Blandy's : Malmsey Vintage 1988

Characteristics and tasting tips for Blandy's Malmsey Vintage 1988

Tasting

Appearance

After twenty-five years of ageing in American oak casks, this Malmsey Vintage 1988 reveals a deep amber colour with coppery highlights, the hallmark of great, patiently aged Madeira.

Nose

The nose expresses all the richness of the Malmsey grape, a noble variety grown on the hillsides of São Jorge, where sugar and acidity develop with great intensity; the slow maturation across several floors of the Funchal cellars gives it remarkable depth and complexity.

Palate

On the palate, this sweet wine (123 g/l of residual sugar) is full and concentrated, driven by a remarkable balance between the natural sweetness of the Malmsey and a total acidity of 9.53 g/l that brings tension and freshness. The 21% alcohol content reinforces the density and length of this characterful Madeira.

Serving and storage

Blandy's Malmsey Vintage 1988 should be stored upright, away from light and at a constant temperature, ideally below 16°C. As this wine is fully stabilised, we recommend opening the bottle at least two days before tasting and decanting it to remove any sediment. Serve it at a temperature not exceeding 17°C. Ready to be enjoyed from the moment it was bottled, it will keep for several months once opened.

Blandy's Malmsey Vintage 1988: an exceptional Madeira with an amber hue

The estate

Founded in 1811 on the island of Madeira, the House of Blandy's is the only founding family of the Madeira wine trade that still owns and runs its own company today. This family continuity, rare in the history of wine, makes the Blandy's brand an essential reference for traditional Madeira. The House preserves an exceptional cellar of old wines, a veritable “cathedral of wine” sheltering bottles dating back to the 18th century, a testimony to its expertise and its commitment to the authenticity of its island terroir.

The vineyard

The Malmsey (Malvasia) grape that makes up this wine is grown mainly in the São Jorge region, on the north of the island of Madeira, where the Blandy family has long-standing relationships with more than twenty-six partner growers. Regarded as one of the island's most emblematic noble varieties, it naturally develops high levels of sugar and acidity, an ideal combination for crafting this rich and generous style of wine.

The vintage

After several more modest vintages, 1988 delivered grapes of remarkable quality across all the noble varieties, placing this vintage among the best of the decade on the island of Madeira. Unlike mainland Portugal and other European wine regions, Madeira enjoyed a more balanced climate that year, despite a cooler-than-usual June and July, which delayed the development of the berries. These particular conditions led to an exceptional late harvest, yielding generous grapes brimming with high potential alcohol.

Winemaking and ageing

Crafted according to the traditional “canteiro” method, Malmsey Vintage 1988 aged for twenty-five years in American oak casks within the historic cellars of Funchal. This Terras Madeirenses wine first spent the years from 1988 to 1991 on the fourth floor, nicknamed the “Sotão de Amêndoa” or almond loft, before moving to the second floor until 1993, then to the first floor, where it spent the last twenty years of its ageing, until it was bottled in 2013 under the guidance of winemaker Francisco Albuquerque.

Grape variety

This Madeira wine is made from 100% Malmsey (Malvasia), the emblematic noble grape of the richest and sweetest Madeiras.