Verdelho, Blandy’s Madeira 2009

Sandalwood, wild sage, bitter marmalade. Aromas that weave fluently into the palate, but also an unexpected flirtaceousness of delicate florals and cherry-ripe sweetness, dried pineapple, lemon cough sweets, tamarind tang and sandalwood dust. The wine winds satin scarves through the spaces between fruit and spice, creating whorl-grained iridescence of texture and flavour, catching light and sifting it through the shadows. The finish slips in satin-smooth, orange-gold, cinchona-striped – both aciculate and rippling like a ribbon in the wind. Breath-catching, so long you could lose yourself.