HENRIQUES & HENRIQUES

MADEIRA

What the critics are saying:

“Henriques & Henriques ten year olds [and 15 year olds] are much the best of the genre. Made from the four ‘noble’ grapes, they have much of the clean, high-toned, incisive character of a really fine Madeira for a fraction of the price.” Richard Mayson, Portugal’s Wines & Wine Makers

“Top-quality madeira is one of the world's most wickedly underrated fine wines. I know you will have read that about sherry - and that's true too - but I can understand why people don't like sherry. It does have a characteristic flavour that some palates will find offputting. But madeira tastes like the elixir of life itself.” Jancis Robinson, www.jancisrobinson.com

Madeira is the world’s most robust and long lived wine. They can easily live for centuries and stay fresh for months after opening. For those who have not tasted Madeira; it is a fortified wine from the Portuguese island of the same name, made in a range of styles from dry(ish) to sweet, yet always with an elegance and a distinctive, refreshing tang to close (this is what separates it from other, heavier tasting fortifieds). Henriques & Henriques has established an impeccable reputation as one of the top sources for high quality Madeira. They are the leading independent Madeira shipping house and practise an uncompromising devotion to the quality of their wines through the use of only the highest quality grapes, a remarkable state-of-the-art winery, and stoic, disciplined use of the estufa method of wine production. They are also unique in concentrating on quality Madeira’s (rather than bulk handling of ‘cooking’ wine) and hold extensive stocks, some more than a century old, of these quality wines. The 10 year old, 15 year old, Solera, Vintage and very old Reserves are produced from Sercial, Verdelho, Bual or Malvasia – as labelled.

Storage: The wines offered below are best stored upright. They will not really develop in bottle so can be purchased to drink immediately, however they will keep without deteriatingfor many months after opening which is a huge bonus.

Food: These wines can be surprisingly versatile with food. We have served them with a range of dishes, with some success. Perhaps one of the greatest food and wine matchings of all is Madeira with a rich consommé (especially, Sercial, Verdelho or Bual). It is a food and wine pairing to request on your death bed (for want of a more uplifting analogy!)