a few queries on Madeira - mostly theoretical

[Sanjit Keskar]

I am a student of Beverage Studies and my topic is Fortified Wines of Portugal

I have found contrasting and archaic information on the web

Please help me to iron out a few queries, no matter how stupid they are

1) Why does "3 years" NOT feature on a Madeira label like 5 years and 10 years do?

2) Can vintage and colhietas madeira be a blend of grapes from the same year?

3) If the age indication is only a stylistic statement of what the Madeira should be like according to the tasting committee, is it theoretically possible that a 10 year old Madeira has all the madeiras in the blend below 10 years of age but can still taste like a targetted 10 year old Madeira

4) Can a grape-grape blended madeira theoretically become a 10 year or 15 year old?

5) What is the minimum number of years a Madeira is aged before bottling?

6) Have the terms Seleccionado, “Finest”, “Choice”, or “Select been disallowed to indicate a 3 year madeira from 2015?

7) Are Madeiras blended grape wise (I am not talking about the varietal dilution to 85%) ? If so, does this happen before estufagem/cantiero or after

8) Does vintage madeira legally have to spend time in glass after cask

9) Is Reserva (and similar terms) an equivalent of 5 years a trade marketing term and can both Reserva and 5 year old appear on the label

10) Year of bottling must now appear on labels - is that only for harvest and Vintage Madeiras or all?

11) Where does the term corrente fit into all this ageig and labelling complexities

12) Has Tinta Negra been officialy made a nobel grape?


Which is the most updated and accurate site on madeira?

Thanks for any help on the above

Sanjit Keskar

[Eric Menchen]

I'm not a Maderia person, so I don't know these off the top of my head. Were they Port questions, I would know some and then I would go consult the IVDP regulations. Which leads me to this answer, the Madeira equivalent:
http://www.vinhomadeira.pt/regulation-157.aspx

[Eric Ifune]

I'll try to help as best I can. I can't claim to be an expert in all this.
1. I believe that a 3 year old designation is legal to put on a label, but many companies prefer some generic name like "Duke of Clarence."
2. Generally a wine considered good enough for canteiro aging is left in cask. After 7 years it can legally be sold labeled as Colheita. The same wine, if left for 20+ years, can be label Frasqueira or Garrafeira. Vintage is not a legal term on the label.
3. Yes
4. Not positive, but I believe an indicated age wine must be 85% of one variety (as per EU laws) but is generally 100% Blends do exist, but have another name such as Alveda.
5. Are you talking about canteiro aging or estufa? I don't think estufa wines need to be aged more than a couple of years.
6. I don't believe the terms are illegal, but really don't mean much. More of a marketing thing.
7. A few blends exist. Alveda by Blandys and VB by Barbeito. Not sure off the top of my head when the blending occurs. Usually the premium white varieties are too valuable to blend.
8. Not sure, but I don't think so. It is not legal to sell bulk wines out of glass anymore.
9. I don't think reserve is used on labels anymore. D'Oliveiras used to use this for their wines, but no longer.
10. For canteiro aged wines I believe.
11. Don't know this term.
12. They don't use the term noble anymore. Now it's recommended, allowed, disallowed. Tinta Negra can now use the name on labels.

[Sanjit Keskar]

I'm not a Maderia person, so I don't know these off the top of my head. Were they Port questions, I would know some and then I would go consult the IVDP regulations. Which leads me to this answer, the Madeira equivalent:
http://www.vinhomadeira.pt/regulation-157.aspx

Is the english version available anywhere?

[Svein CE]

I'm not a Maderia person, so I don't know these off the top of my head. Were they Port questions, I would know some and then I would go consult the IVDP regulations. Which leads me to this answer, the Madeira equivalent:
http://www.vinhomadeira.pt/regulation-157.aspx

Is the english version available anywhere?

On the home page you can choose language.

[Sanjit Keskar]

[quote="Eric Ifune"]I'll try to help as best I can. I can't claim to be an expert in all this.

Thank you Eric Ifune very much

may I verify two last issues

Do you mean to say that even the relatively inexpensive 3 year old Madeiras and 5 year old Madeira that are estufagem processed are generally never grape blends (Tinta Negra with other stuff) and all blends referred to in madeira are year blending of single grapes (with exceptions like Alveda and subject to the EU 85% varietal rule)?

Bual, Sercial etc can be 3 years old and technically labelled so with the term 3 years old?

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Here is what the http://www.vinhomadeira.pt/extra-reserve-182.aspx says

Selected, Choice or Finest
Madeira Wine showing special quality for the age in question
(nothing is said about its application - so the term can be used anywhere for any age madeira?)

Vintage
Term reserved for wine made from at least 85% of grapes of the same harvest and of only one variety, from the recommended varieties, or of a mixture of recommended or authorised varieties, which, relative to the abovementioned 85% of grapes of the same harvest, has undergone a minimum aging of 5 years in wooden casks and shows exceptional organoleptic characteristics. The label should indicate the vintage year, bottling date and specific current-account.
(so vintages can also be grape-grape blends provided min 85% are from one year)

[Eric Ifune]

The premium white varieties are too valuable to be used in the cheaper blends. Most of them are all Tinta Negra. I think it's legal to make them with the white varieties, just not economically expedient.
Oh, and Colheitas can now be 5 years in cask. The 7 I mentioned above is the old rule.