The Rare Wine Co. Historic Series The Chief Justice’s Madeira Portugal

The RWC Historic Series represents a close collaboration between The Rare Wine Co. and Vinhos Barbeito. First conceived in 1998, the goal from the beginning was to produce a series of affordable Madeiras that possess the magical qualities of great Vintage Madeira. Each Madeira is a blend of young wine (less than two decades old) and very old wine (>50 years old). The first two wines in the series—New York Malmsey and Boston Bual—were released in 2002, followed by the Charleston Sercial (2004) and Savannah Verdelho (2010). In 2013, Baltimore Rainwater was added to restore to prominence to what was once America’s most prized Madeira style. Each of these five Madeiras is named for an American seaport where Madeira was popular in the 18th and 19th centuries. The labels feature early engravings and historic information, further evoking a sense of Madeira’s towering importance in American history. Additional limited releases have highlighted the importance of Madeira in the lives of our Founding Fathers. Others have been used to bottle important parcels of old wine that didn’t qualify for a vintage bottling, or to support charity. Historically, grapes for Madeira were pressed in or near the vineyards, and the juice was then transported to the producers’ lodges over Madeira’s narrow, mountainous roads. The fermentations were stopped at the desired point with the addition of grape or sugar cane spirit. The critical process in making great Madeira is aging in wood. This process is called “canteiro.” Many inexpensive Madeiras replace this step by heating in tank for about 3 months, which is called “estufagem”. The Historic Series Madeiras have all been patiently raised in barrels of various sizes; subject to substantial swings in temperature throughout the year. The Special Reserve designation requires the average age of wines to exceed 10 years. Each of Ricardo’s skillfullyassembled blends spends additional time in barrel to meld the components.