We love finding older bottles of Maderia as they are one of the most age-worthy wines in existence and typically never turn. We have a rare selection here today from Cossart Gordon & Co., the oldest Producer of Madeira still in operation. Established in 1745, this partnership of three Scottish visionaries supplied the world with the finest Madeira's. Colonial America was the top consumer of Madeira and was the celebratory beverage of choice, beating out Champagne at the time, which is bizarre to think about. So popular, they even poured at the signing of the Declaration of Independence. The higher quality Madeira was dubbed "American Madeira" due to its popularity in the States.
Maderia befell hardships with phylloxera and being cut off from during the second world war, putting many producers out of business. As mentioned, Cossart Gordon is one of the few that weathered the storm and were able to continue the operation to this day, and over the years, we have had some great successes come from their cellars. Today we have a bottle made from a grape that lost popularity due to its low yield and difficulty of cultivating and has been nearly wiped out from phylloxera called, Terrantez. Terrantez is one of the rare Castes of Madeira, usually found on the island's south coast, mainly in Calheta, Câmara de Lobos, and Funchal. Very few remain, making old producer stocks the only true way to get a bottle of Terrantez in modern times. Not as sweet, this is off-dry and a lighter, more delicate style with delightful elegance, freshness, and medium richness, landing between a Verdelho and Sercial. It is an incredibly complex wine with a copper-brown color, golden nuance, and greenish reflections; it never ceases in the glass and continues to show something new with every sniff or taste. The list goes on with spices, exotic wood, smoke, nutshell, resin, and dried fruits. It is explosive on the palate with excellent freshness and acidity leaving the mouth watering for more with spices and salinity. This spent its life in cask until it was bottled in September 2020, with only 992 bottles made. An excellent vintage bottle of Maderia, this is a rare find and a beautiful gift for yourself or someone you know who can't get enough of Maderia. This is a top choice and not a bottle to miss.
Vinous (Neil Marin) 95 points! "Cossart Gordon’s 1975 Terrantez (2020 Bottling), which was previously bottled in the late 1990s, is very powerful on the nose; aromas of honey, pressed flowers, furniture polish (antique bureau?) and clove soar from the glass in unison. Side by side, initially I discerned a tad more composure on the 1976 Verdelho. The palate is outstanding: smooth and unerringly harmonious, the acidity is perfect, with a simmering back note of spiciness (stem ginger and lemongrass) that is accentuated on the prolonged finish. The nose begins to cohere with aeration, so that you end up with a gorgeous, quite sophisticated Terrantez. 992 bottles produced. (Drink between 2020-2040)"
1975 Cossart Gordon & Co. Madeira Terrantez
1975 Cossart Gordon & Co. Madeira Terrantez
We love finding older bottles of Maderia as they are one of the most age-worthy wines in existence and typically never turn. We have a rare selection here today from Cossart Gordon & Co., the oldest Producer of Madeira still in operation. Established in 1745, this partnership of three Scottish visionaries supplied the world with the finest Madeira's. Colonial America was the top consumer of Madeira and was the celebratory beverage of choice, beating out Champagne at the time, which is bizarre to think about. So popular, they even poured at the signing of the Declaration of Independence. The higher quality Madeira was dubbed "American Madeira" due to its popularity in the States.
Maderia befell hardships with phylloxera and being cut off from during the second world war, putting many producers out of business. As mentioned, Cossart Gordon is one of the few that weathered the storm and were able to continue the operation to this day, and over the years, we have had some great successes come from their cellars. Today we have a bottle made from a grape that lost popularity due to its low yield and difficulty of cultivating and has been nearly wiped out from phylloxera called, Terrantez. Terrantez is one of the rare Castes of Madeira, usually found on the island's south coast, mainly in Calheta, Câmara de Lobos, and Funchal. Very few remain, making old producer stocks the only true way to get a bottle of Terrantez in modern times. Not as sweet, this is off-dry and a lighter, more delicate style with delightful elegance, freshness, and medium richness, landing between a Verdelho and Sercial. It is an incredibly complex wine with a copper-brown color, golden nuance, and greenish reflections; it never ceases in the glass and continues to show something new with every sniff or taste. The list goes on with spices, exotic wood, smoke, nutshell, resin, and dried fruits. It is explosive on the palate with excellent freshness and acidity leaving the mouth watering for more with spices and salinity. This spent its life in cask until it was bottled in September 2020, with only 992 bottles made. An excellent vintage bottle of Maderia, this is a rare find and a beautiful gift for yourself or someone you know who can't get enough of Maderia. This is a top choice and not a bottle to miss.
Vinous (Neil Marin) 95 points! "Cossart Gordon’s 1975 Terrantez (2020 Bottling), which was previously bottled in the late 1990s, is very powerful on the nose; aromas of honey, pressed flowers, furniture polish (antique bureau?) and clove soar from the glass in unison. Side by side, initially I discerned a tad more composure on the 1976 Verdelho. The palate is outstanding: smooth and unerringly harmonious, the acidity is perfect, with a simmering back note of spiciness (stem ginger and lemongrass) that is accentuated on the prolonged finish. The nose begins to cohere with aeration, so that you end up with a gorgeous, quite sophisticated Terrantez. 992 bottles produced. (Drink between 2020-2040)"
