Five years ago I met Tiffany Farrell, then the winemaker at Haak Vineyards. Together, with Tim Benedict, we did a presentation on sherry making at the Eastern Winery Exposition 2020. The presentation was super interesting - but the convention ended ominously, as the last day people dispersed instantly when the Corona Virus Pandemic was declared by the Federal government. Shelter in place became the order of the day.
Tiffany has since moved on to Arizona. Haak Vineyards & Winery in Santa Fe, Texas, was founded by Raymond and Gladys Haak but was sold in 2020 to a new ownership group that includes Troy Kyle, Case Keenum, Austin Elrod, and Kyle Johnston. The Haak family retained a small portion of ownership, while the new owners, including current winemaker Kyle Johnston, oversee the winery's operations.
What is Madeira wine? According to Wikipedia, "Madeira is a fortified wine made on the Portuguese island of Madeira, in the North Atlantic Ocean. Madeira is produced in a variety of styles ranging from dry wines, which can be consumed on their own, as an apéritif, to sweet wines usually consumed with dessert." For dessert wine lovers, Madeira is an under-appreciated but incredible and elegant dessert wine... The islands of Madeira have a long winemaking history, dating back to the Age of Exploration (approximately from the end of the 15th century), when Madeira was a standard port of call for ships heading to the New World or East Indies. To prevent the wine from spoiling, the local vintners began adding neutral grape spirits. On the long sea voyages, the wine would be exposed to excessive heat and movement, which benefited its flavour. This was discovered when an unsold shipment of wine was returned to the islands after a round trip." In the Colonial period and the 19th century, Madeira was a highly prized wine. It's appeal was lost during the great rush towards the rush for Cabernet Sauvignon and Chardonnay in the 1950s and 1960s. It became largely but not completely forgotten by the commercial class in the US.
Of course the first question is - why in the heck are they making Madeira in Texas? According to Haak, "Founder Raymond Haak began making Port wine in 1969, but it wouldn’t be until 2000 when he saw his passion become a success. With the opening of Haak Vineyards & Winery in 2000, the Haak Port wine was introduced and became an instant hit!... Raymond attended a wine symposium in 2004... Inspired, Raymond set off to make a Texas Madeira and the results would be astounding." The first Haak Madeira was released to the public on November 5, 2006. The wine earned a score of 92 from Wine Spectator magazine.
Haak Madeira Jacquez is an all Texas wine, a three year old Madeira, made from Haak’s signature Blanc du Bois grape, grown locally at the Haak vineyard (the wine is usually made with Malvasia grapes).
I found this bottle collecting dust in my cellar. I recalled how impressed I was with it low those five years-plus ago. That, and I had a friend, a Brit, coming to dinner, whom I knew would appreciate the wine. The wine was an instant hit.
The wine started off with figs and dates, as well as walnut and hazelnut, caramel, toffee, and dried fruit. There was terrific acidity which kept the wine honest (not cloying-ly sweet). There were notes of citrus, dried apple, dried apricot, raisin and prune. An absolutely terrific wine. So impressive.
You gotta go and get some Haak Madeira Jacquez. Spectacular. Perfect for entertaining anytime - perfect for Thanksgiving.