Blandy's : Verdelho Vintage 1982

Characteristics and tasting tips for the Verdelho Vintage 1982 from Blandy's

Tasting notes

Appearance
A deep mahogany hue with golden highlights, displaying a clear brilliance and a lovely depth of colour inherited from several decades of ageing.

Nose
Expressive and full of character, the nose opens with balsamic notes and exotic spices, accompanied by briny nuances reminiscent of the maritime terroir. Hints of old rum and toasted wood blend with dried fruit aromas, while aeration reveals touches of spiced plum, dates, dried figs and roasted hazelnut.

Palate
The attack is fresh and concentrated, carried by a medium-dry character in which the sweetness of the fruit plays against a incisive acidity and an elegant salinity. The palate unveils flavours of candied fruit, dry honey and toasted hazelnut, on a fine tannic structure that adds definition. The particularly long finish leaves piquant notes of spice and resinous wood, lightly smoky.

Food and wine pairing

This Verdelho Vintage 1982 pairs beautifully with mature cheeses, especially hard cooked-curd cheeses or moderately powerful blue cheeses. It also goes very well with roast poultry with dried fruits, pan-seared foie gras served with citrus chutney, or spiced game terrines. It can also be enjoyed on its own at the end of a meal.

Serving and cellaring

The Verdelho Vintage 1982 is served lightly chilled, at a temperature between 13 and 14°C, so that its aromas are fully revealed without the alcohol dominating.

A Madeira from Blandy's, shaped by long oxidative ageing

The estate

Founded in 1811 in Funchal by John Blandy, the Blandy's house has established itself as one of the leading dynasties of the Madeira wine trade, the Portuguese island wine region also known as Terras Madeirenses. Now led by Chris Blandy, CEO of Blandy SGPS, and chaired by Katrina Blandy Mayson, the house remains the only founding family still to own and manage its original business. Blandy's stands out for its commitment to sustainability, notably through its B Corp certification.

The vineyard

The grapes for the Verdelho Vintage 1982 come from Porto Moniz, on the north-west coast of Madeira. This coastal area, highly exposed to Atlantic winds, offers a cool climate conducive to slow ripening, which favours the concentration of aromas while preserving a vibrant acidity, a sought-after characteristic of the great Verdelho wines of this Portuguese island.

The vintage

The year 1982 is regarded as a favourable vintage for Verdelho in Madeira, offering ripening conditions that produced healthy, concentrated grapes with a high acidity conducive to a long ageing potential.

Winemaking and ageing

The Verdelho Vintage 1982 comes from a single grape variety and a single vintage, in keeping with the tradition of the Frasqueiras de Blandy's. After fortification, the wine was aged for around forty years in very old oak casks, a prolonged ageing that fostered the development of complex tertiary aromas as well as a gradual integration of the fortification. It was bottled in 2023.

Grape variety

This Madeira wine is 100% Verdelho.