2010 Blandy's - Madeira Malmsey Colheita (750ml)

Blandy's was founded in 1811 by John Blandy and remains the only original founding family still owning and operating its own Madeira company, now in its seventh generation. When economic pressures forced most of the island's producers to consolidate in 1913, forming the Madeira Wine Association, Blandy's joined in 1925 and quickly took the lead in running the organization while allowing each member house to preserve its own individual style. That entity eventually became the Madeira Wine Company, and after decades of partnership with the Symington family on distribution and modernization, Chris Blandy took back the reins as chief executive in 2011, the same year the family celebrated two centuries of winemaking.

This colheita comes from 100% Malvasia, known locally as Malmsey, grown on vineyards in São Jorge on Madeira's north coast, and fermented off the skins with native yeasts before fortification with neutral grape spirit halts fermentation and locks in natural sweetness. The wine aged for thirteen years in seasoned American oak casks, following the island's traditional canteiro method, resting first on the warmer top floor of Blandy's historic lodge in Funchal before gradually moving down to cooler floors as it matured.

The wine shows a dark amber color with golden highlights, opening with coffee that turns to chocolate, followed by chocolate-covered apricot, sticky toffee pudding, melted licorice, and grilled citrus peel, closing on a mineral, stone-dust finish. Sweet and full-bodied, it pairs beautifully with hard cheeses or chocolate desserts, or is lovely simply on its own.