Blandy's Colheita Malmsey 1999 Madeira (75cl)

This is a single-harvest Madeira from Blandy's, made entirely from Malvasia (Malmsey) grapes of the 1999 growing season. Colheita means harvest, and the wine is aged for a minimum of five years before release rather than blended across vintages. The grapes are grown mainly in São Jorge on Madeira's northern coast and are hand-picked. Fermentation is arrested by fortification with grape neutral alcohol, leaving the wine sweet. It then ages in seasoned American oak casks under the traditional Canteiro system, moving slowly through the warmer upper floors of the lodge. The nose shows dried fruit and nuts, exotic woods, cakes, molasses and spices. The palate is sweet, soft and full-bodied, and the long, warm finish carries notes of honey cake.