequently now, but the white varieties are still preferred
Are both Estufagem and Canteiro systems used in the production of 10 Year Old and older Madeira?
Wines produced by the Canteiro system are always used in older Madeira, though it may include some Estufagem wines for balance.
What is the typical quality and pricing of 20 Year Old and older Madeira? Why?
Outstanding quality and premium priced due to the concentration of flavors and acidity offered by extensive Canteiro maturation
What is Corrente in Madeira?
A classification of standard blends released by Madeira producers 2-3 years after harvest.
How are standard Madeira blends labelled?
Usually with the producer’s name and the product or style name, such as Blandy’s Duke of Clarence or H&H Full Rich Madeira
What is Rainwater Madeira?
A lighter style of Madeira typically fortified to 18% ABV
What is the backstory of Rainwater Madeira?
It is believed that barrels of Madeira were often left on docks in the rain, which diluted the wine. This style persists today in lower alcohol form
What is Frasquiera Madeira?
A flagship Madeira product also sometimes referred to as Garrafeira. It is a vintage Madeira aged for a minimum of 20 years in wood from a single varietal
What is the typical character of Frasquiera Maderia?
It depends on the varietal used, though these wines have exceptional complexity and concentration of tertiary aromas with high acidity to balance sweetness
What is the typical pricing of Frasquiera Madeira?
Super premium
What is Colheita Madeira?
A vintage Madeira with at least 5 years of aging in oak barrels
Are Colheita Madeira single varietal or a blend of varieties?
They can be either
True or False
Both the varietal and harvest date must be indicated on a Colheita Madeira label.
False. Varieties do not need to be listed on Colheita Madeira labels as those wine may be a blend of varieties.
When was the Colheita Madeira category first approved? Is it popular among producers?
It was approved in 2000 and is popular among producers due to the lower aging requirement compared to Frasqueira Madeira. All producers make Colheita Madeira.
