Justino's

Verdelho Frasqueira

Portugal, Madeira

1997

Coming from a batch of just 500 bottles, the term Frasqueira describes a Madeira produced by the 'canteiro' process, where the wine undergoes natural oxidation in warm parts of the cellar and spends 20 years+ in cask. Made from 100% verdelho, time in cask has created a wine packed with tropical fruit and salted caramel flavours. Savour it with sticky toffee pudding.

Justino's is among Madeira's oldest houses and today holds one of the island's largest stocks, blending deep tradition with modern precision.

The 1997 Verdelho Frasqueira shows the house's classic balance of tangy acidity and layered, oxidative complexity. It's produced via canteiro ageing in old French and American oak after fortification, with 500 bottles chosen from several very old casks.

Verdelho Frasqueira

Verdelho sits stylistically between sercial and boal, characterised as medium‑dry with vivid freshness, rancio complexity, and persistent length – hallmarks of long canteiro élevage.

The careful selection of casks that make up this unique Frasqueira wine was carried out by Justino's Madeira winemaking team.The rest of the batch remains in cask and new bottlings are scheduled for 2027.

Tasting
NOTES

Golden in the glass, the nose is expressive, offering notes of caramelised orange, crêpes suzette, dried mango and apricot, burnt sugar, candied fruits and roasted nuts. There's cinnamon and honey in the mix too. The palate is sweet but with a beautiful acidity and a long nutty finish. It's a well-balanced wine with an appealing mixture of savoury umami flavours and a salted caramel and nougat sweetness balanced by the alcohol and acidity of verdelho.

Food
PAIRINGS

Madeira can pair with all manner of dishes. Try this unctuous verdelho with caramelised onion soup, game consommé, sticky toffee pudding, or aged brie with truffle honey.