1990 Blandy Sercial Vintage Madeira dry
€ 295.00 / 50 cl
| Producer | Blandy's |
| Region | Madeira |
| Grapes | Sercial |
| Ageing | At least 20 years in cask (Frasqueira) |
| Alcohol | 20%vol |
| Serving | Aperitif 10°C, dessert 16°C Open a few hours in advance, store upright |
| Scores | 94/100 Wine Enthusiast |
Crystal clear, bone dry and full of candied citrus: a great 1990 Sercial.
Tasting note
Amber with golden glints, crystal clear. A characteristic bouquet with ethereal notes of cognac, candied citrus, spices such as ginger, nuts and dried fruit. Dry and very fresh on the palate, with a long finish of bitter orange and old cognac (according to the producer).
Sercial is the palest Madeira: a lovely golden yellow, aromatic and floral, with citrus notes in youth that turn nuttier over time. Ginger is a hallmark aroma. Its high acidity makes it the ideal aperitif wine.
The story
These are Madeira’s finest wines, with almost unlimited ageing potential. A Frasqueira (formerly called vintage Madeira) must spend at least 20 years in cask and two years in bottle before it may be sold. It comes from a single good harvest and a single noble grape, both stated on the label with the harvest and bottling years. After gentle heating it ages for a long time in wooden casks, and once bottled its quality no longer changes. Because they are so rare, these wines are inventoried.
Sercial is the white grape behind the driest style of Madeira: the spirit is only added at the end of fermentation, when almost all the sugar has fermented. Its very high acidity when young earned this late-ripening grape the name Esgana Cão (dog strangler), and it is why Sercial usually ages for a long time. It grows in the highest vineyards in the south, at around 600-800 m, or in the cooler north. Sercial is somewhat reminiscent of Riesling.
Madeira spends years ageing in an oxidative environment and moves into a reductive one at bottling. It is therefore best to open the bottle a few hours in advance. After that, air no longer affects the wine: an open bottle keeps almost indefinitely and often tastes even better months later. Always store Madeira upright, as the acidity attacks the cork if the bottle lies down.
Food pairing
Lightly chilled (10°C) as an aperitif with olives and almonds, or with sushi, oysters, squid carpaccio with tomato-coriander vinaigrette, salmon tartare, prosciutto, crab and fresh tuna (sashimi).
Critics & Awards
94/100 Wine Enthusiast | Tasted: Nov 2023
Roger Voss finds it intense and smooth, with a fine bite of nuttiness and acidity. Its blend of ripeness and total dryness has aged well, making for an all-round drinkable wine.
Roger Voss finds it intense and smooth, with a fine bite of nuttiness and acidity. Its blend of ripeness and total dryness has aged well, making for an all-round drinkable wine.
Reviews
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