Blandy’s 2000 Verdelho Colheita Madeira 50cl is perfect as a gift for anyone celebrating a significant anniversary from 2000. This is a limited-release medium-dry Madeira from a single vintage and will make a fantastic birth year present for anyone born in 2000. Buy now at Fareham Wine Cellar.
For over two centuries, Blandy’s Madeira has been synonymous with quality Madeira wine. The Blandy family has played a leading role in the development of Madeira wine throughout its long history, with members of the family continuing to maintain a tradition of wine-making dating back to 1811.
In 1989, to further expand the global market for Madeira, the Blandys approached another renowned Anglo-Portuguese family, the Symingtons (owners of celebrated Port houses such as Dow, Warre, Graham, and Cockburn), and offered them a partnership in the newly formed Madeira Wine Company (MWC). This partnership continues today, and in 2011, the Blandys and Symingtons signed an agreement giving the Blandy family control of the MWC, with the Symingtons retaining a minority shareholding. Michael and Chris Blandy, 6th and 7th-generation family members, currently work in the company, upholding a tradition spanning over 200 years.
Blandy’s 2000 Verdelho Colheita Madeira is made from grapes harvested in a single year. A Colheita Madeira is therefore a type of dated Madeira. It must be aged for a minimum of 5 years in barrels before it can be called a Colheita Madeira (for Colheita Port, it is a minimum of 7 years).
There is no maximum age limit for Colheita Madeira, but after 19 years ageing it can then legally be called Vintage Madeira. This barrel ageing gives the Colheita Madeira some of the character and complexity of a young vintage Madeira.
This style of Madeira undergoes maturation in seasoned American oak casks using the traditional “Canteiro” system. In this method, the casks are gradually transferred from the top floors of the wine lodges, where it is naturally warmer, to the middle and eventually ground floors, where it is cooler, during the ageing process.
The Canteiro method is reserved for the highest quality Madeira, as these wines are aged without the use of artificial heat, relying solely on the warmth of the sun. The Madeira wine is regularly racked and bottled once it reaches the desired stage of maturity, with vintage Madeiras displaying both the bottling date and the vintage (harvest year) on the label. All vintage Madeiras are bottled under the supervision of the Madeira Wine Institute.
Understanding Madeira Styles and Grape Varieties
Traditionally, Madeira wines vary in style and sweetness depending on the grape variety used:
Blandy’s 2000 Verdelho Colheita Madeira 50cl is made from 100% Verdelho grapes and is a medium-dry style of Madeira. It is presented in a 50cl bottle in an individual box.
Only 2,598 bottles of this wine were produced.
Blandy’s 2000 Verdelho Colheita Madeira has a crystal clear and intense topaz colour with green and golden nuances. A characteristic bouquet of intense citric, spice, wood and dried fruits like hazelnut, aromas. Medium dry, exuberant and fresh with a very long and ethereal finish with strong notes of dried fruits mashed with old brandy and spice.
Try with creamy starters, soups, hard cheeses and tropical fruits. It is also perfect on its own.
Blandy’s Colheita is fined and does not require decanting. It has been bottled when ready for drinking and will keep for several months after opening. Serve slightly chilled at 14 º C.
94 Points – Wine Enthusiast’s 2018
93+ Points, Gold Medal, outstanding – IWSC 2018
97 Points – Decanter 2018
92 Points – Wine & Spirits
Reviews
There are no reviews yet.