Madeira wines have a sweet and scientific side

There’s more to the dating of sweet and dry Madeiras than the year printed on the label. The mix of various vintages can lead to a complex taste.

In last week’s column on Madeira, I didn’t mention much about the way it was aged — and didn’t really mention much about the way Madeira was aged in last week’s column and that is an integral part of the story, even with younger wines.

Gone are the days when Madeira casks make six-month voyages on warm ships. Today, estufagem, which is the process of deliberately heating wine, is employed.

There are three methods used, with canteiro being the one preferred for the highest-quality wines. It’s really the simplest of all, just aging the casks in rooms that are heated by sunlight. No steam pipes or coils.

With the exception of vintage Madeira, the casks are blends from many years. For example, a 10-year malmsey comes from a number of vintages, with the youngest spending at least 10 years in wood. However, solera-dated Madeiras are a little bit more complicated.