The Rare Wine Co. Madeiras
"Madeira -- its astonishing bouquet, its glorious richness and balance, and its versatility as an aperitif, dessert wine and food wine."-- The Rare Wine Co.
Rare Wine Co. Historic Series Madeira
"In the 18th and early 19th centuries, Madeira was the United States’ most coveted wine. Every public event—from the signing of the Declaration of Independence to George Washington’s Inauguration—was toasted with a glass of Madeira. For more than 150 years, no other wine rivaled it in the eyes of connoisseurs. It was not until the dawn of the 21st century that America once again embraced this enigmatic wine, helped by The Rare Wine Co.’s creation of its Historic Series. The goal of these remarkable wines was to introduce a new generation of American wine lovers not only to our shared history with Madeira, but to the wine’s magical quality: its astonishing bouquet, its glorious richness and balance, and its versatility as an aperitif, dessert wine and food wine."
The Cities
Each wine is named for a U.S. city where Madeira was popular in the 18th and 19th centuries. Charleston Sercial and Savannah Verdelho celebrate the South’s love of drier Madeiras, while Boston Bual and New York Malmsey acknowledge the North’s appreciation of sweeter Madeiras. Each bottle bears an early engraving from that city, along with a back label describing the wine and America’s special link to Madeira’s illustrious history.
Charleston Sercial
“Like a salted caramel without its sugar.” —Alice Feiring
This is the driest wine in the series and a wine that has been served throughout meals in America for nearly 300 years. Chef Mario Batali won over 1000+ guests at the 2009 New York Wine Experience by boldly pairing Charleston Sercial with a wild boar dish of Wolfgang Puck’s creation.
Savannah Verdelho
“A mouth-filling personality, with a luscious texture and a salt-sea aroma.” —Elin McCoy, Bloomberg
“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. ”
Baltimore Rainwater
A Madeira of ethereal body, great finesse, delicate flavors and just a touch of sweetness.
Madeira was once the most prestigious wine in America. And the most prestigious style of Madeira was Rainwater. Rainwater took its name from its pale color and delicate texture and flavor. Rainwater Madeira reached the pinnacle of prestige in Baltimore. In 1902, that city’s greatest Madeira connoisseur, Douglas H. Thomas, called Rainwater the highest standard. And the absence of Rainwaters in a 1900 New York auction prompted one merchant to speculate that Baltimore connoisseurs thought so highly of them that they bought them all up and none reached New York.
Boston Bual
“A spectacular aroma of dark sugar and orange...”— Frank Prial, The New York Times
Sweeter than either Charleston Sercial or Savannah Verdelho, Boston Bual still boasts incredible balance and refreshing acidity. The hallmark of this wine is its otherworldly complexity, featuring cinnamon-clove spiciness with overtones of citrus peel and woodsmoke. There is just enough sweetness to excel as an after-dinner wine, but its long, dry finish also makes it work beautifully with food. Port and Madeira expert Roy Hersh has written that Boston Bual “emulates some of the finest qualities of vintage Madeira ... exhibiting a light amber-tawny color and a nose of dried figs, walnuts, maple syrup, mahogany and a sense of bouillon cube; the mélange of fragrances is complex and compelling. Medium in weight initially, it develops greater heft after a few days open, with a rich and sumptuous mouthfeel.”
New York Malmsey
“The sweetest and richest in the Historic series, the New York Malmsey unfolds slowly in the glass, gradually revealing layers of depth and flavor. Coffee, toffee and date notes emerge, followed by earthy, almost truffley flavors. Powerful and assertive on the long finish.”—Wine Enthusiast;
“New York Malmsey demonstrates why Madeira can be one of the planet's greatest dessert wines. It marries with an astonishing number of desserts, its kaleidoscopic flavors bonding with chocolate, nuts, citrus and dark fruits. But it can also be served during the meal, with foie gras, sweetbreads and almost any dish that has a rich, sweet sauce.” — Josh Raynolds, Robert Parker's Wine Cellar.
“Rich and exotic, the NV New York Malmsey (Rare Wine Company) mingles aromas of gingerbread and cloves with notions of Christmas pudding, molasses and figs. Full-bodied, rich and concentrated, it's fleshy and muscular, with lively balancing acids and a long, lusty and generously spiced finish. This would work beautifully with rich desserts.” —Wine Advocate
$55.99 each
