This is probably the most “historic” of the series, as according to Mannie Berk, as the vast, vast majority of Madeira consumed here in the US in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries were Verdelhos. This wine offers up a really lovely and quite high-toned nose of orange peel, spice cake, woodsmoke, a lovely base of soil nuances and a nice dollop of herbal tones redolent of celery seed in the upper register. On the palate the wine is deep, full-bodied, racy and very complex, with a lovely signature of soil, impeccable focus and balance and a very long, poised and tangy finish. This has around two percent of residual sugar to it, which is pretty much all eaten up by the fine acidity here, so that the overall impression is a well-buffered, but essentially dry wine. Impressive.

The Madeira Savannah Verdelho Special Reserve is redolent of cloves, caramel, brown sugar, leather, cedar and tobacco. There’s a good bit of brightness and acid to play off the generally mature flavors in this light to medium-bodied Madeira. Floral accents lift the finish beautifully. L22139. - Antonio Galloni