June 2025 Mariner's Society

Barbeito 2005 Bual Vinha do Charlot Hardim Pelado Colheita Madeira  Regular Price: $85.00 Club Price: $ 72.25 Buy Now

You know, Madeira is often called the original Mariner’s Wine because back in the days of tall ships and uncharted oceans, sailors would stock up on Madeira before setting off. The barrels would bake below deck as they crossed the tropics, and instead of spoiling, the wine came back tasting even better richer, deeper, full of character. It became a favorite in the American colonies (even the Founding Fathers toasted the Declaration of Independence with it), and for a while, it was the toast of the world.

The island itself is this beautiful volcanic rock in the Atlantic that went from sugar cane to vineyards, exporting wine to every corner of the globe. The 1800s were tough, plagues, war, prohibition, but a few families hung in there, and one of them was Barbeito. Today, they’re still crafting wines that have centuries of tradition but with a fresh spark of creativity.

Ricardo Diogo V. Freitas

One of the people behind that spark is Ricardo Diogo V. Freitas, the third generation at Barbeito. He’s all about honoring what his grandfather Mário started over 75 years ago but with his own twist. He’s always out looking for unique vineyards and stories, which is how he met Mr. Manuel Sardinha Duarte, aka “Charlot” (yes, like Charlie Chaplin) during one of those vineyard-hunting trips. They hit it off instantly over a glass of homemade wine, and that friendship turned into something special. Charlot’s Boal vineyard is tucked away in Jardim Pelado, a hot, dry patch of Calheta that gives the grapes this unique intensity. The result? A stunning 2005 Boal Colheita. This is Ricardo’s first single-cask bottling from that vineyard. Only 1,300 bottles were filled in July 2023, each one individually numbered. It’s not just a bottle of wine, it’s a story in liquid form.

I tasted the wine with the importer one day here in the shop, I knew right away what was captured in that cask was amazing. We had something really special. The moment I took a sip, it was like time slowed down. Warm notes of roasted nuts, orange peel, and caramelized figs coated my palate, balanced by this bright, mouthwatering acidity that kept it from feeling heavy. It had depth and this quiet power that just lingered. I didn’t even hesitate, I ordered on the spot. This was it. I knew the Mariner’s Club members would totally get it. This is the kind of wine that tells a story.

Barbeito 2015 Sercial Vinha da laje Cask 530d Colheita Madeira  Regular Price: $85.00 Club Price: $ 72.25 Buy Now

Calheita, Madeira

Tasting the 2015 Sercial Vinha da Laje I was transported to a sun-drenched cliffside somewhere on Madeira, where the sea spray meets stone and wind. Sercial is always the driest of the Madeira grapes, but this one, drawn from a single cask number 530d, had this razor-sharp precision and a kind of electric energy. My impressions: Bright citrus, salted almonds, green tea, and little briny minerality, with that classic Sercial tang holding it all together. Racy and clean, like the wine had soaked up the Ocean. At first it struck me as kind of subtle but then the finish wouldn't let go you couldn't ignore it, it kept unfolding. It’s rare to come across a Sercial this focused and pure, and with just a limited number of bottles drawn from a single vineyard and cask, it’s one of those wines I wanted to share with you before it disappeared into someone else’s cellar.