D'Oliveiras Madeira 5 Year-old Medium Sweet - Half Bottle

The robust love-child of Tawny Port and Oloroso Sherry, but with the crisp vim and verve that only Madeira can bring. Made mainly from Tinta Negra and aged for five years in old oak casks, it has the depth and warmth of long cask ageing without losing its freshness. Aromas of dried fruit, roasted nuts and caramelised orange peel lead into a smooth, medium-sweet palate balanced by Madeira's trademark acidity. It's rich and rounded yet bright and lively, showing why this old family house still gets it right.

Chilled just a touch after dinner, or poured alongside sticky toffee pudding, blue cheese or anything chocolatey. Holds up beautifully once opened, so feel free to finish it off another day.

Founded in 1850 and still family-run, Pereira d'Oliveira is one of the great keepers of Madeira tradition. Step into their cellars in Funchal and it feels like time has barely moved on - dark old casks, heavy bottles and labels that look straight out of another century. They are one of the few houses to survive from the pre-phylloxera period and have maintained a stock of old and rare wines dating well back into the 1800s. While others have modernised, they've simply carried on doing what they've always done: maturing wines slowly in wood, bottling only when ready, and guarding one of the island's most extraordinary libraries of vintages. Less commercial than their peers, they remain custodians of Madeira's heritage and a touchstone for authenticity and age-worthy style.