Blandy's Madeira Wine

Wish I could share the delicious smell of Madeira wine maturing in barrels. This is the first time we've visited Blandy's - the oldest producers of the island's famous fortified wine, and still a family firm. Here is our guide, whose clarity of speech and command of English was superb. When there is a good harvest, not every year, they produce some pure, unblended wines. Here's some that was bottled the year my mother was born. At several hundred pounds a bottle for this vintage I didn't buy any.