Madiera Flashcards
What is Mdiera?
Fortified wine made on island of Madiera (only 450 hectares planted)
Where is island of Madiera?
Portuguese island in the Atlantic around 600km from coast of Morocco
Intituto do Vinho, do Borado e do Artesanato da Madiera (IVBAM)
Superceded the Instituto do Vinho da Madiera in 2006 to regulate production and that plus EU regulations have improved quality
-Monitor stocks, quality control, labelling
Climate
Warm maritime
Climate Description
- Warm summers (68 - 72 F) and mild winters (61 - 63 F)
- Microclimates created by mountains (alt = cooler)
- Mnts cause moist air in the humid winds arriving from the NW to cool and condense into rainclouds which makes the North and Center of the island cooler and wetter than the South
- Majority of rain in Autumn and Winter
Risks
- Lack of winter dormancy can be an issue in warmest sites
- Disease Pressure = downy mildew, botrytis, Phomopsis (canopy mgmt + fungicides)
Vineyards
Planted near the coast and reach 800m altitude
6 Recommended Grapes
Tinta Negra, Sercial, Verdelho, Boal, Malvasia, Terrantez
Tinta Negra - Red
- Most planted variety on island
- High yield, easy to grow
- Used to produce wines of all sweetness levels
- only since 2015 have producers been able to state grape variety so Madiera made with Tinta Negra is usually just labeled with a level of sweetness
Sercial - White
- High Acid
- Used in driest styles
- Late ripening, in cool sites can be latest variety picked
- Resistant to powdery mildew but susceptible to botrytis
- Plantings are small
Verdelho - White
- High Acid (but lower than Sercial)
- Second most planted
- Susceptible to botrytis, coulure, downy and powdery mildew
Boal
- blanket term for a number of grape varieties
- Variety grown on Madeira is Boal Cachudo (Malvasia Fina) found in white port
- like warm, low altitude sites in south of island
- Susceptible to drought (needs irrigation)
- typically used for semi-sweet wines
Malvasia
- blanket term for a number of grape varieties Malvasia Candida: - historically most important (still prized for quality) - Very susceptible to powdery mildew Malvasia de Sao Jorge: - most common Malvasia grown on Madeira - can produce high yields - susceptible to botrytis
Terrantez
- very limited plantings
- susceptible to powdery mildew + botrytis (therefore picked soon after it reaches 9% abv potential alc)
Vineyard Management
- Mountainous = many terraced vineyards
- Mostly trained and trellised into a pergola system (here called Latadas) for max air circulation to reduce fungal disease - and leaves room for other crops below to maximize small land-holdings
- Some are cordon-trained, VSP trellised (called espaldeira)
- Irrigation = rainwater from center of the island by levadas to the south, small irrigation channels”
Madeira’s warm, humid climates means vines are particularly susceptible to?
How do they manage these?
- Downy mildew, botrytis, phomopsis
- canopy management, fungicide sprays
What are latadas?
- Vines are mostly trained and trellised into pergola system (Latadas) for max air circulation to reduce fungal disease - and leaves room for other crops below to maximize small land-holdings
- some cordon-trained, VSP trellised (called espaldeira)
Levadas
Small irrigation channels that bring rainwater from the rainy center of the island to the warmer, drier south
Harvest
- Decided by official IVBAM in consultation w/ growers and producers
- Typically end of August, early September
- By hand
- Min potential alc = 9% but up to 11%
Winemaking
- Grapes are checked upon arrival (IVBAM present), destemmed, and crushed (skin contact varies)
- Fermentation in stainless steel w/ ambient yeast
Fortification
- sweeter styles fortified earlier (maybe as little as 2 days), drier styles later
- 96% abv grape spirit, neutral in style
- Wines clock in at 17-18% abv –> through maturation get to 19-20%
Prep fro Maturation
- Fining (bentonite, gelatine, albumin) and filtration (diatomaceous earth)
- Batches are tasted and classified according to style/quality to determine their maturation pathway
Maturation
- Modern method replicates the hot, oxidative conditions from when it was being shipped in the 17/18th centuries
- Two options: Estufagem or Canteiro
Estufagem
- Wine is heated to 133-122 in temp controlled stainless steel vessels (using heating coil or water jackets) called estufas for a min of 3 months (headspace at the top allows for some oxidation)
* IVBAM rep seal vessels at start of maturation and will break seal when maturation is complete - Wine is cooled and left to rest for 6-12mos, (can’t be sold until 10/31 of the 2nd year following harvest)
