Barbeito - Verdelho Reserva - 10 years
Vinhos Barbeito is located on the island of Madeira , an autonomous region of Portugal. Vinhos Barbeito was founded in 1946 by Mário Barbeito de Vasconcelos and is still family-run. At the time of Barbeito's founding, more than 30 other Madeira wine exporters operated in the company. Mário Barbeito died in 1985 and his daughter Manuela de Vasconcelos took over as general manager of Vinhos Barbeito. She had already worked for the company since 1976. In 1991, with the arrival of Ricardo Vasconcelos Freitas in the company, the decision was made to stop exporting wine in bulk and to concentrate efforts on production, aging and blending of quality wines. That same year, a family member became responsible for making the wine.
As a mountainous island, there are a variety of microclimates in Madeira. The mountains, reaching up to 1,800 meters, cause moist air from winds arriving from the northwest to cool and condense into rain clouds, meaning the north and center of the island are considerably cooler and wetter than the south. Madeira has an area of approximately 74,000 hectares, of which only approximately 450 hectares are planted with vines. The soils are of volcanic origin and rich in nutrients. This, combined with abundant rain, provides fertile conditions and therefore vigorous vines. The maturation process of modern Madeira wines replicates the hot, oxidative conditions the wine was subjected to when shipped in the 17th and early 18th centuries.
The Verdelho Reserve 10 years is made from the Verdelho grape variety. The grapes are pressed continuously and fermentation is stopped by the addition of fortified alcohol (96%) when the desired degree of sweetness is reached. It should be noted that even Madeira wines labeled “Dry” have a certain degree of sweetness. The wine was aged using the “ Canteiro ” technique for more than 10 years; it is a long and complex process associated with higher quality wines. The wines are aged in old oak barrels in a warm environment, and the barrel is left with a small space free of air, to encourage oxidative development . It contains 71 g/L of residual sugars. Age is an indication of style rather than a minimum or average.
Grape variety: 100% Verdelho
