A family-owned winery founded in 1946, Barbeito are at the forefront of quality wine production on the island of Madeira. Working the steep and rugged vineyards here is a labour of love, as is the long barrel ageing required to make the refined and complex fortified wines the island is famed for.
The grapes of this Malvasia were harvested before they reached full ripeness, with the aim of obtaining a higher initial acidity.
The vinification was carried out with musts from three vineyards in São Jorge. By stopping fermentation in a semi-sweet state by adding brandy, the main purpose was to preserve the wine's natural sugars.
After 6 months of contact with the yeasts, the wine was racked in March 2009 and stored in 3 old French oak barrels, each with a capacity of 650 liters.