Cossart Gordon Vintage Bual 1989

The oldest shipper still in existence on the island, Cossart Gordon were shipping half of all Madeira wine in the mid-19th century. The company joined Blandy’s in the Madeira Wine Association in 1953. This wine spent 29 years in cask before being bottled in 2018. It’s a bright golden-amber colour and has lovely aromas of elvas plums with a hint of leathery, malty complexity. Zesty greengage notes on the palate are joined by a touch of savoury woodsmoke. It’s very fresh and lively, with grapefruit-like acidity to balance the rich mid-palate leading to a wow of a finish: long, pure, rich and exquisite all at the same time. Only 1,000 bottles in total. 89g/l residual sugar. Score – 97. (Richard Mayson, decanter.com, May 19, 2019)