Henriques & Henriques Bual 15Yo NV

Henriques & Henriques Bual 15Yo is a medium-sweet varietal madeira aged by the canteiro method rather than by artificial heating.

Bual, or Boal, is one of the four classic noble varieties of Madeira and sits at the medium-sweet point between Verdelho and Malvasia. Henriques & Henriques produce the 15-year-old range in purpose-built lodges at Câmara de Lobos, where the wines are cask-aged for at least three years in the canteiro loft, stacked against south-facing windows so that the sun's natural warmth does the work slowly. This is a far gentler process than the estufa tanks used for younger wines, and it gives greater finesse and a longer, more integrated development. The Bual vineyards themselves lie in the south of the island, around Campanário and Calheta, at lower altitudes of 100 to 300 metres.

Effectively indestructible in the cellar and stable for months after opening; serve at 14-16C with dried fruit and nuts, a tarte tatin or a mature cheddar.