A phenomenally beautiful, ancient Madeira made from the Sercial grape, which produces relatively dry, austere and acidic wines. This impressive example is from the 1968 harvest, and has spent a full 49 years aging in American white oak casks in the traditional “Canteiro” system. A total of 2,000 bottles have been bottled. In Denmark there are less than a dozen, and with 99/100 points from Decanter, that number is in free fall. Buy while you can!
Colour: Deep amber with a greenish tinge at the edge.
Aroma: Light smoky aromas, orange marmalade, candied fruit. Powerful but elegant.
Tasting notes: Dry, crisp and with a beautifully singing acidity. Gripping complexity and a long, long aftertaste.
Decats
“The Blandys established themselves on Madeira in 1811 and are now in charge of the Madeira Wine Company. Aged for 49 years in seasoned American oak casks before bottling in 2017, this wine is mid-deep amber in color with an olive-green glint. Fine, lifted woodsmoke characters on the nose are redolent of autumn leaves and bonfires. It has crystallized fruit on the palate with rapier-like power and intensity. The hint of sweetness (59g/l residual sugar) is offset by a streak of acidity, leading to a mouthwateringly fresh greengage finish yielding to a touch of savory complexity. A wine that sings contralto from the glass. Just 2,000 bottles in total.” – 99 points
Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate
“Bottled in 2018 and matured for 49 years in seasoned American oak casks, the 1968 Sercial exhibits a complex bouquet of mocha, baked apple, praline, dates, fine furniture polish and marmalade. On the palate, it’s medium to full-bodied, satiny and incisive, with tangy acids, good concentration and a long, precise finish. With 59 grams per liter of residual sugar and ten grams of total acidity, it’s a tangy Sercial that benefits considerably from aeration, becoming progressively more complete and integrated: two weeks after opening , the last glass was decidedly the best.” – 93 points
