Blandy’s Duke of Clarence Madeira

Reviewed on January 26, 2024

Madeira is named after the place it is from – the island of Madeira. It is a fortified wine, like port and sherry. Madeira comes in a range of styles from dry to sweet. It can be served before a meal, with a meal or the sweeter ones are good with dessert. Cheaper Madeira is used in cooking. I notice it as often an ingredient in French and Italian dishes.

Madeira is a Portuguese island in the Atlantic Ocean. It is closer to Morrocco than Portugal. Lisbon is almost 1000 kms away! Madeira is a volcanic island. It is a difficult place to grow grapes because most of the vineyards are planted on steep terraces.

Madeira has an interesting history. In the 15th  century, Madeira Island was a common port of call for ships going from Europe to Africa. Ships would take barrels of madeira wine as cargo. The storing conditions were far from optimal – the wine was stored in the hull and exposed to heat and rough seas. It often spoiled on these long journeys. By the mid-18th  century, winemakers decided to fortify the wine, which helped to stabilize it. Sometimes the ships would return from their journey with wine left over in the barrels. Despite the fact that the wine was exposed to heat, oxygen and movement – elements that are usually wines nemesis – the wine had acquired unique flavours and tasted good. This is called the Happy Accident. Now winemakers use different systems to imitate the ships’ ageing process.

Both white and red grapes are used in Madeira. The Blandy’s Duke of Clarence is made from the red grape Tinta Negra Mole. Opened bottles of Madeira have a long shelf life. It is practically indestructible because during production it was exposed to all the elements that would normally harm wine. An open bottle will easily keep one year. One thing you should know is when you store Madeira it should be upright. Do not store unopened bottles on its side.