Henriques & Henriques - Malvasia - 10 Year Old NV
Price: $55.00
Producer | Henriques & Henriques |
Country | Portugal |
Region | Madeira |
Varietal | Malvasia |
Sku | 010955 |
ABV | 20.00% |
The history of Henriques & Henriques goes back to 1425, when, according to legend, Infante Dom Henriques planted the first vines on the island of Madeira. However, the firm Henriques & Henriques was founded in 1850 as a partidista — someone who buys stocks or makes their own wine and sells it to the larger shippers — from the family's vineyard holdings on the island. In 1925, H&H began to bottle and export Madeira made entirely from their own vineyards, something unique among producers and shippers. To this day, Henriques & Henriques own the largest single vineyard on the island — the 10-hectare Quinta Grande — and boast an impressive selection of vintage and solera bottlings dating from before 1925 in the family's cellars. Perhaps most important, H&H have been in the vanguard of vineyard plantings and preservation of the noble grapes of Madeira: Sercial, Verdelho, Boal and Malvasia. Their age-statement varietal wines are viewed as the benchmark of quality.
Henriqes & Henriques 10-Year Old Malvasia is made from 100% Malvasia, aged for at least ten years in the traditional canteiro method. Of the four noble varieties, Malvasia is the sweetes, delivering rich, concentrated wines of depth and persistence. Aromas of molasses, toffee, caramel, spice cake and coffee waft from the glass. On the palate, the wine is lusciously sweet with flavors of raisinated cherries, orange marmalade and dark brown sugar. There is an added rancio complexity to add to the full-bodied, soft texture. Enjoy with chocolate desserts, sweet roasted nuts, or as a breakfast treat with chocolate-chip pancakdes smothered in maple syrup with breakfast sausages!