Wset Advanced: Section 6/49 Madeira

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Climate and Viticulture

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- island is mountanious and viticulture is possible only in very steep slopes teraces
- temperate climate, with hot humid summer and mild winters
- anual rainfals vary from 3000 mm on high altitude to 500 mm near the sea
- high hummidity means that damp and fungal disease are problem

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Grape Varieties

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- during the 19th century mildew and phyloxera destroyed wine market at Madeira.
- American hybrid vine dominates replacing the four noble varieties (Sercial, Vardelho, Bual and Malvasia)
- now 56% account of disease resistent variety Tinta Negra, which is shown in same time with American hybrids.
- Noble varieties account 25% of Madeira production, hybrids cannot be used in Madeira production.

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Noble Varieties

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*Sercal
- used for dry wines, have high acidity, crisp, mineral tones and subtile fruit and nut flavours
*Verdelho
- used for medium dry wines, marked acidity, aromatic, hint of caramel.
- most planted of four nobles varieties
*Boal (Bual)
- use for producing medium sweet wines
- nuty vanilla character with raisin fruit
*Malvasia (Malmsey)
- used to produce sweetest wines
- honey, raisin and caramel flavours

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Tinta Negra

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- it is red grape variety
- can produce in wide range of styles from dry to sweet

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Vinification and Maturation

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- modernised wineries
- stainless still vats, temerature controled is almost everywhere spread.
- when desired sweetnes is reach fermentation will be stopped with adding grape spirit of 99% abv.
- ageing is ussualy made in hulls of ships carrying to expot markets, heat accelerated agening and caramelised sugars in wine known as *Maderised
- in order to replicate the hot maturation, there is two tehniques:
*Canteiros
*Estufa

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Canteiros

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- wines are left in cask on racks called Canteiros in the lofts on lodge where thay heated to temperature up to 30C
- must be aget minimum three years

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Estufa

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- in this proces wines is pumped into containers (estufas) where is heated on temperature between 45-50C for thre months
- this wines can be sell after two years of maturation

winemakers will taste each of their wines for further ageing
after controled period of heating wine goes in cooler place stored in cask of various size

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Wine Styles

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only noble varieties can be varietally labeled
*Wine with Age Indications
*Vintage-Dated Wine

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Wine with Age Indications

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*Finest - 3 YO
- made from estufa aged Tinta Negra, labelled acording to their sweetness from dry, medium-dry, medium-rich and rich. Rainwater is a medium dry
*Reserva - 5 YO
- made from Tinta Negra but some is made from noble varieties and is varietal labelled
- Premium blends from traditional varieties is shown las yearas and this wines don't state variety on its label
*Reserva Especial - 10 YO / Reserva Velha
- usualy blended wines from canteiros aged and varietaly labelled
*Reserva Extra - 15YO
- same as reserva especiale but its very rare

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Vintage-Dated Wines

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Two categories
*Colheita
- wines must be aged in cask at least for five years
- wines can be Tinta Negra blend or varietal labelled
- with premium Colheita Madeira rebutation is increase
*Frasqueira or Vintage
- wines it is considered for ultimate expresion of Madeira
- wines must be varietal labelled
- based on noble varieties
- must be aged at least twenty years in cask
- this wines are exceptionaly complex with high acidity, burning sugar and layers of oxydative and dried fruit aroma.