Henriques & Henriques Century Malmsey 1900

Century Malmsey is a sweet solera madeira from Henriques & Henriques, drawn from a cask laid down at the very end of the nineteenth century.

The Madeira solera works on a principle close to that of Jerez, though to a different end. This cask was laid down in 1899; from 1900 a tenth of its volume was drawn off each year and replaced with younger wine, ten times over, until the original contents had been renewed once. The solera was then closed, in 1905, and the eleven wines went on harmonising in cask until bottling in 1999, at 1,040 bottles. The date on the label marks the start of the solera. Refreshing the cask is not really the point here: Madeira begins with such high acidity that it needs no lift, so the system serves instead to build complexity and manage the pace of oxidation. Malmsey, from Malvasia, is the sweetest of the classic styles, and this sits at 123 grams per litre of sugar and 20 per cent alcohol.

Fully mature, and it will keep for many months once opened. Serve at 14-16°C in small glasses with dark chocolate, dried fruit or simply alone.

*Every effort is made to ensure the current vintage is accurate; however, variations can occur. If you are after a specific vintage, please contact us prior to ordering.