Blandy's, Bual, Madeira, Portugal, 1976

Overview of the Wine
Blandy’s distinguishes itself for being the only family, of all the original founders of the Madeira wine trade, which still owns and manages its own original wine company. Throughout its long history on the island, the family has played a leading role in the development of Madeira Wine. The family continues to live in Madeira, thus maintaining a tradition that dates back to 1811 - two centuries and seven generations producing excellent wines.

Grape / Blend
Bual

Origin
Madeira, Portugal

Winemaker's Tasting Notes
Blandy’s Bual 1976 was aged in seasoned American oak casks and as with all the family’s vintages, this wine started its aging process in the warm high attic floors of the lodge in the center of Funchal. Over the 47 years, the wine passed down from the warmer top floor of the Blandy’s Wine Lodges, the “Sotão de Amendoa”. The art of finding the right balance between concentration and the freshness of the wine lies in the winemaker’s decision when to transfer the wine to the lower cooler north facing floors of the lodge.

98 Points - Decanter
Produced from grapes grown at Calheta on the sunny south coast. Deep amber/mahogany colour, this is rich and profound on the nose, with dried fruit compote and heady intensity. Powerful on the palate: the tang of tawny marmalade (115 g/l residual sugar) is offset by bracing acidity, which persists in parallel with dried fruit richness, all the way through the finish. Beautifully focused, this goes on and on. Glorious wine: the last release of a Blandy quartet from this successful vintage.

95 Points - Wine Enthusiast
The wine's sweetness with a dry, dried fruit richness. Its tangy character is impressively concentrated with nuttiness and acidity at the end.

94 Points - Vinous
The 1976 Bual was aged for 46 years in very old oak casks. This bottling is limited to 983 bottles plus assorted larger formats. It has a generous bouquet with a lovely warmth. Allspice intermixes with cardamom, curry leaf, dried honey and light wood varnish scents that become more prominent with time. The palate is beautifully balanced with heart-warming purity. With fine tannins and a gentle grip, this is very harmonious, with just the right amount of spice to enliven the finish. Not the most outgoing Bual you will find, almost low-key in a way, yet you’ll keep coming back for another sip. Divine.

Product size: 500ml