1988 Barbeito Sercial Vintage Madeira dry - Manuel E. Fernandes
€ 330.00 / 50 cl
| Producer | Barbeito |
| Region | Madeira |
| Grapes | Sercial |
| Ageing | Frasqueira (at least 20 years in cask), bottled in 2017 |
| Alcohol | 20%vol | pH: 3.1 |
| Serving | 14-16°C, open a few hours in advance Store upright, keeps almost indefinitely once opened, best decanted |
A 1988 Sercial, a tribute to grape grower Manuel Eugénio Fernandes.
Tasting note
The lightest Madeira in colour: a lovely golden yellow, with an aromatic, fresh and mineral bouquet, rounded out by resin, smoked wood, leather, lemon peel and dried figs. A salty touch, a fine and elegant palate, balanced, with fresh, pure acidity and an almost endless dry finish.
The story
Manuel Eugénio Fernandes was born in 1906 in Seixal, on Madeira, and died in 2003. From the founding of Vinhos Barbeito in 1946 he supplied Sercial grapes to the house. He had a very special bond with winemaker Ricardo Diogo’s grandfather and mother, and visited the old winery every week. This Sercial 1988 comes from grapes from his vineyards in Seixal and is the first wine in a series that honours him, in memory of the long friendship between the two families. In August 2017, 650 bottles were filled, all individually numbered.
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.
This Frasqueira was filtered, but sediment may form in the bottle over time, so decanting is recommended.
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 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).
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