Verdelho Frasqueira
⏳ wine.drinking_window
Virtually immortal; can be enjoyed immediately upon release or cellared for 50 to 100+ years.
🍽️ wine.food_pairings
cured meats, roasted nuts, consomme, semi-hard cheeses
✨ wine.spec_sheet
Pereira D'Oliveira's Verdelho Frasqueira represents the pinnacle of vintage Madeira, sourced from the steep, volcanic terraces of the island. Verdelho grapes are harvested to produce a medium-dry (meio seco) style of wine. Under the traditional canteiro system, the wine is aged in seasoned oak casks in warm lofts, subjected to gentle, natural heating over decades. This slow, oxidative process, combined with Verdelho's naturally high acidity, creates a wine of extraordinary complexity. D'Oliveira is legendary for holding their Frasqueiras in cask far longer than the required 20 years, only bottling them upon demand. The resulting wine displays a striking amber hue with complex aromas of dried orange peel, smoky wood, toasted nuts, and a signature tangy acidity that balances its delicate sweetness.
🍾 wine.about_producer
Founded in 1850 by João Pereira d'Oliveira, Pereira D'Oliveira is an independent, family-owned Madeira house based in the historic heart of Funchal, Madeira, Portugal. Currently managed by the fifth generation of the D'Oliveira family, the house is legendary for its unparalleled library of extremely rare, old vintage Madeiras dating back to the mid-19th century. Their wines are aged traditionally in seasoned oak casks using the canteiro method, allowing them to develop extraordinary complexity, vibrant acidity, and legendary longevity. The house is highly revered for its exceptional, single-harvest expressions of noble varieties including Sercial, Verdelho, Boal, Malvasia, and the rare Terrantez.