Styles of madeira: Bual

Bual, or Boal in Portuguese, is grown in warmer locations on the south side of Madeira. It ripens to achieve higher sugar levels than either Sercial or Verdelho and, after fortification to arrest the fermentation, Bual wines range from 2.5 to 3.5 °Baumé. These dark, medium-rich, raisiny wines retain their acidic verve with age. Confusingly, Bual is known by the name malvasia Fina in mainland Portugal and this is now its official name.