Sweet Medjool date, roasted macadamia nut, caramelized apple. Dried citrus peel, butterscotch, hard raspberry candy…
Located over 400 miles off the coast of Morocco in the midst of the Atlantic Ocean, the Portuguese Madeira Islands have a storied history and even boast their own distinct style of fortified wine. Once a major port of call for merchant ships, these remote islands have hundreds of years of winemaking tradition dating back to the 15th century. Due to the region's isolated location local Madeira producers long ago chose to make their wine in a port-like fortified style so that it could to stand up to the rigors of travel, as they knew barrels of their wine would spend long periods of time in the hulls ships on their voyage to market. What they did not account for is that their wine would be exposed to high heat, oxygen, and consistent movement on the journey which morphed it into something totally different than what they intended. To their eventual surprise the changes to the wine caused during transportation actually improved its complexity and desirability, and that heated and oxidized style soon became embraced. While the wines of Madeira no longer travel on hot ships around the Atlantic, they still are made in the same style using methods to develop their signature character through modern techniques in the winery. Don't worry about opening a bottle of Madeira and not being able to finish it within a few days, since Madeira is already exposed to heat and oxygen in the winery an open a bottle can last for many months unspoiled!
Sweet Medjool date, roasted macadamia nut, caramelized apple. Dried citrus peel, butterscotch, hard raspberry candy…