Bual, Cossart Gordon - 1989

Name: Bual, Cossart Gordon
Brand: Cossart
SKU: 43775
Price: 149.99 USD
Availability: OutOfStock

Item # 43775 750mL

Cossart Gordon is the oldest company in the Madeira wine trade as it was established by a Scotsman, Francis Newton, in 1745. This Bual was aged for 29 years in seasoned American oak casks, via the old Canteiro sytem of aging, before bottling. Bual is not only a grape variety but also indicative of a style of Madeira that is sweet but on the side of the spectrum that is less sweet. Not only is this a rare Madeira as it's from a single vintage but the method of aging is used only for the finest Madeira. The Bual grape is grown mostly on the southern part of the island where there is more of a warm, sunny climate.

This item is currently out of stock.

Send me an email when this is back in stock.

Notify Me

Free shipping on first web orders over $299

Color

White

Vintage

1989

Country

Portugal

Region

Madeira

Producer

Cossart

Grape Variety

Bual

Need Help Deciding? Get personal recommendations from our staff

Staff Pick Notes

Madeira is a category that continues to astound me. A fortified wine akin to port or sherry, you make Madeira by beating the hell out of it. The wines are exposed to the air and left in wooden casks to bake in the heat of the sun. It's not only flavored like nothing else, but will last forever even once opened. A sommelier I knew in my earliest days in the industry had a bottle (a jug, really) from the 1880s that had been passed down and was still drinking beautifully. This bottle, already more than 30 years old, has an unrivaled complexity. Drier than you'd expect, it smells of burnt brown sugar, roasted hazelnuts, spiced marmalade, and smoked nectarines; halfway between an old whiskey and a tawny port. Even better, the bottle I have at home has been open for 6 months and tastes as fresh as the day I popped the cork.

- JON

Glossary

Bual

Several Portuguese white varieties that were widely grown in centuries past were called Bual. Today, the term has come to refer to a medium-rich type of Madeira produced from these grapes. It is produced on Madeira's warmer south side, so it ripens to a higher sugar level than Sercial or Verdelho. Bual is generally dark and raisiny, and keeps its bright acidity over many years of ageing.

Portugal

The Dão and the Douro are the most important regions as far as red Portuguese table wine is concerned. Douro wines tend to be a bit fuller and fleshier than their Dão counterparts, which are generally lighter and higher in acidity. Reds from both regions are dense, rustic, and well-balanced. They also show their terroir quite clearly, and represent a great alternative to the modern fruit-driven style. Vinho Verde is Portugal’s most famous white wine. Literally translated as "green wine," it...