The Best of Barbeito

Whilst researching a new edition of my book on Madeira (to be published later in 2022) a number of shippers laid on wonderful tastings for me on a visit to the island at the end of last year. I always look forward to making the journey west out of Funchal to meet up with Ricardo Diogo at Barbeito in his new winery above Cabo Girão. Ricardo is generous both with his time and the information that he as to impart was well as with his wines. He is always experimenting and innovating, often challenging the norms (sometimes to the chagin of other shippers). The following wines, presented in the order that they were tasted, are the highlights from an extensive tasting combined with animated conversation.

Barbeito Sercial 1993, MEF, bottled 2019 *****

‘MEF’ refers to Manuel Eugenio Fernandes, a long-term supplier of Sercial grapes, grown in a traditional pergola-trained vineyard close to the sea at Seixal on the north side of the island: golden colour; heavenly aromas that left me lost for words, fresh apricot, liquorous and floral too; wonderful linear flavours, fresh lemon sherbet character with more than a touch of salgadinho (salinity), a touch of sweetness mid-palate (41 g/l) and steely acidity cutting in on the finish. Mesmerising Sercial. 19

Barbeito Verdelho 1994, MEF, bottled 2018 ****

Grapes from Manuel Eugenio Fernandes (‘MEF’) at Seixal on the north side of the island: golden amber colour; lovely smoky aromas, autumn bonfires and wood smoke; figgy sweetness (63 g/l residual sugar) combined with toasty complexity (figs raisins and mixed nuts) with the hickory character reasserting itself on the finish. 17.5

Barbeito Verdelho 1995, MEF, bottled 2019 ****

The fourth wine is a series bottled as a tribute to Manuel Eugenio Fernandes (‘MEF’) from Seixal: golden amber colour more subdued and spirity than the 1994 with a toasted alamond character on the nose; lovely purity of fruit on the palate with raisiny sweetness, greengage freshness and a touch of all spice, great length and finesse 18.

Barbeito, Fajã dos Padres, Malvasia Cândida 1993, bottled 2019 ****/*****

From a legendary grape grown on the legendary Fajã dos Padres at the foot of Cabo Girão. From 1993 to 2013 the wine was aged on Fajã dos Padres where naturally warm temperatures serve to concentrate the wine. From 2014 until bottling it was then aged at Barbeito’s armazem at much lower temperatures (and lower evaporation): deep amber to pale mahogany in hue; restrained initially but rich and dense with a heavenly aroma of figs, hazelnuts, fruit cake and a touch of dark chocolate too; glorious raisiny sweetness and spice, offset by pronounced acidity, good purity and definition, dense but beautifully poised on the finish. Just 426 bottles in total. 18.5

Barbeito, Fajã dos Padres, Malvasia Candida 1996 ****

Partly aged at Fajã dos Padres and partly at Barbeito’s armazém at Estreito de Câmara de Lobos: dense, focused and concentrated with glorious dried fig sweetness offset by a streak of acidity, beautifully poised overall, tangy but just a touch coarse on the finish. 17

Barbeito Boal 1978 ****

Produced from grapes grown at São Vicente on the north side of the island and Prazeres on the south side, bottled for the first time in 2001 with some wine retained and transferred in 2008 to a 64 litre garrafão from where this wine was tasted in November 2021: mid-deep amber/mahogany colour; quite expressive savoury aromas, smoke, toast and spice shop; lithe and similarly spicy on the palate (all-spice) with chutney fruit leading to an overall impression of dryness on the finish even though this wine has 86 g/l of residual sugar. Lovely integration. 18

Barbeito Boal 1982 ****

Grapes from Campanário on the south coast. First bottled in 2007 then the remaining wine was transferred from cask to garrafão in 2013 from where this wine was tasted in November 2021: mid-deep amber in colour; savoury, quite restrained with a touch of wood smoke on the nose, butterscotch too; refined with quince and dried apricot richness mid-palate and a light tang on the finish, beautifully integrated with an impression of dryness on the finish despite 80.7 g/l residual sugar. 18

Barbeito Tinta Negra 2009 Colheita, Vinha Velha das Mantas ***

A single cask from a well-tended centenarian vineyard at Jardim da Serra (source of some of the best Sercial), harvested late and fermented bica aberta (i.e. off the skins): mid-amber in colour, showing very little on the nose, gentle, medium-dry in style (67 g/l residual sugar) and a bit simple initially on the palate, redeemed but its lovely texture mid-palate and freshness and structure on the finish. 16

Barbeito Tinta Negra 2007 Colheita ***

This is Ricardo Diogo’s first wine to be foot trodden in lagar, made from grapes grown in the centenarian Vinha das Mantas at Jardim da Serra, bottled in November 2020: old gold in colour, quite subdued on the nose, soft, medium-sweet (88g/l residual sugar), raisiny in style with fruit cake richness and acidity rising on the finish. A bit one dimensional. 15.5

Barbeito, Três Pipas, Bastardo, Reserva Velha (Ten Years Old) ****

From grapes grown at São Jorge on the north side of the island, this lote was a blend of three pipes of Bastardo, partly fermented curtimenta (i.e. on the skins) and partly bica aberta (off the skins): amber-gold in colour with a lovely savoury almond-like aromas which continued on the palate (salted peanuts) with dreid apricots slightly caramelised citrus, medium dry (64 g/l) though seemingly off-dry on the finish, unusual and quite complex overall. 17

