Your cart is empty.
- In stock, ready to ship
- Inventory on the way
Justino’s Madeira, Colheita
As if it wasn’t already blatantly obvious, I’ll admit that our initial foray into the world of Madeira was a bit lofty: We barreled out of the gates with back-to-back offerings of 1954 Garrafeira and 1894 Solera! And while these vinous artifacts were truly unrivaled in their exclusivity and taste, they were priced in the stratosphere. As such, we received a lengthy string of emails from subscribers who wanted an aged, wonderfully complex Madeira without a three- or four-digit bank transaction.
We hear you, and for the past several months, we’ve been dialing up our overseas contacts. Last week, we hit paydirt: Turns out, a small shipment of 1998 Justino’s Madeira had recently landed, and a bottle promptly arrived on my desk. The upshot? It’s a fantastic, richly-layered expression of the long-overdue Madeira renaissance. As a colheita, this comes entirely from 1998 harvest, where the very best Tinta Negra (a crossing of Pinot Noir and Grenache) grapes were carefully hand selected. It then underwent the classic canteiro aging process for nearly 20 years in old American and French barrels. A luxurious, two-decade-old fortified wine with unlimited aging potential—for under $50? Sounds unbeatable to me!
We hear you, and for the past several months, we’ve been dialing up our overseas contacts. Last week, we hit paydirt: Turns out, a small shipment of 1998 Justino’s Madeira had recently landed, and a bottle promptly arrived on my desk. The upshot? It’s a fantastic, richly-layered expression of the long-overdue Madeira renaissance. As a colheita, this comes entirely from 1998 harvest, where the very best Tinta Negra (a crossing of Pinot Noir and Grenache) grapes were carefully hand selected. It then underwent the classic canteiro aging process for nearly 20 years in old American and French barrels. A luxurious, two-decade-old fortified wine with unlimited aging potential—for under $50? Sounds unbeatable to me!
[*NOTE: This is currently en route and will be arriving at our warehouse on June 4th. Limit six per person.]
Justino’s Madeira, founded by Justino Henrique Freitas in 1870, is one of a handful of estates that have been a time-honored champion for this fortified drink. With such an extensive history of production and exportation, they have built up one of the island's largest stocks, which is how today’s 1998 was made available to you.
But let’s back up a second: What is Madeira, you may ask? A fortified wine (e.g. Port, Sherry, Marsala) from the Portuguese island (far) off Morocco’s coast, but let’s delve into the layers that make it unique. Historically, Madeira wasn’t fortified. The concept for Madeira started centuries ago when international trading ships would stop on the island for a quick respite and subsequently pick up a load of Madeira’s still, unfortified wine. These barrels would sit in the cargo hold, acting as both a ballast for the ship and thirst-quencher for the mariners. Long voyages heated the wines, especially across the equator, and sailors soon discovered they preferred the taste. So, they started sending boats around the world—sometimes twice—and began labeling them as vinhos da roda or ‘round-trip wines.’ Later on, in the mid-1700s, winemakers began realizing that acetobacter (the bacteria which turns wine into vinegar) couldn’t survive after a certain alcoholic threshold, so they began fortifying their wines with cane sugar distillate.
In recent history, two methods are used to replicate the old “round-trip” heating and oxidation process, known as “maderization”: estufagem and canteiro. The former is the quicker and cheaper method, where wines are heated to around 120 degrees Fahrenheit for several months in stainless steel vats. Only the finest labels are made via the canteiro process, which requires cask aging for many years in lodge attics or outside with direct sun exposure, during which time the casks “breathe” and the wines undergo a slow, controlled oxidation.
Today’s 1998 is, of course, made in the painstakingly long canteiro method. Once they hand-harvested their finest Tinto Negra (along with a small percentage of other native grapes) in 1998, the grapes were de-stemmed and crushed before a three-day maceration. Sometime during fermentation, a neutral grape spirit was added that 1) raised the alcohol level and 2) killed the yeasts to keep the remaining sugars intact. It then continued aging in a combination of old American and French oak casks until its eventual bottling just a few years ago. For those keeping count at home—that’s a long time in barrel!
Justino’s 1998 Madeira pours a bright amber with tawny hues and reveals thick tears that cling to the inner edge of the glass with a death grip. No need to dip your nose in for this one. Pour a couple of ounces in a glass and its powerful perfumes will outmatch that of a Yankee candle. It is stunningly layered with crushed walnuts, sandalwood, baking spice, sweet tobacco, dried orange peel, ripe quince, white truffle honey, fruitcake,...this is explosive! The palate is wonderfully dense and heady (remember, 19% alcohol) but simultaneously bright due to bright, lifted notes of acidity. That’s why we love Madeira—it has the acid needed to offset the powerful alcohol and sugar. If you’ve never experienced a dizzyingly rich and pleasingly savory/sweet fortified wine, this is the best way to get started. For those that are veterans, I guarantee it will bolster your collection. Serve in all-purpose stems around 60 degrees and either make it a solo act after dinner or pair it with a local dessert delicacy: bolo de mel. Enjoy!
