Vinhos Barbeito

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Vinhos Barbeito NV Island Dry, Madeira	Login	—	In Stock
Vinhos Barbeito NV Island Rich, Madeira	Login	—	In Stock

Of the hundreds of families that have produced and shipped Madeira over the past two centuries, only four remain: Blandy, Borges, D’Oliveira, and Barbeito. The first three are proud survivors from the 19th century, their legacies preserved by stockpiling old vintages during the Phylloxera epidemic of the 1870s. Barbeito, by contrast, entered the Madeira business later, in 1946. Yet their accomplishment is remarkable, given the decline of many firms and the challenges of entering the market during a difficult era.

During World War II, Madeira production and sales nearly came to a halt. The U.S. market was lost due to a ban on Portuguese glass bottles, and U-boats made shipping to the United Kingdom, Madeira's primary market, almost impossible. In this bleak climate, many companies were leaving the business. But Mario Barbeito, a former accountant for Borges, had faith in Madeira’s future. Like Charles Blandy, H.M. Borges, and João D’Oliveira before him, he believed the value of great Madeira would increase with age as production of young vintages declined.

Mario Barbeito began acquiring substantial stocks of priceless old vintages from Madeira’s prominent families. At the time, these wines were still in cask, where the traditional long oxidative aging process—sometimes lasting 50 to 100 years or more—develops complexity and concentrates flavors through evaporation. Mario saw these vintage stocks as a long-term investment and allowed them to age further.

In the 1970s, Mario’s daughter Manuela took over the business and began selling her father’s remarkable collection. Thanks to her efforts, Barbeito vintages such as the 1795 Terrantez, 1834 and 1875 Malvasia, and 1863 Bual gained international acclaim, frequently appearing at auctions in London. These wines cemented Barbeito’s reputation among collectors and connoisseurs.

In the early 1990s, Manuela passed the reins to her son, Ricardo Freitas. A history graduate from the University of Lisbon, Ricardo brought both a deep respect for Madeira’s classical traditions and a fresh perspective. One of his innovations was restoring Madeira’s role as a companion to food. He also partnered with The Rare Wine Co. to create the groundbreaking Historic Series Madeiras, revitalizing the American market for Madeira wines.

Ricardo Freitas produces wines that combine the best elements of Madeira’s classical tradition with his own quest for purity and vineyard and variety expression. Made in tiny lots, their astonishingly graceful style has prompted British wine critic Jancis Robinson to call Barbeito the “Lafite of Madeira.”

Barbeito produces several distinct ranges of wines:

• Single Harvest: Medium-dry, vintage-dated Madeiras made from the Tinta Negra grape using the traditional canteiro method. Renowned for their purity and elegance, these wines often originate from a single vineyard.
• Single Cask: Unique, individually bottled selections from exceptional casks. Crafted using the canteiro method, frequently sourced from single vineyards.
• Frasqueira: Vintage Madeiras aged a minimum of 20 years in cask, representing Barbeito’s rarest and most treasured wines. Each vintage is limited to just a few hundred bottles.
• Signature Wines: Rare, small-lot Madeiras made from historic vineyards, forgotten varieties, or exceptional growers, always honoring the traditional canteiro method.
• Ribeiro Real: Primarily made from Tinta Negra grapes grown in the historic Ribeiro Real Vineyard in Estreito de Câmara de Lobos. This vineyard, with its volcanic soils, forms a south-facing amphitheater at an elevation of 200 meters.

Social Media Links
Ricardo Freitas Instagram: @ricardodiogofreitas

Media Links
I'll Drink to That! #329: Ricardo Freitas