Barbeito, Quarto Pipas, Bastardo, Reserva Especial ****

Made from four pipes of Bastardo, two foot trodden on the skins and two fermented off the skins (bica aberta). The wines were aged between 10 and 15 years in pipe before bottling: mid-deep amber; delicate toast and almond character on the nose and on the palate with dried apricot richness and lovely texture, very well defined with a long, pure spicy tang to the finish. 17.5

Barbeito Fifty Year Old Bastardo, Avó Mário (bottled 2007) *****

Named after Mário Barbeito who founded the firm in 1946 and died in Funchal in 1985: deep amber hue; expansive, rather exotic aromas combining toast, roasted chestnuts and spices; glorious butterscotch richness on the palate (though not all that sweet with 87g/l residual sugar), spicy, peppery with a gentle tang of quince mid-palate and a long, distinctly savoury finish cut but a fine streak of citrus-like acidity (Total acidity of 8.74). A real wow of a wine. 19

Barbeito Cartola no 182, Sercial 2000 ***/****

A cartola (literally ‘a top hat’) is a small cask of 100 litres that sits on the top of stack of larger pipes on a canteiro. This gives the wine greater exposure to warmth meaning it develops more quickly. These four wines were bottled just two days before I tasted them. Sercial from Jardim da Serra. Mid-deep amber; gentle, not very expressive at this stage but with an underlying nutty floral character; much more powerful on the palate, lovely tang to the flavour, focused and spicy on the finish. 16.5

Barbeito Cartola no 183, Verdelho 2000 ****

Verdelho grapes grown at São Vicente. Already focused on the nose, still restrained but showing underlying concentration, lovely delicate filigree of flavours, candied orange peel mid-palate, the richness offset by a fine streak of acidity on the finish. 17

Barbeito Cartola no 184, Boal 2000 ****/*****

Boal form Prazeres on the south coast: more expansive on the nose with caramel, toffee and a hint of wood smoke; Elvas plum richness and sweetness with lovely purity and focus mid-palate, the richness offset by steely acidity on the finish. Text book Boal. 18.5

Barbeito Cartola no 185, Malvasia 2000 *****

Malvasia from São Jorge on the north side of the island: raisiny aromas with just a touch of molasses on the nose; wonderful richness and concentration, figs, spice, cake and all things nice, this has it all, lovely poise emerging, glorious length. Nigh on perfect. 19

Barbeito Twenty Year Old Malvasia, Lote 21333 ****

These lot numbered blends are a triumph. As with the previous lotes, Ricardo Diogo always looks for outstanding wines amongst his inventories, some being the last few litres left in cask. This has a lovely, gentle floral, figgy character on the nose, typical of Malvasia with similarly gentle flavours redolent of quince marmalade (marmelada) with seamless length and balance. Despite having 100 g/l of residual sugar this does not seem sweet. Just 550 bottles in this lot. 18

Barbeito ‘Familias’ 50 Year Old *****

This is a curious blend of Sercial, Verdelho and Malvasia from three different families on the island (Favila, Manuel Eugenio Fernandes and Barbeito) blended to be medium sweet in style. Bottled to celebrate the 75th anniversary of Barbeito in 2021. Pungent and powerful with wonderfully expressive aromas showing a savoury-nutty character; rich on the palate with a pronounced thick–cut tawny marmalade tang with glorious depth and concentration that goes on and on and on. Another ‘wow’ of a wine! 19

Barbeito 50 Year Old Verdelho ‘O Aniversário’ ****/*****

Bottled in 2020 to commemorate Barbeito’s 75th anniversary: mid-amber / mahogany in colour; very distinctive on the nose with a savoury malt and beef tea character and a touch of peat, complex and rich in style despite being medium dry in style, power, depth and complexity equally matched leading to a seemingly dry finish (despite the 63g/l residual sugar). 18.5

Barbeito, Ribeiro Real Fifty Year Old Boal ****

Originating from the Ribeiro Real estate belonging to the Favila family, this wine was bottled from demijohns set aside by Manuela Vasconcelos (Ricardo Diogo’s mother): mid-amber in colour with a lovely appetising toasty-savoury aroma, again resembling beef tea; rich and savoury at the same time, concentrated and focused cut by a wonderful streak of acidity leading to a long, pleasantly bitter-sweet finish. 18

Barbeito, 50 Year Old Malvasia, ‘O Japonês’ *****

Bottled in 2019 as a tribute to Yasuhiro Kinoshita who began importing Barbeito’s wines to Japan in 1967 and became a shareholder in the firm: deep amber / mahogany; lovely lifted, high-toned aromas redolent of fruit cake and peppery spice; wonderfully concentrated with savoury-spicy marmalade sweetness on the palate and a touch of salinity. Long and lingering with a citric tang that goes on and on. Another ‘wow’ of a wine. 655 bottles in total. 19

Barbeito 50 Year old Malvasia ‘Manuela’s Demijohns’ *****

Another wine bottled to celebrate the 75th anniversary of Barbeito, in this case just 175 bottles as a tribute to Manuela Vasconçelos who led the company through the 1980s and early 1990s. ‘A blend of very old wines’ according to her son Ricardo Diogo: green tinged mahogany with glorious lifted slightly floral smoky-savory aromas; hugely concentrated figgy-raisiny sweetness with a streak of acidity running through as a counterpoint, structured and magnificent with a wonderfully persistent tang to the finish. 19