Blandy’s Madeira – Vintage Malmsey 1981 75 cl. 21%

Blandy’s Malmsey 1981 is a single harvest madeira – a so-called frasqueira, aged for 37 years in American oak casks under the sizzling ceilings of Funchal. During storage, the wine is moved from the hottest floors down through the cooler ones – this is an essential part of the storage and gives the wine character, complexity and the unmistakable taste of Madeira. Malmsey is the sweetest type, but the acidity is still high, so despite 110 grams of sugar per litre, the wine appears nice and straight.

Colour: Amber.
Smell: Outward and talkative “nose” with notes of exotic woods, candied fruit, spices and smoke.
Tasting notes: Sweet, soft and dense, with a long aftertaste reminiscent of old brandy, honey and warm spices.

Serving suggestion: Enjoy slightly chilled.

Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate
“Offering up aromas of candied dates, warm spices, cigar smoke, candied peel and aromatic wood, the 1981 Malmsey is medium to full-bodied, deep and concentrated, with an elegantly satiny attack, good depth at the sweet but attractively savory core and a long, penetrating but subtly drying finish.” – 91

Wine Spectator
95 points