Blandy's 1982 Colheita Verdelho Madeira (75cl)

A single-harvest Madeira from Blandy's, made entirely from the 1982 growing season and aged for 40 years before bottling in 2023. Some 1,206 bottles were filled. The Verdelho grapes come from Santo da Serra and Raposeira on the north coast and are hand-picked over several passes. The wine ferments in temperature-controlled stainless steel and is fortified with grape spirit to stop fermentation at 108 g/L of residual sugar. It then ages in very old American oak casks under the traditional Canteiro system. The bouquet shows mahogany, crème brûlée, singed leather and bonfire. The palate is nutty with old fruit, well balanced, with fine tannins and enough acidity to meet a sweet edge on the finish.