Barbeito 10 Years Old Malvasia Reserva Velha

Barbeito has worked in Madeira since 1946, and this Malvasia sits at the sweet, opulent end of the island's four classic styles. The grapes grow on terraced volcanic soils above the Atlantic, where warm days and cool ocean air keep acidity high even as sugars build. After fortification the wine spends its life in seasoned cask, held for a decade under the estate's canteiro system, where slow warmth and steady contact with air and wood mature it gradually. That oxidative ageing converts alcohol toward acetaldehyde and concentrates the wine as a little evaporates, deepening colour and flavour while the island's natural acidity stays intact. The result is a brilliant golden wine with a nose of dried flowers, ripe citrus, honey and almond. The palate is rich and sweet without heaviness, layered with orange marmalade, toffee and walnut, and the long finish is cut clean by that trademark bright acidity, which stops the sweetness from cloying. Serve lightly chilled at around 14 degrees in a small glass.