Barbeito Tinta Negra Lagar da Vinha Velha das Mantas 2007 (50cl)

If you're a winemaker looking for a challenge, try Madeira. You’ll be managing half a dozen different grape varieties, fortification, sweetness levels, a long, slow ageing process and the deliberate, careful heating of the wine. That’s only the beginning. Before you release anything, you’ll need to assemble blends from dozens of different casks. The reward isn't financial - these are some of the most undervalued wines in the world considering the effort that goes into them. But they can be extraordinarily complex, and live longer than any other wine.

Barbeito, run by Ricardo Freitas, is the most dynamic producer on the island. Ricardo is the third generation to run Barbeito, and his mastery of the complexities involved is unrivalled.