Terrantez Madeira wine
This grape Terrantez or Folgasão is making something of a comeback, but is still rare and fragile, this varietal has always been used in the production of premium wines, achieving high prices in the market. Due to its fragility, it has been replaced by more prolific varieties, and was therefore almost brought to extinction. This varietal produces off-dry wines.
This wine attracts huge interest amongst collectors and connoisseurs of Madeira wines….so if you are keen and feeling well off…this is certainly a rare wine.
Blandy’s wine lodge offers a wonderful Terrantez to taste by the glass that is over 40 years old, yet the wine is still delicate and fresh with a slight citrus note amidst a complex array of other flavours found in Sercial and Verdelho. It tastes as if the wine bridges the two styles as it has great subtlety and smoothness, encompassing the elegance of Verdelho to the crisper tones of Sercial.
The wine has citrus dry notes, some hazelnuts and gentle caramel and possibly a hint of yeast, making this a most interesting wine.
Terrantez is also available to taste and buy from Henriques and Henriques whose 20 year old Terrantez is exquisite. The wine is a little lighter with notes of lemon and is elegant, smooth and wonderfully structured
Image courtesy of Blandy,s (Madeira Wine Company)