- *Wines taste baked/stewed and not same complexity of the mor gradual canteiro process
- *Used for 3 or 5 year old wines made from Tinta Negra
Canteiro
- Wine matured in old oak vessels (400 - 700 L w/ headspace for sxy) in a warm place (loft/warehouse) heated by the sun to 77-104 F
- Barrels moved to warmer/cooler sites within the place, often younger wines in the warmest
- Wines cannot be sold until 3 years after the 1st January following harvest
- Humidity causes evaporation which causes the alc and VA to rise and other compounds (sugar, acid, aromas) to concentrate
- Rarely racked but due to loss of water, need ragular toping up
Further Ageing
Carried out in larger wooden vessels, stainless, or demi-johns to limit further evaporation; IVBAM gives subsidies to those who age their wines another 5 years
Maturation Process impact of style of wine
Color turns brown, tertiary aromas of dried fruits + warm ageing speeds up oxidation + cause caramelization of the sugar in the wine
Tasting Notes
Dried fruits (apricot, raisin), caramel, chocolate, nuts, smoky character
Blending
Goal: Consistency, house style, complexity
- blends of barrels from different locations in the space, blends of estufas and canteiros
Finishing
- Fining/Filtration
- color (caramel added to inexp wines vs carbon fining to strip color)
- Sweetness (RGCM to add vs blending in drier wines to remove)
- bottling date must be on label
Sweetness scale
Extra Dry - Dry (still some sweetness)
Medium Dry - Medium Sweet/Rick - Sweet/Rich
*you’ll see the grapes on the label which are associated with a level of sweetness, but wont see sweetness rating on label
Sercial - Style
- Extra dry or dry
- lightest color and body
- citrus peel, nuts
Verdelho - Style
- Medium Dry
- more body + texture
- candied fruits, darker in color compared to Sercial
Boal (Malvasia Fina, white port) - Style
- Medium Sweet
- Fuller, sweeter than verdelho
- darker in color
- caramel, chocolate, candied nuts
Terrantez - Style
- Medium dry-Medium Sweet
- Delicacy to these
- Citrus peel, caramel, floral
Malvasia “Malmsey” - Style
Sweet (full body, brown, sweetest, high acid, raisins, caramel)
Tinta Negra - Style
Any level of sweetness
Madiera w/ Indication of Age
”- 5, 10, 15, 20, 30, 40, 50, ‘more than 50’ = indication of style rather than age
- Younger: Tinta Negra, estufagem (good to v good)
- Mid: White or Tinta Negra, canteiro
- Oldest: Increasingly concentrated, complex, highest acid (often outstanding)”
Standard Blends
Don’t qualify for age indication, sold 2 - 3 years after harvest, categorised as “Corrente” by IVBAM
Rainwater
Lighter body, 18% abv, medium dry, max 10 years - lighter style in general (lack of concentration tastes “diluted”)
Frasqueira (Garrafeira)
“Vintage Madeira aged in wood for min of 20 years, made from prescribed grape on the label -> super premium (concentration, complexity, teritiary, high acid)
- Year of harvest, year of bottling, grape = 3 on label”
Colheita
“Vintage Madeira from grapes of a single year, aged in wood for minimum of 5 years
- Year of harvest, year of bottling (no grape on label)”
History of Madiera
”- 1419: Madiera was colonised by Portugese merchants, forest were burnt to make room for ag. (initially sugar, wheat, vines)
- 16th Century: Sugar sales decline due to competition, wine becomes main export
- 17th Century: Wine exports grow thanks to Brits, discover the postive effects of storing wine in holds of ships (madeirization)
- 18 Century: Wine exports grow thanks to Brits and reach their peak
- 19th Century: phylloxera and powdery mildew destroys vines and reduces yields
- 20th Century: USA prohibition, two World Wars, and Russian Revolution impact trade and consumer tastes change
- 21st Century: IVBAM created + Portugal joins EU (gets subsidies) -> improvement and investment in quality of product”
Madiera Top Sellers
”- Corrente (2- or 3- yr old standard blends, mostly Tinta Negra), 5- or 10-years = top sellers
- Frasqueira or 20-yr old = top vintage products
- Top varietally labeled: Sercial, Verdelho, Boal, Malvasia (Terrantez is sold as Frasqueira usually)
- Cooking Madiera = 20% of total sales volume”
Madiera Top Buyers
”- France and Germany (inexp)
- Japan and Domestic (exp)”
Madiera Production
1,000 grape growers and only eight (8) producers (largest = Justino’s, Madiera Wine Company, and Henriques & Henriques); producers buy grapes from 100s of growers and sometimes use agents who consult w/ growers for coordination
