H&H Rainwater 3 Yr Tinta Negra
H&H Rainwater 3 Year Tinta Negra is a fortified wine at 19% ABV in a 750mL bottle — 100% Tinta Negra, off-dry and built for the table, heated 90 days in estufagem then aged three years in large cask at Henriques & Henriques, Madeira — available to order online at Del Mesa Liquor, San Diego, CA.
- ABV: 19% vol
- Size: 750mL
- Grapes: 100% Tinta Negra (per US importer; EU data sometimes lists a Verdelho component)
- Sweetness: off-dry / semi-dry (R.S. ~72 g/L)
- Aging: 90-day estufagem, then minimum 3 years in balseiro (large cask)
- Origin: Henriques & Henriques — Câmara de Lobos, Madeira DOC, Portugal (est. 1850)
Rainwater, With the House's Signature
Rainwater is the friendly face of Madeira — the lighter, off-dry style that drinks like a aperitif wine rather than a fireside one. H&H's version runs firmer and more concentrated than the norm: 100% Tinta Negra (the island's most planted grape, over 85% of production), given a full 90-day estufagem and three years in balseiro. The importer's notes hit crème brûlée, almond, orange zest, and sea spray in equal parts elegance, freshness, and confident force — the same saline Atlantic signature that runs through the house's age-dated wines, at an everyday price. See the Henriques & Henriques cellar, or step up to the Special Dry 5 Year for the drier side of Tinta Negra.
Tasting Notes
Crème brûlée, toasted almond, and orange zest over a saline sea-spray edge. Off-dry with a firm, concentrated frame — fresher and more structured than the style's reputation suggests.
How to Enjoy
Serve chilled (54–59°F) in 2–3 oz pours — excellent as an aperitif on its own, and versatile at the table: roasted chicken, pork, mushroom dishes, and aged cheeses. A natural in cocktails: cobblers, flips, and spritzes. Keeps indefinitely once opened.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is "Rainwater" Madeira?
A lighter, off-dry style of Madeira — the name's origin is debated (a leaky barrel rumor, a tasting note of rain), but the style is consistent: fresher and less intense than age-dated bottlings.
What is estufagem?
The standard heating process for younger Madeiras: the wine is gently heated for about 90 days to accelerate the oxidative character, then rests in large casks.
Is Tinta Negra the same as Tinta Negra Mole?
"Tinta Negra" is the current legal name; "Mole" was the older form. It is by far Madeira's most planted grape.
How long does it keep after opening?
Like all Madeira, effectively indefinitely.
The everyday Madeira that overdelivers: order H&H Rainwater 3 Yr Tinta Negra online from Del Mesa Liquor in San Diego, CA.