Established in 1946, the family-run Vinhos Barbeito are known to many for their old excellent Madeiras. In addition to these wines, which are mostly in the lower to middle three-digit price range, you will also find very inexpensive wines of very good quality in the winery’s portfolio.
Malvasia, also called Malmsey, is probably the best known and most appreciated wine from Madeira. In earlier times it was almost exclusively made from Malvasia Cândida. However, the grape variety is very susceptible to Oidium and also somewhat capricious when it comes to its location. Probably because of this, there was already too little Malvasia wines in earlier years
Madeira always show a typical malty-caramel taste. This is caused by the heat treatment of the wine, which causes the sugar in the wine to caramelize. The simplest and cheapest type of heat treatment is the method called Cuba de Calor, in which the wine is heated to 40 – 50 ° C using simple heating coils. The most expensive type of warming, called Canteiro, which lasts up to 20 years, is reserved for better qualities. It takes place in the attics of warehouses in barrels of various sizes.
Different grape varieties are used for the production of a Madeira, whereby a basic distinction is made between the noble grape varieties such as Sercial, Verdelho, Bual, Malmsey and Terrantez and the less noble varieties such as Complexa or Tinta Negra Mole.
Hans had already opened some excellent wines to the excellent French dinner, including, for example, a 2013 Chevalier Montrachet from Domaine Leflaive and a 2005 Le Pavillon from Chapoutier. For cheese and dessert he had selected matured sweet wines, from German predicates such as Spätlese on Vin Doux Naturel to Madeira – all excellent.
1994 Niederhäuser Herrmannshöhle Spätlese, Dönnhoff
Quince, pear and white peach on the nose, delicately smoky. Very fresh on the palate, prominent acidity, mild fruit, juicy, lean, mineral notes. Excellent wine, which proved to be an ideal companion to Fourme d’Ambert with quince jelly, because it took out the pungency of the cheese and brought out its … Read more ...
Which wine goes best with spice coffee pears with milk foam? In addition to espresso, the spiced coffee also contains cinnamon sticks, cardamom and cloves. The pears are poached in that mixture overnight. At the first attempt, we underestimated the flavor of the coffee and therefore were wrong choicing the sweet wine.
Knowing about the spiciness of the coffee, we chose the Deluxe Cream Sherry Capataz Andrés from Lustau and the 10 Years Old Bual Madeira from Henriques & Henriques for further tasting (Tasted wines).
Lustau’s cream had aromas of walnut, dried fruits such as plum, pear and fig, mocha, complemented by smoky and roasted notes. Soft and … Read more ...