Blandy's : Bual Colheita Single Harvest 2008

Characteristics and Tasting Tips for the Bual Colheita Single Harvest 2008 Blandy's

Tasting

Appearance
This Madeira Colheita displays a topaz hue with golden highlights and a crystalline brilliance that reflects its meticulous ageing.

Nose
The nose is intense and characteristic of the Bual style, revealing notes of dried fruit and vanilla-tinged spices, along with touches of exotic woods that recall the complexity imparted by ageing.

Palate
The palate is rich yet delicate, carried by nuances of tea, dried leaves, spices and brandy. The whole is beautifully balanced and finishes with a long, aromatic persistence.

Food and wine pairing

This Madeira pairs well with smoked fish such as smoked salmon, whose richness and smoky notes harmonise beautifully with the wine's aromatic intensity and vivacity.

Serving and storage

It is advisable to decant the Bual Colheita Single Harvest 2008 before serving, in order to remove any natural sediment that may have formed over time. This wine is best served slightly chilled, at around 16°C, a temperature that showcases its aromatic richness without overly accentuating its sweetness. For storage, it should be kept upright, away from light, in a cool, dry place at a constant temperature, ideally not exceeding 16°C.

A Madeira Colheita from Blandy's, Between Madeiran Tradition and Aromatic Richness

The estate

The Blandy's Madeira brand was born in 1811 under the leadership of John Blandy, joined by his brothers Thomas and George, on the island of Madeira. Two centuries and seven generations later, it remains the only one among the historic founders of the Madeira wine trade still owned and run by its original family. This family continuity, combined with deep roots in the Terras Madeirenses, gives Blandy's a rare identity, carried today by the family's seventh generation.

The vineyard

The Bual vines used for this Colheita come mainly from the areas of Calheta, Arco and Estreito da Calheta, on the south coast of the Portuguese island of Madeira. Trained on trellises, they grow in varied volcanic soils, derived notably from basalt, trachyte, tuff, scoria and conglomerates. The grapes are harvested by hand, with a quality-focused selection carried out over several weeks in order to respect the ripeness of each plot.

Winemaking and ageing

The Bual Colheita Single Harvest 2008 was crafted under the supervision of oenologist Francisco Albuquerque, both at harvest and at bottling. After a manual, selective harvest in 2008, the wine was aged using the traditional canteiro system, in 650-litre casks kept at ambient temperature until the month of its bottling in 2022. This ageing method, specific to the finest Madeiras, encourages a slow oxidation that shapes the wine's richness and complexity.

Grape variety

This Madeira Colheita is made from Bual, a noble white grape variety associated at Blandy's with a medium rich style, renowned for its ability to produce wines that are both rich and balanced.