2003 Blandy’s Bual Colheita - Madeira, Portugal (500ml)

The 2003 harvest was an unusually dry one, with just one day of rain in August and not a single drop more until October, resulting in incredibly intense, concentrated wines. Blandy’s Colheita Bual from this vintage was aged for 13 years in seasoned American oak casks and, as with all the family’s vintages, started its ageing process in the warm high attic floors of the lodge in the centre of Funchal and gradually made its way down to the ground floor. The result is a quintessential Bual with a bouquet of exotic woods, dried fruits, dates and cacao followed by a medium-sweet, full-bodied palate with a long, toffee flavored finish. Best served as a digestif at a cool, cellar temperature of no more than 60 degrees alongside some fine, dark chocolate.