Madeira is named after the place it comes from, a volcanic island off the coast of Morocco. It is a fortified wine that is heated or baked during the manufacturing process, yet retains a high level of natural acidity. The Rare Wine Company's city series created these remarkable wines to introduce a new generation of American wine lovers to Madeira's richness and balance, and its versatility as an aperitif, dessert wine and food wine.
First released in April 2010, Savannah Verdelho is simply incredible, its bouquet exuding orange zest and buttery shortbread with hints of ginger, milk chocolate, and almonds. Lightly sweet with zesty acidity to keep it fresh, the palate reveals notes of candied citrus, ginger, and spicy honey. The finish sharpens all of the above into a refreshing and palate-cleansing blend of spiciness and citrus sweetness.
93 Points - "Medium amber with a green rim. Aromas of burnt orange, tobacco, toffee and herbs, with a hint of potpourri adding an exotic component. Broader and deeper than the Charleston, offering sappy orange marmalade, chestnut honey and toffee flavors underscored by tangy acidity. Shows a sweet, nutty quality on the smoky, gently spicy finish. I like this wine's heft and thrust." - Josh Raynolds (Vinous Media, June 2011)
Winemaker Notes
Savannah Verdelho is simply incredible, its bouquet exuding orange zest and buttery shortbread with hints of ginger, milk chocolate, and almonds. Lightly sweet with zesty acidity to keep it fresh, the palate reveals notes of candied citrus, ginger, and spicy honey. The finish sharpens all of the above into a refreshing and palate-cleansing blend of spiciness and citrus sweetness.
Tasting Notes
Medium amber with a green rim. Aromas of burnt orange, tobacco, toffee and herbs, with a hint of potpourri adding an exotic component. Broader and deeper than the Charleston, offering sappy orange marmalade, chestnut honey and toffee flavors underscored by tangy acidity. Shows a sweet, nutty quality on the smoky, gently spicy finish. I like this wine's heft and thrust.
Professional Ratings
93
VinousMedium amber with a green rim. Aromas of burnt orange, tobacco, toffee and herbs, with a hint of potpourri adding an exotic component. Broader and deeper than the Charleston, offering sappy orange marmalade, chestnut honey and toffee flavors underscored by tangy acidity. Shows a sweet, nutty quality on the smoky, gently spicy finish. I like this wine's heft and thrust.
93
Wine AdvocateThe NV Savannah Verdhelo Special Reserve (Rare Wine Company) is lovely, wafting from the glass with inviting aromas of fruitcake, warm spices, bitter orange, blanched almonds and dried flowers. Full-bodied, satiny and enveloping, with racy acids, a fleshy core of fruit, nicely integrated sweetness and an off-dry finish, it concludes with a penetrating and mouthwateringly saline finish.
