1864 | Blandy’s Madeira | Grand Cama de Lobos Solera

Detailed Description

Honeyed mid palate until giving way to a drier more spirity after taste with very fine grapfruit bitters. Ending in medium dry soft but concentrated finish. Great surprise.

Producer Information

Blandy’s Madeira was founded by John Blandy in 1811 and is well-known for producing quality Madeira, a fortified wine, from Portugal’s island of the same name, several hundred kilometers west off the northwest coast of Africa. The Blandy family is one of the original founding families of the Maderia wine trade and is the only family to still own and operate their original wine company on the island of Maderia. The recent history of Madeira and that of Blandy’s are closely aligned, enjoying the growth associated with an island on a major sea lane in the 19th Century. However, by 1925, the export market for Madeira experienced an all time low, requiring wine companies to come together under the Madeira Wine Association. The Blandy family headed the association and was able to stay in business while many individual Madeira companies ceased to exist. Madeira lacked the popularity it once had so in order to expand the global market, the Blandy’s offered the Symington family (Port producers since the 19th Century) a partnership in the newly named Madeira Wine Company in 1989. Together, these families have greatly expand the distribution network and marketing of the company’s premier Madeira brands including Blandy’s, Leacock’s, Miles, and Cossart Gordon. Blandy’s produces many styles and quality levels of Madeira but is best known for its traditional, top quality, dated Madeiras capable of aging over 150 years. These Madeiras are produced from a single vintage and grape variety, and are categorized as either Vintage or Colheita dependant on wine character. Blandy’s was the first in Madeira to produce a youthful, vintage dated Madeira for early consumption with their 1994 Malmsey and created another new category for Madeira in 2002 with the introduction of “Blandy’s Alvada” – a blend of Malmsey and Bual. Blandy’s produces Madeira from all the principal grape varieties: Malmsey, Bual, Verdelho, Sercial, and Tinta Negra Mole. The vines are planted on steep terraced vineyards throughout the island and are handpicked at harvest.