Madeira

Grown in humid, subtropical heat, and on fertile, volcanic soils, Madeira's "noble" grape varieties are Sercial, Verdelho, Boal/Bual and Malvasia/Malmsey. The majority of Madeira is actually made from the inferior Tinta Negra Mole grape variety. See table below for comparisons.



The gradations in the site climate seen in the above table are mostly due to altitude.

Plots are typically tiny and on small terraces, so mechanisation is impossible. Trellises are used to raise the canopy off the ground and irrigation is via channels known as levadas.

There is a steady increase in residual sugar throughout the styles of Madeira. Sercial typically contains 1.5% residual sugar (NB NOT g/l), Verdelho 2.5%, Bual 3.5% and Malmsey has over 4%.

The diagrams below give an outline of ageing and styles of Madeira.

Above: Estufas

Above: Canteiro - Vintage Madeira maturing in
600L wooden casks, heated only by the sun

Sources: WSET, The Oxford Companion to Wine

See also my post on fortified wine comparisons and Jamie Goode's Spotlight on Madeira.