NV Rare Wine Co. (Vinhos Barbeito) - Madeira Baltimore Rainwater

The Rare Wine Co.'s Historic Series has spent over two decades reviving Madeira styles that once defined American taste, working in close partnership with Barbeito winemaker Ricardo Freitas since 1998. Rainwater was added to the lineup in 2013 as an attempt to restore a nearly forgotten style: in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries it was considered the most prestigious Madeira in the country, prized above all in Baltimore, whose connoisseurs were said to snap up entire shipments before they reached other cities. By the twentieth century the name had drifted toward cheap, oversweet imitations, and this bottling was built to reclaim its original character.

Freitas based the blend on a foundation of roughly 80 percent Verdelho, drawn from two lots aged between eight and thirteen years, prized for its delicacy and restrained sweetness. A small addition of much older Tinta Negra Mole lends a greater sense of age and body without adding sugar. Every component is matured using the traditional Canteiro method before blending.

The result is a light amber Madeira with bright citrus notes, a touch of salinity, and real viscosity on the palate. Flavors of roasted walnut, chamomile, and ripe pear carry through to a buttery, faintly opulent finish. It suits roasted almonds, a light cheese course, or a refreshing Madeira and tonic.