D'Oliveira Verdelho 1984
Region: Madeira
Producer: Pereira D'Oliveira Vinhos Lda.
Why we chose this wine
1984: the year Apple unveiled the Macintosh. A Madeira from this vintage is a living piece of history — a wine that has been ageing for generations, owing its character to decades of patient cask maturation.
The grape used to produce semi-dry wines comes primarily from the south, but also from São Vicente in the north. Total plantings across the island cover approximately 46 hectares. The grape is highly aromatic and lively, with significant acidity potential.
The grape used to produce semi-dry wines comes primarily from the south, but also from São Vicente in the north. Total plantings across the island cover approximately 46 hectares. The grape is highly aromatic and lively, with significant acidity potential.
Luis Oliveira, the owner of this legendary wine estate, sits upon an extraordinary trove of aged wines—a result of the decision not to begin exporting until the 1970s. Prior to that, the wines were sold exclusively on the island, meaning annual production never exceeded sales. Even today, D’Oliveira works with only a limited number of importers worldwide, thereby remaining the guardian of his historic collection of aged wines. The oldest vintages date back to 1850 and are exquisite.
D’Oliveira’s wines are "old school," characterized by pronounced oxidative qualities and tertiary notes. However, as the wines are typically bottled relatively recently, they strike an incredible balance between candied notes and oxidative elements, featuring well-integrated alcohol
| Volume | 75.0 cl. |
| Grape Variety | Verdelho |
| Drinking window | Now - ∞ |
| Serveren bij | Served between 12-13°C, excellent as an aperitif or paired with smoked fish, hard cheeses and lightly spiced dishes. |
| Alc. | 20.0% |
| Vinification | Fortified wine (halting the fermentation process by adding alcohol). |
| Ripening | Extended maturation in old casks (*Canteiro*) in an oxidative environment (the casks are never topped up). |
The producer
Pereira D'Oliveira Vinhos Lda.
In the hands of the same family since 1850, now in its fifth generation. D'Oliveira keeps 1.5 million litres of old Madeira in cask, with vintages reaching deep into the 19th century: classic Madeira, made the way it used to be.