PRODUCT DESCRIPTION
A Colheita — "harvest" — designation is genuinely significant within Madeira production: rather than a blend assembled across multiple vintages for consistency, this is a single-harvest, vintage-dated wine, entirely from the 1982 growing season, patiently aged a full 40 years before bottling in 2023. Only 1,206 bottles were produced from this exact harvest — genuinely scarce, one-time-only Madeira that will never be replicated. Blandy's is one of Madeira's oldest and most respected wine houses, and Verdelho sits at the medium-dry end of the island's four classic noble grape varieties, alongside Sercial, Bual, and Malmsey.
The grapes for this wine come from Santo da Serra and Raposeira, on Madeira's north coast, hand-harvested with genuine qualitative selection across several picking passes, timed to each parcel's own state of maturation. The wine ferments off the skins in temperature-controlled stainless steel, arrested at 108 g/L residual sugar through fortification with grape spirit, then ages a full 40 years in very old American oak casks under Madeira's traditional Canteiro system — a slow, natural aging method that moves barrels through the warmer upper floors of the wine lodge, deliberately harnessing heat and time to develop the wine's signature caramelized, oxidative depth.
The critical reception has been genuinely extraordinary. Decanter awarded 97 Points. Wine Enthusiast scored the wine 95 Points, describing it as "pure nuttiness with layers of old fruit," the wine "golden in its hue and sense of richness," concluding it's "deliciously mature and ready to drink." Vinous scored the wine 93 Points, describing "deep amber" color, with "a well-defined, mellow bouquet" of "mahogany antique bureau, crème brûlée, singed leather and bonfire aromas that cohere nicely in the glass," the palate "very well balanced with fine tannins and just the right amount of acidity to counter that sweet edge on the finish," calling it "animated," with "impressive tension and real finesse," concluding it's "a classy offering." Vinum Wine Magazine separately scored the 1982 vintage 98/20, ranking it among the top five Madeira Verdelho wines ever assessed. This is genuinely extraordinary, single-vintage Madeira — real patience and real scarcity behind one of the most celebrated Verdelho releases from one of the island's most storied houses.
Blandy's 1982 Colheita Verdelho Madeira is a single-harvest, vintage-dated Madeira produced by Blandy's, part of the Madeira Wine Company. The wine is made entirely from Verdelho, hand-harvested with qualitative selection across several picking passes from vineyards in Santo da Serra and Raposeira, on Madeira's north coast, trained on espalier, grown on volcanic soils derived from basalt, trachyte, tufa, slag, and conglomerate.
The wine ferments off the skins in temperature-controlled stainless steel, fortified with grape spirit to arrest fermentation at 108 g/L residual sugar. The wine then ages 40 years in very old American oak casks (650L) using the traditional Canteiro system, bottled in 2023 under winemaker Francisco Albuquerque. Only 1,206 bottles were produced.
Decanter — 97 Points
Wine Enthusiast — 95 Points (RV, 11/1/23):
"This is pure nuttiness with layers of old fruit. The Madeira is golden in its hue and sense of richness. The wine is deliciously mature and ready to drink."
Neal Martin, Vinous — 93 Points (Jul/2023):
"The 1982 Verdelho contains 108g/L residual sugar and was aged for 40 years in very old oak casks. Deep amber in color, it has a well-defined, mellow bouquet with mahogany antique bureau, crème brûlée, singed leather and bonfire aromas that cohere nicely in the glass. The palate is very well balanced with fine tannins and just the right amount of acidity to counter that sweet edge on the finish. This feels like an animated Verdelho, with impressive tension and real finesse coming through toward its slight oxidative finish. This is a classy offering. 1,206 bottles produced."
Vinum Wine Magazine — 98/20 (ranked among the top 5 Madeira Verdelho wines assessed)
Nose
Deep amber color. Mahogany antique bureau and crème brûlée lead, joined by singed leather and bonfire aromas, alongside old fruit and nutty richness.
Palate
Very well balanced, with fine tannin and just the right acidity countering the wine's sweet edge, genuinely animated with impressive tension.
Finish
Real finesse, closing with a slight oxidative edge — deliciously mature and ready to drink now.
| Category | Details |
|---|---|
| Style | Colheita (Single-Harvest) Madeira |
| Variety | 100% Verdelho |
| Vintage | 1982 |
| Producer | Blandy's (Madeira Wine Company) |
| Vineyard Source | Santo da Serra & Raposeira, north coast |
| Soils | Volcanic (basalt, trachyte, tufa) |
| Aging | 40 years, Canteiro system, American oak |
| Residual Sugar | 108 g/L |
| Bottled | 2023 |
| Production | 1,206 bottles |
| Critics | Decanter 97 · Wine Enthusiast 95 · Vinous 93 · Vinum 98/20 |
| Style / Identity | A genuinely extraordinary single-vintage Madeira — real scarcity and 40 years of patient development |
| Aromas & Flavors | Mahogany bureau, crème brûlée, singed leather, bonfire, old fruit |
| Bottle Size | 750ml |
Fined and does not require decanting. Best served slightly chilled.
Bottle Size: All bottles are 750ML/700ML unless otherwise noted.
21 and Over: Adult Signature Required
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