Other Fortified
2017 Gold: 7 Silver: 8 Bronze: 5 Commended: 7
2016 Gold: 3 Silver: 7 Bronze: 5 Commended: 9
Taking in everything from Madeira to vermouth, via Vin Santo, Moscatel and Rutherglen Muscat, for our tasters this category is a bit like delving around in a children’s toy box: a few oddities, the occasional item that should have been thrown out years ago and a few real gems that had been unjustly forgotten about.
Medal counts can vary wildly here, but this was indisputably a very good year for these wines. Madeira is often the star performer here – rather like sherry and tawny port, the amount of class and elegance you can get in the category for the money is extraordinary.
But this year there was just one Gold for the island, with a truly wide-ranging set of top medals. A fascinating, stimulating (and occasionally plain weird) part of the Sommelier Wine Awards.
FROM THE TASTING TEAMS
‘Madeira was a beautiful tasting. It’s lovely to taste 20-year-old wines that still taste so fresh.’ Giuseppe Longobardi, The 3A Pub Company
‘Sweet reds are a very, very hard sell.’ Tanya Mann, Linden House Stansted
‘You would only list a couple of Madeiras on your menu, so you might as well make sure that it’s something amazing – no one will buy on price anyway.’ Mike Best, WSET
‘Stonking! Madeiras always deliver so much for the money.’ Laura Rhys MS, team leader
‘I do have sweeter wines on my list, but I sell very few. People love to have cocktails before dinner and wine with dinner, so then they don’t want more heavy wine after dinner.’ Julien Sahut, Sexy Fish
‘There’s not much market in a restaurant for vermouth. It’s more for bartenders.’ Harry Crowther, M Wine Store